Friday Fun Food Facts – March 31, 2017

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

• After months of anticipation, Brewery Bhavana, a hybrid restaurant, brewery, flower shop and book shop, opened this past Wednesday in the former Tir Na Nog spot adjacent to Moore Square in downtown Raleigh. Brewery Bhavana is the brainchild of brother and sister Vansana and Vanvisa Nolintha, who also own the Laotian restaurant Bida Manda next door, and brewer Patrick Woodson. Check them out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Triangle Business Journal announced this week that Morgan Street Food Hall & Market in downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District will be home to the third location of the popular Sassool Mediterranean Cafe by July. Check out Sassool here and Morgan Street Food Hall & Market here.

• In Morrisville, Famous Toastery swings open their doors today (Friday, March 31) at 7 a.m. and is open (everyday) until 3 p.m. in the Weston Commons Shopping Center at 9928 Chapel Hill Road. They are known for their breakfast all day, but I can tell you first hand they also have very yummy sandwiches and salads. Check them out here.

• Over in Cary, WRAL reported that Fresh Local Ice Cream will open on Saturday bringing creative, handmade desserts to downtown Cary. Fresh is just down the road from Bond Brothers at 138 E. Chatham Street. This will be Fresh’s second location (the original is on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh). Check them out here.

• Here is something to get up early for on the weekend. We told you about this back in January, but the date has been set and it is getting closer. Your weekend brunch options just got a lot more interesting with the April 1st (no kidding) launch of weekend brunch service at Poole’s Diner. Prompted by the closing of Ashley Christensen’s Joule (being replaced by St. Roch Oyster + Bar), Poole’s brunch service will feature many of the dishes from Joule. Check them out here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, brought it to our attention that local food trucks NC Bulkoki and Bo’s Kitchen will work together to open a casual Korean restaurant and coffee shop called Namu Durham. It will take over the space formerly occupied by Boheme and prior to that Straw Valley (near the conjunction of 15-501 and I40). Check it out on Facebook here.

• In Durham, certified cider expert Mattie Beason celebrates the first year anniversary of Black Twig Cider House – a cider-focused restaurant featuring the largest variety of cider in the Southeast – Saturday, April 1st from 11am to 5pm with local cider on draft, bottles and in the txotx, as well as games and food for the entire family! Get all the details on the celebration here.

• And staying in Durham, the Durham Bulls have really stepped up their game – and I’m not talking baseball (I know very little about baseball). I’m talking about their food lineup for the coming season. The 2017 season will feature a combination of specials including Chili Mac, Brat Burgers, Tater Tot Waffles, Pepperoni Rolls, Fish and Chips, Brussels Sprouts, Pork Chop Sandwiches and Blue Munster Burgers. And the fans will have a say in which of these specials will be featured. Get a peek at them here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) reminded us that Honeysuckle Tea House’s grand reopening is this Saturday (April 1)for the 2017 season. This is a really cool spot for tea, coffee, and smoothies. To celebrate the new season they will have a food truck and live music. Get all the details here on Facebook.

Closings

• Reader Jeff Roberts reported that Fat Philly’s in Holly Springs has closed.

• Got word from reader Chris Creighton that the Five Guys in Cary (Maynard and Walnut) will close their doors April 3 – so you’ve got a few more days to indulge.

Food Trucks

• Even the Lutherans are getting into the food truck rodeo spirit! That’s right, this Sunday, April 2nd,  Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2723 Clark Avenue in Raleigh is hosting the West Raleigh Block Party from 4-7pm. They will have the new Battistella’s food truck, Arepa Culture and Cousins Maine Lobster along with a band and a bounce house. Check out their website here.

• And 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). The April 6th kick-off will feature live music. Get all the details and schedule here.

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

Events

• The North Carolina Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier will host “Dames in the Kitchen” on April 6th offering a culinary tour through North Carolina by eight Dame cookbook authors and chefs.  Benefitting the Interfaith Food Shuttle, it will take place at The Root Cellar in Chapel Hill from 6:30 to 9pm. Tickets can be purchased for $65 ($30 tax deductible) here.

• I’m going to just put this right here for my buddy Tim Coynesmith. You (and Tim) will just have to click through to see what it is. Let’s just say it involves beer…and bacon…need I say more? Oh, and clear your calendar for April 8th.

• Also on April 8th, the Bull City Homebrew Chili Challenge will take place at Bull City Homebrew on Highway 54 near the intersection with Highway 55. It takes place from noon until 4 p.m. If you’d like to enter your chili, register on their site. The event is free and kid friendly. Register your chili and get all the details here.

• And if that is not enough food events for April 8th, add the 19th Annual Lebanese Festival to the mix in downtown Raleigh’s City Plaza (400 block of Fayetteville Street). The festivities (food – amazing food, dance, cultural activities and tons of kid activities) will take place from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. The event is free. Get all the details here.

• The inaugural Cooking for a Classic series to benefit the Lucy Daniels Center moves into the final and championship round on Monday, April 10th (was moved to this new date) with the winner winning a beautifully restored 1969 Corvette Stingray. Get information and tickets to the final round here.

• The 9th annual ‘Cuegrass Festival will be held Saturday, April 15 at The Pit beginning at 12 noon. To date, the event has raised $107,000, which has gone right back into the community to help kids and families through BackPack Buddies and helping to prevent child abuse through SAFEchild. Lawn chairs, dogs, kids are all welcome for a great line-up of five bands, local and regional beer and tons and tons of barbecue! As usual, it’s $5 at the gates. Get all the details here.

• In Durham, Families Moving Forward’s Chefs for Change fundraising dinner series kicks off April 17th. The chefs participating in the series are: Ricky Moore (Saltbox), Billy Cotter (Dashi), Seth Gross (Pompieri/Bull City Burger & Brewery) and John May (Piedmont). All proceeds from ticket sales benefit Families Moving Forward. Get tickets and all the details on the series here.

• April 20-23 are the dates for TASTE, a huge culinary event that includes a series of culinary experiences. Now in its fourth year, TASTE invites and assembles more than 50 of the best chefs, culinary artisans, artists, brewmasters, sommeliers, and mixologists in the local area. Enjoy “Grand Taste” signature experiences where you can sample the area’s best chefs, spirits and craft beers, as well as special dinners and classes. Purchase tickets and get additional information here.

• The extremely popular craft beer festival, Brewgaloo, returns the weekend of April 21-22 all in and around downtown Raleigh. The weekend kicks off with a block party/sampler event on Friday night followed by Saturday’s big event from 2-10 p.m. featuring craft beer, food vendors and trucks, live music and more. Get tickets and all the details here.

• One of my favorite annual events is coming up soon – The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Weaver Street Market present the Piedmont Farm Tour, hosted by 35 Triangle Area farms on Saturday and Sunday April 22-23 from 2-6 p.m. each day. The tour, in its 22nd year, is the oldest farm tour of it’s kind in the United States. The family-friendly (and budget-friendly) two-day event features 35 farms this year, spread across Alamance, Chatham, Orange and Person counties. Tour tickets purchased in advance are $30 per car for all farms, all weekend – good for a full carload of people. Day of tickets are $35. Or, become a CFSA member and tickets are $25. The tour is rain or shine. Get tickets and all the details here.

•  Acclaimed chef Scott Crawford is launching a guest chef series in April at his restaurant, Crawford and Son. “Oakwood and Friends” will serve food from Crawford and collaborators – chefs from renowned restaurants in the Southeast. That includes Ryan Smith of Staplehouse in Atlanta, Mike Lata of The Ordinary in Charleston, S.C., John Fleer of Rhubarb in Asheville and Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta. The first dinner is Sunday, April 23, with Ryan Smith of Staplehouse. Get all the details here.

• The SECU Family House in Chapel Hill is hosting a pig pickin on Thursday April 27th from 5:30-8:30 pm with fare by Chapel Hill Restaurant Group featuring an auction of artist-painted garden pigs and music by Honey Magpie. Tickets can be purchased 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.

• 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.

• 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

• Today is the last day to give as part of “matching gift” opportunity to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. All donations TODAY will be matched up to $50,000. So, instead of your $1 providing five meals, every $1 will provide 10 meals! Make your donation today!