Friday Fun Food Facts – March 4, 2016

Featured Restaurant News

• The weather is warming up (I think), and Spring is in the air! And that means only one thing – outdoor food and drink events! That said, I turn to my friend and fellow blogger John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer)  who has come through, again, for all you folks that like to plan ahead. So get ready to fill up your calendar with a long list of upcoming foodie events!

Wake County Restaurant News

• Lisa Jeffries over at Downtown Raleigh News reported this week that Raleigh Roadhouse, a bar-b-q and live music concept, will open in the lower level of the 510 Glenwood building, which formerly housed Hi 5, Draft, and most recently The Oakz. Bobby Glass and Shaefer O’Neil, partners in the 510 Tavern, are collaborating on the new venue.

• The News & Observer reported this week that Hadley’s, the Lost Generation-inspired restaurant and bar that took over The Borough space in downtown Raleigh, is now open. The restaurant serves gourmet sandwiches, salads and house-made soups. Triangle restaurateur and real estate developer Drew Schenck and longtime downtown Raleigh mixologist Kevin Barrett are behind the project. Check out Hadley’s on Facebook here.

• Also in Raleigh, there’s a new social house in North Raleigh’s Stonehenge Shopping Center called Serena Society. It’s the newest concept from Giuseppe Cataldo, and it is tucked behind his Italian restaurant, Serena Cucina. Serena Society serves Sicilian-inspired street fare. Cataldo also owns Serena Gastropub in Durham. Check out all of his concepts on Facebook here.

• And we got word this week that Raleigh’s iconic IHOP on Hillsborough Street will complete its “move down the street” when it opens on April 4th on the ground level of The Stanhope Student Apartments project. Now is as good a time as any to remind everyone that Tuesday, March 8th is National Pancake Day. Seriously.

• Over in Cary, Newk’s Eatery announced this week that they will officially open next Monday, March 7th. Located in the former Hibernian Pub location on Kildaire Farm Road, this will mark their first restaurant in the Triangle. If you are not familiar with Newk’s, they offer Southern-inspired, made-from-scratch soups, sandwiches, salads and pizzas for lunch and dinner. This will be their 98th location in the Southeast. Check them out here.

• Also in Cary, Brew Coffee Bar, with its original location in Raleigh’s Seaboard Station, opened a second location inside The Cary Theater. They will be open seven days a week. Congrats to A.J. Viola and Mike Sholar on their continued success. Check out the Cary location on Facebook here.

• Saw on a Yelp message board that Noodles Boulevard will be taking the place of the short-lived Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffees and Smoothies, and Java Jive before that, on Harrison Avenue in Cary. Check out Noodles Boulevard here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News

• Over in Hillsborough, the News & Observer reported this week that Bona Fide Sandwich Company will officially open next Monday, March 7. Located at at 104 N. Churton St., Bona Fide is brought to us by Matt Fox and Dean James, the same folks behind The Wooden Nickel Pub, LaPlace and Hillsborough BBQ Company. Check out Bona Fide here.

• Just a reminder that after 8 years Six Plates in Durham will close next Friday, March 11th in order to renovate for the new cider-focused restaurant to be called Black Twig Cider House. Check out Black Twig here.

• An update to the news last week that City Beverage in south Durham closed. The News & Observer reported that Hope Valley Brewing Co., a new brewpub, will soon take over that space. The brewpub is the brainchild of Andrew Christenbury, the former head brewer at Durham’s G2B and currently one of the bartenders at Bar Virgile in downtown Durham. Christenbury partnered with Peter Michaels and Brad Strode on this concept. After the brewpub is open, he will work to convert the next door space (the former Lava Lounge) into a brewery. They hope to be open by St. Patrick’s Day. Stay tuned.

• And another reminder that the newest location of Rise, this one in downtown Durham at 401 Foster St., will open a week from Saturday on March 12. Check out Rise here.

Closings

• David McCreary (aka LunchBoy Says) informed me this week that Healthy Sweet Leaf Cafe in Fuquay Varina has closed their doors.

•  On a recent drive past Eastgate Shopping Center in Chapel Hill, I noticed that the Boston Market there is empty and the signs are off the building. The adjacent BP gas station, is also empty. And not to mention the long-vacant former 501 Diner space. Somethin’s a brewin’. We’ll keep an eye on it.

Food Trucks

• The News & Observer reported this week that longtime Durham restaurateur Fergus Bradley and several partners are planning to launch the Mama’s Hot Chicken food truck, which will serve Nashville-style hot chicken, on April 15. Bradley expects the truck to be on the road for about a year but eventually land in a brick-and-mortar location. To keep up with this as it develops, check them out on Facebook here.

• Durham has announced their Food Truck Rodeo schedule for the year and it kicks off this month with the Time Change Sunday Rodeo on Sunday, March 13th. Get the full schedule here.

• The Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo has announced its dates for this year: May 1, June 12, Aug. 7 and Oct. 9. VIP early admission wristbands, which let you get in to buy food before the general public, are on sale now. Get all the details here.

• For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

Events

• The 30th Anniversary of A Toast to the Triangle will be held this Sunday, March 6  at NC State University’s McKimmon Center from 5:30pm-8:30pm. Toast provides impressive offerings from the Triangle’s finest restaurants, caterers and purveyors of fine wines and specialty beers, as well as a raffle and silent auction that boasts an array of exciting items. A Toast to the Triangle benefits Tammy Lynn Memorial Foundation. Get all the details here.

• Got word this week that the Raleigh Sister Cities organization is holding a Farm to Fork fundraiser called Taste of Our Cities on Wednesday, March 9th. This unique event will feature foods prepared by the local chefs inspired by the cuisines of Raleigh’s Sister Cities: Nairobi, Kenya; Xiangyang, China; Rostock, Germany; Compiegne, France; and Kingston upon Hull. Participating restaurants and chefs include Capital 16, Boulted Bread, Five Star, Kimbap, Locals Seafood, Kadar French Bakery, Wine Authorities, Notte Urbana, and Chef Kabui. Reservations are available here.

• SEEDS announced this week that their Fork Less Traveled, a chef dinner series that pairs Durham chefs with local farms and beverage purveyors, will kick off this season on March 13th and will feature Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint. The series is one way they support Durham garden-based programming. Get tickets and all the details here.

• The World Beer Festival returns to Raleigh Saturday, April 2nd at the exposition center at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Tickets are $45 in advance, $55 the day of the show. The VIP Experience tickets are $85. Tickets can be purchased online and at Tasty Beverage and at Bottle Revolution. Get all the details here.

• The 4th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience will be held on April 10th and tickets are available through DPAC or you can visit the DPAC ticket center to avoid service charges. Check them out on Facebook here.

• Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine will sponsor the third annual TASTE: A Celebration of Food & Drink, happening from April 21 to 23. The event will feature more than 30 top local chefs and establishments in Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Raleigh. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Durham Branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Get all the details and updates as well as purchase tickets (they have an early bird price of $85 now!) here.

• The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina not only plays a critical role in our community serving the needs of so many people in our area, but they also fulfill that role while making it fun and enjoyable for those lending a hand. To see how you might get involved or what events they have coming up that you can get involved with, check out their listing of upcoming events here. Get involved today!