Friday Fun Food Facts – May 24, 2019

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

Featured Restaurant News

• And now we know. Boylan Bridge Brewpub is no more. But the new owners, Chris Borreson and Sara Abernethy, have unveiled nearly all the details on the upcoming Wye Hill Kitchen + Brewing which takes over the same spot come June 5. Some serious restaurant talent like Brad Wynn, Max Trujillo, Bobby McFarland and Kyle Fletcher are or have been involved in the “rebirth” of the best view of the Raleigh skyline. Looking forward to June 5! Keep up with them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• We are getting closer to the opening of The Kitchen Table at Relish, the newest concept from the folks behind Relish Craft Kitchen and Bourbon Bar. The new concept, located right next door to Relish in the former Dos Taquitos space at 5629 Creedmoor Road, features biscuits, brews and board games. The biscuits will feature the classic buttermilk biscuits, iced blueberry or blackberry biscuits, bacon and chive biscuits, jalapeno and corn biscuits, cinnamon biscuits, and vegan biscuits just to name a few. Brews means rotating selections from NC’s 130 plus craft breweries as well as locally roasted coffee. And Boardgames means they already have a collection of more than 400 board games! After a pre-opening event for friends and family, they are looking to open next week on May 30. Keep up with Relish here.

• The ITB Insider reported this week that work is now underway on Rosewater, a Mediterranean restaurant from the Giorgios Group, in the old Bruegger’s space at North Hills. A set of permits were recently issued to be performed as an “alteration” to the space.  Best guesses is that it will open before year’s end. Check them out here.

• Speaking of North Hills, friend Susan Tu and her brother Eddie are closing up their Spring Rolls location on May 26 after a nine-year run – that is the bad news. The good news is that they are moving it to Durham and their other Raleigh location in Wade Park will remain open. They will open the new location in Durham in the Chesterfield Building (701 W. Main St.) at the corner with Duke Street. Look for them to open in July. They will have a “Last Call” Celebration tonight (May 24) at 5 pm featuring live music and drink specials at the North Hills location. Thanks to Kenan Barnes for the update on this. Visit Spring Rolls here.

• Over on Hillsborough Street, WRAL shared the news that Rush Bowls is opening their first Triangle location at 2811 Hillsborough Street on June 10th, with a Grand Opening Party from noon until 5 p.m. A location on Durham’s Ninth Street will not be far behind. They offer meals crafted from the finest fruit, topped with granola & honey, and blended with protein, vitamins and other nutritious ingredients that taste delicious while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Get to know them here.

• A few weeks ago we told you that the Garner Char-Grill was closing and being replaced by an Indian street food joint. Thanks to the News & Observer we now know that to be Chhote’s which already has a location in Transfer Co. Food Hall in downtown Raleigh. Chhote’s is designed by Andes Fernandes, a Mumbai native and founder of Biryani Maxx in Cary. The Garner Chhote’s is in its soft opening phase with a grand opening expected next month. Check out information on Chhote’s on the Transfer Co. Food Hall site here.

• Over in Cary, high school buddy Dana McCall shared with me that BurgerFi is going into Cary Crossroads next to the new Cava, where Verizon once was. This will be the third location in the Triangle. If you are not familiar with BurgerFi, check them out here.

• Also in Cary, WRAL reported that a new coffeehouse and cafe is slated to open May 28th in west Cary. Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea will be located in Amberly Square off McCrimmon Parkway. The cafe will serve Asian and globally-inspired coffees, teas, pastries, sandwiches and salads. Sweetwaters is a franchise with more than 100 planned shops across the country. Get to know them here.

• And if you are a cat and coffee lover, you’ll be excited to hear that the newest coffee/cat combo joint is coming to Raleigh. Purr Cup Cafe announced this week that they found their home on Prospect Avenue just outside of downtown Raleigh. Get all the details here.

• And finally, some sad news for restauranteurs. Used Restaurant Equipment & Décor, which has served the restaurant scene for over eight years, will be closing at the end of this month and will hold a public auction to sell off all remaining inventory. It will be held June 3rd and 4th. You can visit their website for more info.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Over in Hillsborough, Rasoi Ventures announced they are opening a new global tapas-style bistro at 124 King St. – they haven’t landed on a name yet. Part-owner of Durham’s Viceroy, BJ Patel has teamed up with friends and family, including Sejal Patel. They will be featuring mostly international flavors as well as exploring fusion-style cuisine – for example, Kimchi Samosas or Curried Poutine. They also hope to partner with area farms to bring an international flavor to locally sourced products. Look for a mid-fall opening. Keep up with them on Instagram here.

• A quick shout-out to our friends over at Heavenly Buffaloes. What originally started in Durham, then expanded over into Chapel Hill (on W. Franklin Street) has now announced they will open a third location this summer over in Greensboro! Kudos to them and their continued success. Visit Heavenly Buffaloes here.

• And finally, a bit of a retraction. We learned this week that news item we shared a few weeks ago is not actually going to happen. We had shared information from what we thought to be a credible source, but it turns out it wasn’t. There will NOT be a Chick-fil-A inside the Mountaire Farms chicken processing plant in Siler City. Sorry Chathamites! But maybe we got Chick-fil-A’s attention with all the excitement that was generated!

Closings

• Sorry to have learned from reader John Norris that Wimpy’s Grill, at the corner of Hicks and Hillsborough streets in Durham, has closed. They had hoped to stay open through today, Friday, May 24, but once the news spread, they sold out of all their product at the end of the day yesterday according to the News & Observer.

• Readers Jane Paige and Samuel Allison notified us that there is a closed sign on the door at Hot Point Deli in Cary on Walnut Street.

• The folks over at EatRaleigh reported that the couple behind the amazing Filipino market and restaurant Bitter Melon in Angier have decided to retire, and will be closing shop on May 26th. There is still time to get by!

Food Trucks 

• This Sunday, May 26th from 1-5 pm at City Market in downtown Raleigh, be sure to stop by and enjoy Raleigh’s annual All-Dessert Food Rodeo! Get by and enjoy four delicious hours of sweetness from 20+ vendors offering a range of goodies from Ice cream, Italian ice, cheesecake, pie’s, lemonade, pineapple drinks, popcorn, donuts, cupcakes, cookies, sno cones, cotton candy, various cake slices and much more including face painters and balloon artists for the kids. Get the details on WRAL here.

• Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is 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 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

•  The Apex Latino Festival will take place on Saturday, June 1 from 3-10 p.m in downtown Apex. Celebrate the Latino culture with children’s arts and crafts workshops, local Latino art exhibits, a culinary event, Latin American dance, music performances, and an authentic arts and crafts bazaar. Purchase a passport to sample tasty authentic food and dessert delights from over 12 different Latino Countries. Get all the details here.

• They’re at it again! Al’s Burger Shack, Mel’s Commissary & Catering, and IP3 Italian Pizzeria III are teaming up to bring you a special Spring Caffe Marrone. Enjoy 5 courses of Italian favorites full of fresh, spring flavors and perfectly paired wines at the Mel’s Carrboro location on Wednesday, June 5th, at 7pm. The cost is $75 including wine. Get tickets (Now! They will sell out) 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.

• Also on Saturday, June 8th, Raleigh will play host to their own International Food Festival held in downtown on the Raleigh City Plaza. Last year nearly 17k people attended the day full of dance performances, bands and food from around the world from noon until 10 p.m. Get all the details here.

• Ever wanted to show off your pickle? Now is your chance. The Rickhouse hosts Durham’s 5th Annual PickleFest on June 22 – featuring a Home Pickler’s Contest. The pickle-packed tasting event and marketplace will be showcasing North Carolina made products from pickle vendors near and far including locally crafted kombucha and kimchi! Triangle area restaurants sample their unique pickle dishes as well as pickle flavored beers and a Bloody Mary bar to quench your thirst and pucker your lips! VIP $25 includes early bird entry from Noon – 1pm + Home Pickler’s Contest Tasting + (1) free drink ticket. General Admission $10 – Session 1 from 1 – 3pm | Session 2 from 2 – 4pm. Kids under 10 years old are free. Visit their Facebook event page here.

• The folks over at Pompieri Pizza are expanding their annual Lambrusco Fest this year – extending it over 6 days from June 17 through June 22! Lambrusco Fest was a one day festival, but this year they are changing up with events happening over six days. They will have pasta and parmesan dinners as well as specials featuring prosciutto and balsamic and fun things! Get all the details on what is being offered each day (some events are already sold out!).

• 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.

• It was recently announced that one of Chatham County’s largest food festivals, the 12th Annual Pittsboro Pepperfest, is returning to main street in downtown Pittsboro. The date for this year’s event is Sunday, September 22 from 3 – 6 p.m. So go ahead and mark your calendar to spend your afternoon in historic, downtown Pittsboro. Get all the details here.

• One of my favorite annual events released details about their event dates and when tickets will go on sale. The 10th anniversary edition of Terra Vita Food & Drink Festival will take place in Chapel Hill October 16 – 19, 2019. Tickets go on sale July 11, so put that date on your calendar to snap up the quick sell-outs! Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• Forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store for your next food drive… “Shop” with the Food Bank through our Virtual Food Drive and maximize your donation times ten! For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide $10.00 worth of food or five meals. Over half a million people in the 34 counties we serve struggle with food insecurity. You can make a difference in your community by hosting a Virtual Food Drive for your friends, family members or coworkers. Get all the details here.