Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- Forget Taco Tuesday, let’s do tacos every day! At least if you are in Chapel Hill that has to be on your mind as the News & Observer shared the news that the folks behind Italian Pizzeria III (brothers Vinnie and Angelo) and Al’s Burgers (Al Bowers) are joining forces to open Yellow House Tacos later this year in the little yellow house behind those two Franklin Street institutions at 104 N. Graham Street. They are hoping to open in September, in time for the return of the students. In the meantime, check out IPIII here and Al’s Burgers here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- North Hills announced this week that their newest dining destination, STIR, a restaurant offering premium oysters, craft cocktails with artisanal ice and a made-from-scratch menu, will be opening in the Park District at North Hills this June across from the AC Hotel on the ground floor level of the Bank of America Tower next to The Capital Grille. To keep up with their progress, check them out on Facebook here or Instagram here.
- The folks over at Eat Raleigh brought it to our attention that Two Roosters Ice Cream will hold their grand opening (actually, re-opening) this Sunday, April 28th from 2 – 9 p.m. at the Person Street Plaza location at 215 E. Franklin Street in downtown Raleigh next to Yellow Dog Bread. You’ll remember they opened in 2018, but closed for renovations. Come check out their new space.
- Ashley Mukoyama shared with us this week that they (the folks behind the The Pickled Onions – with two locations) just opened The Pickled Pub, a local neighborhood bar serving small plates and custom cocktails, at 14460 Falls of the Neuse Road. Get to know them here.
- The ITB Insider shared the news that the former Burger King location at 3701 Hillsborough Street was sold in February 2019 and it will become Hieubowl Vietnamese Kitchen. Permits were just issued for the renovation, so we don’t have an open date for it, but we will keep an eye on it. We also were unable to locate an online presence.
- And the folks at Eat Raleigh also shared that there is a new restaurant called Seagate Seafood and Sushi coming into the former Captain J’s location at 4420 Capital Blvd. You can get to know them here.
- And on the way out of Raleigh, heading down towards Garner, reader Hugh Autry noticed this past week that a Marcos Pizza and a Starbucks are going into the shopping center just down from Grandons Buffet on Fayetteville Road.
- A little bit of confusion was created last week when we shared the news that Mezeh is opening in the old Kamado Grill/Lucky 32 building at 832 Spring Forest Road. Folks asked, “But I thought Cafe Fear Seafood was going into that location?” The answer is….they are! The building has undergone renovations that allow it to house two concepts! Check out Mezeh here and Cape Fear here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- NC Triangle Dining shared the news this week that chef Mike Lee (think M Kokko, M Sushi, M Tempura) will be opening up his newest concept, M Pocha next month! M Pocha will feature Korean small plates at 101 E. Chapel Hill Street in the old Cupcake Bar space at Five Points. Get familiar with all of Lee’s restaurants (and other upcoming restaurants) here.
- The folks over at Bites of Bull City shared that there’s a pop up Mexican restaurant with chef Miguel Torres (Lantern chef de cuisine with Andrea Reusing) at the The Durham Hotel from now through May 10th. Primavera en Durham is a collaboration between chef Miguel Torres and The Durham Hotel celebrating spring with the flavors of his childhood in Guanajuato, Mexico. Get all the details here.
Closings
- None to report! Keep eating local, folks!
Food Trucks
- Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is getting ready to kick back up for the season. The event is held the third Thursday of the month from April through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.
- Go ahead and mark down the dates for 2019 for the Durham Food Truck rodeos – they are: June 16, September 1 and November 3! Get all the dates here.
- And the dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo have been released – they are Sunday May 5th – 12-6pm (Cinco de mayo ); Sunday June 9th – 12-6pm; Sunday August 4th – 3pm-9pm ( Evening Rodeo ); and Sunday Oct 6th – 12-6pm. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.
Events
- Shop Local Raleigh’s annual craft beer festival, Brewgaloo, is taking place THIS WEEKEND April 26-27, 2019 Brewgaloo features craft breweries from North Carolina and partners with local food trucks, local vendors and local bands. Get tickets now and all the details on their website here.
- On May 4th, the good folks at the Root Cellar in Pittsboro will host another of their extremely popular Low Country Shrimp Boil. The $30 ticket will entitle you to all-you-can-eat Gulf shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and banana pudding. The event runs from 4-7 p.m. Get details and tickets here.
- Cary’s 4th annual Fest in the West festival returns on Saturday, May 4th from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The event features old-fashioned contests (like pie eating!), artists, beer, food trucks (10) and live bands on multiple stages. (Rain date is May 5). Get all the details here.
- Saturday, May 18th is the date for the 14th Annual Carolina Pig Jig, a BBQ cook-off at the NC State Fairgrounds and part of the Got To Be NC Festival. The event runs from 11 a.m. until the BBQ runs out. All proceeds go go to the Masonic Home for Children. Get all the details here.
- Mark your calendar for May 19th from 5 to 8 p.m. and make your way over to Pittsboro for their Farm & Art Dinner where they will celebrate Chatham’s culinary artistry, visual and performing artistry, and appreciation for small family farms. Main Street Pittsboro will welcome friends, guests and family to a table in the center of Hillsboro Street to discover, acknowledge, and honor the skills of local chefs, farmers, and artists in this fundraiser to continue the mission of revitalizing the historic downtown district. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.
- On Saturday, June 8th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. the Town of Cary will host the Pimento Cheese Festival where food trucks will line Academy Street to serve their regular menu, along with new dishes featuring a southern delicacy: pimento cheese! Enjoy live music at the Downtown Park, grab a drink from local breweries, and taste some of the best pimento cheese samples from local restaurants. You can even test your skills in the pimento cheese sculpting contest. Get all the details here.
- Taste celebrates the vibrant Durham-Chapel Hill culinary scene with a festival of food & beverage events, June 26-30, 2019. All told, the event features 5 premium culinary events. New for this year, they are offering back-to-back nights of their signature Grand Taste Experience at the Durham Armory – with each night featuring over 30 great local restaurants. The week also boasts a 1920s themed Speakeasy Nightclub at a secret location, a 6-Course Southern Feast Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and a Boozy Brunch at Clouds Brewing. Get all the details and tickets here
Food Bank Corner
- The annual National Association of Letter Carriers will hold their “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive on Saturday, May 11. The annual drive, where you leave non-perishable goods at your mailbox, supports food distributions to families experiencing food-insecurity. Get all the details here.
