Friday Fun Food Facts – April 28, 2017

Triangle Restaurant News

Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Featured Restaurant News

• This is something that will make you happy. We got a press release from the folks over at North Hills this week that the second Raleigh location of Happy + Hale is on the way. Known for their fresh juice, salads and smoothies, they signed on to be one of the first retail tenants at North Hills’ new Park Central apartment tower building that is slated to open in fall and winter of 2017. Look for them to open in December, possibly January (in time for New Year’s resolutions!). Check them out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Well, it was certainly sad to see the Mami Nora’s on Wake Forest Road fall victim to the flooding earlier this week. Hopefully they’ll be able to pull through that quickly and re-open soon. But the good news is that there is a second Mami Nora’s coming, this one on Glenwood Avenue (6711 Glenwood Ave) near the intersection with Duraleigh Road where the former Blinco’s was. No word on a timeline, but we’ll keep you posted. Check out Mami Nora’s here.

• The fast-pizza fast-casual market in the Triangle continues to grow as Your Pie is planning restaurants in Cary and Raleigh’s Brier Creek. The Cary location will be at 685 Cary Towne Blvd., in the former Tom Yum Thai spot. Work is underway to transform the restaurant and add a patio. An opening date hasn’t been set. The Raleigh location will be in The Corners at Brier Creek, a mixed-use development anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store. It could open in early fall. Get familiar with Your Pie here.

• But if you are more into the pizza-by-the-slice option you’ll be happy with the news the News & Observer shared this week about Benny Capitale’s moving into 121 Fayetteville St., which most recently housed Crema coffee shop. There is another Triangle location on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street. Look for them to open this summer. Check them out here.

• Got word from WRAL that La Santa Mexican Restaurant will open next Monday at 222 Glenwood South. That is all we know at this point. Check them out on Facebook here.

• The next location of Bad Daddy’s will open in North Raleigh in the new Olive Park shopping center at 9400 Falls of Neuse Road in North Raleigh around May 15th, according their Twitter feed. Check out Bad Daddy’s here.

• A little further north in Wake Forest, this Saturday is the grand opening of Sugar Magnolia Cafe & Emporium on South White Street in downtown Wake Forest. It is in the same spot where the Ole English Tea Room was. Check them out here.

• Also in Wake Forest, got word from Sean O’Neill that he is opening the next location of Chronic Tacos next Monday, May 1st. It is located in the Shoppes at Heritage Village at the intersection of Forestville and Rogers Roads. This will be the second Triangle area location (the first is in Chapel Hill and the third will be in Raleigh). Check out Chronic Tacos here.

• And if that is not enough Wake Forest news for you, John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) tipped me off to the fact that a I Love Juice Bar is coming and will be located on  Forestville Road near Heritage. No word yet on a timeline. Get all the details here.

• Saw in the ITB Insider that Sweetheart Treats, a north Raleigh specialty cupcake shop, will hold its grand opening this weekend at the Falls River shopping center at 10930 Raven Ridge Road. The celebration is from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. The event will feature free samples and the chance to win free treats. Check them out here.

• Down in Holly Springs, WRAL reported that Mama Bird’s Cookies and Cream will hold their grand opening on Friday, May 5th with Napoli wood-fired pizza, music, dance, bounce house, face painting, balloons and much more. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• And speaking of Holly Springs, the Triangle is about to welcome its third Hickory Tavern. They will open their new location at 4 pm on Wednesday, May 3 at the SouthPark Village Center (401 Village Walk Drive) in Holly Springs. The opening expand the brand’s footprint in North Carolina to 16 restaurants and 27 restaurants for the brand overall. Its other Triangle locations are in Carrboro and Cary, which opened last year. Check out Hickory Tavern here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Listen up Durhamites, the folks over at Neomonde (with locations in Raleigh and Morrisville) are bringing their yumminess to Durham. The location hasn’t been disclosed yet, but expect a formal announcement within the next month. Go ahead and get familiar with Neomonde here.

• Staying in Durham, I’m getting multiple reports that Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in downtown Durham is looking for a larger location. That just makes me smile all over. We will definitely keep an eye on this one (someone has to, right?). Check out Dame’s here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, the newest location of Chipotle just opened at Eastgate Crossing shopping center. That means next up are the openings of Chopt, Babalu, Zoe’s Kitchen and Guglhupf Bakery. Wonder if it is too late to add more parking? Check out all the dining options at Eastgate here.

• And in Carrboro, the folks over at Taste Carolina informed us that Mel’s Commissary & Luncheonette is now open. It is owned by Melody Bowers and her husband, Al (as in Al’s Burgers). It is located at 109 W. Main St., where Tres Amigos Restaurant and Cantina used to be. Check them out here.

Closings

• Reader Michelle Hillison informed us that there is a note on the door of the Five Guys location at Stone Creek indicating that they will be closing in the next couple of weeks.

• Hillison also informed us that La Carretta, on Hwy 55 in High House Crossing, closed a few months ago. However, she said that there is now a sign that says a Japanese restaurant will be moving in, but didn’t list the name.

• If it never opens, does it officially close? Hmmm. Well, at any rate, we learned that Lume Grill in Cary will not be. That is all.

Food Trucks

• Friend Holly Kahl tipped me off to the fact that there is a new food truck on the local scene – BBQ Proper. They will be serving up pulled pork, ribs, brisket, chicken and more. They will debut on May 5th (5 p.m. until…) at Jordan Lake Brewing Company and at House of Hops on Glenwood on May 6th from 5-10 p.m. Check them out here.

• TABLE, a nonprofit organization that provides food to hungry kids in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area, is hosting their 5th annual Food Truck Rodeo on Saturday, April 29, from 3-7 p.m. at Orange United Methodist Church on MLK Jr. Blvd. near Homestead Road. Get all the details here.

• The food truck events in Knightdale are cranking back up in April. Every Thursday from April through June and September through November, they will host a new truck at Knightdale Station Park for lunch and dinner. Just look for it from 11:30am to 1:30pm and 6pm to 8pm near the amphitheater (rain or shine – shelters are covered). Get all the details and schedule here.

• On April 23, The Hill Center in Durham will hold its annual school fundraiser – Hill Mile! There will be a one mile race & walk, a kids’ dash and a fast mile on the track. All proceeds benefit Student Financial Aid at The Hill Center, a half-day school program for children with learning differences.  Additionally, a mini food truck rodeo will feature: Caffé Bellezza, Flirting with Fire, Locopops, Only Burger and Sympathy for the Deli. Get all the details here.

• And the food truck rodeos in Durham (just had one) and Raleigh (one coming up) are swinging back into full gear. Check out the Durham dates here and the Raleigh dates here.

Events

• Who doesn’t like pizza and beer? Well, the folks over at Mattie B’s Public House have teamed up with the folks over at Trophy Brewing for a “Taste and Talk” on small batch brewing. Tickets ($25) include 5 tasting pours of Trophy Wife IPA, Trophy Husband Farmhouse Ale, and 3 experimental beers from the Little Trophy small batch production facility as well as two slices of our collaborative pizza, the Brewers’ Breakfast. The event is April 29th at 3 p.m. Get all the details here.

• On Sunday, April 30 from 5-10pm the Taste for the Cure Gala will take place at the  Rickhouse in Durham, where guests can sit back and watch the excitement while local, renowned chefs prepare a five course, farm-to-table feast showcasing local ingredients and inventive plate presentation right before your eyes. The chefs are: Justin Anderson, Nana’s; Ricky Moore, Saltbox; Kaci Walker, JuJu; Regan Stachler, PatriaFood, Chicken Wire & LittleHen; BJ Patel, Viceroy; Brian Whetsel, The Federal; Amy Tornquist, Watt’s Grocery; John Knox, Vin Rouge; Rob Kinneen, The Boot; and Rhonda Jones, Chez Moi Bakery. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at 5 pm where chefs will prepare the first course right before your eyes. Individual tickets are $225 and are available here.

• Glenwood South’s The Wine Feed is partnering with the United Arts Council and Locals Seafood to bring you Hook & Vine: Seafood & Wine Festival this Sunday, April 30th from 12-5 p.m. Each restaurant partner will be preparing seafood-inspired dishes which will be paired with a sample of wine that will be specifically chosen by The Wine Feed. Get all the details here.

• Bites of Bull City’s Amber Watson notified me that Tre Forni’s one year anniversary celebration is Saturday, May 6th from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. with pizza samples, raffle prizes, demos & ingredients along with swag and samples from Ballast Point Brewery. Get all the details here.

• The Blind Pig Supper Club in partnership with TerraVita Food & Drink Festival brings you an incredible evening on May 7 of amazing cuisine featuring eight chefs from across the state working together to create an eight-course meal. Eve of the Eighth will celebrate 2017 as the eighth year of the TerraVita Food & Drink Festival. Our “8” theme will appear visually on the plate and in ingredient selection and sourcing. To see a list of those amazing 8 chefs and purchase tickets ($88), click here.

• Got word from Lisa Jeffries that the Raleigh Food & Wine Festival has set their dates for this year as May 18-21, 2017. Go ahead and mark your calendar. More details to follow here.

• Learned from Bites of Bull City’s Amber Watson that the Durham Blues and Brews Festival is back May 21st at Durham Central Park. Delicious NC craft brews, rockin’ blues, food trucks and fun! Enjoy unlimited 12 oz. pours of 20 of the finest brews that North Carolina has to offer. Advance festival tickets are $40 or $50 on site. Designated driver tickets are $20. Get all the details and tickets here.

• Black Twig Cider House, Mattie B’s Public House and the Rickhouse are bringing back Txakolifest on Sunday May 21st from 12 – 4 p.m. at the Rickhouse. Txakolifest is a celebration of Basque country’s finest white wines combined with Durham’s best food – the list of participating restaurants is impressive. Tickets are $75 ($100 VIP). Get all the details here.

• The restaurant and farm pairings for the 2017 Farm to Fork Picnic were announced this week. The 10th anniversary Farm to Fork Picnic Weekend, June 2-4 at Fearrington Village, will celebrate creative partnerships among Triangle farmers, chefs and culinary artisans. Pairings for the June 4 picnic, which has been dubbed “The Country’s Best All-You-Can-Eat Feast” by Bon Appetit, represent more than 70 farms and restaurants. For more information and to purchase tickets for any event, visit them here.

• Listen up, the dates for TerraVita in Chapel Hill (one of the largest foodie events in the South)  have been released. Go ahead and mark your calendars, more details to follow in the coming weeks/months. It will kick off on Wednesday, October 18, and end with the Grand Tasting on The Green on Saturday, October 21, 2017. TerraVita has grown from one tasting event into a four-day festival led by James Beard Foundation-nominated chefs, nationally-acclaimed cookbook authors, award-winning journalists and food artisans, winemakers, baristas, craft brewers and distillers. Tickets will go on sale in May. Keep up with the latest here.

Food Bank Corner

• Go ahead and start planning (get your kids involved) and join the National Association of Letter Carriers for the largest one-day food drive in the nation! Stamp Out Hunger takes place on Saturday, May 13th. Look out for a designated donation bag delivered to you by your letter carrier, fill it with your donation, and your letter carrier will pick it up on May 13! Or forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store and “shop” their virtual food drive and maximize your donation times ten! Get those details here.