{"id":1054,"date":"2020-01-03T08:03:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T13:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1054"},"modified":"2020-01-03T12:07:54","modified_gmt":"2020-01-03T17:07:54","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-january-3-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1054","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; January 3, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Triangle Restaurant News<\/strong><br>\nTriangle restaurant news&#8230;that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Featured Restaurant News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>We told you about this back in December, but it is now official thanks to confirmation from <strong>WRAL<\/strong> and <strong>INDY<\/strong>. <strong>Arthur Gordon<\/strong> and his wife <strong>Anya<\/strong> have sold the 45-year-old institution that is <strong>Irregardless Cafe<\/strong> to <strong>Trophy Brewing<\/strong> co-owner <strong>David Meeker<\/strong> and <strong>Lee Robinson<\/strong>, who was a manager at <strong>Player&#8217;s Retreat<\/strong>. And the plan is to pretty much keep things the same. Other than a few cosmetic facelifts, the biggest change to the menu will be the introduction of <strong>Trophy<\/strong> beers. The<strong> INDY<\/strong> noted some of the things that made <strong>Irregardless<\/strong> so iconic &#8211; it was the city&#8217;s first vegetarian restaurant before it started serving meat in the 1980s; they championed farm-to-table before it was cool; and it was one of the first in the state to ban smoking in 1985. Congrats to <strong>Arthur<\/strong> and <strong>Anya<\/strong> on a job very well done. Enjoy your retirement! In the meantime, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/irregardless.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">visit them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Did you miss our <strong>end-of-the-year wrap-up<\/strong> for 2019? And look at <strong>what is to come in 2020<\/strong>? Did we mention <strong>11 BBQ restaurants<\/strong> are in the &#8220;que&#8221; for 2020? <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1050\" target=\"_blank\">Check it out here<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Wake County Restaurant News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In Raleigh\u2019s <strong>Cameron Village<\/strong>, I saw on <strong>Village Deli\u2019s<\/strong> Facebook page the announcement that they are expanding &#8211; taking over about 1\/4 of the <strong>Moe&#8217;s<\/strong> space next door and adding 25 more seats to the restaurant. The expansion should be complete by mid-January. Keep up with their progress <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/villagedeliandgrillcameronvillage\/\" target=\"_blank\">on their Facebook page here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Over at <strong>North Hills<\/strong>, <strong>Rosewater Kitchen &amp; Bar<\/strong> announced on their Facebook page that they will begin lunch service on <strong>Monday, Jan. 6th<\/strong> at 11am. Keep up with any additional announcements <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rosewaterkitchen\" target=\"_blank\">on their Facebook page here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And this is a fun collaboration in Raleigh\u2019s <strong>Morgan Street Food Hall<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>Raleigh Rolls<\/strong> has begun a monthly collaboration series with Triangle area chefs and artisan food makers. To kick the year off, <strong>Raleigh Rolls<\/strong> and <strong>Sassool Select<\/strong> have perfected a recipe for specialty <strong>Baklava Ice Cream Rolls<\/strong>. These delicious rolls have a creamy base with orange blossom water and crushed pistachios. Each order includes a piece of <strong>Sassool<\/strong> baklava on top, along with a Hershey&#8217;s chocolate syrup drizzle and crushed pistachios for the perfect bite. The cost per serving is $8. Check it out here <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RaleighRolls\/\" target=\"_blank\">on their Facebook page<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And keeping an eye on all that <strong>Ashley Christensen<\/strong> does, reader <strong>Jake Weir-Gertzog<\/strong> gets the award for the most keen eye to date. He noticed on the <strong>University Hill<\/strong> website (one of three locations for <strong>Christensen\u2019s<\/strong> upcoming fast-casual chicken sandwich concept &#8211; an unnamed to this point) is listed as <strong>BB\u2019s Chicken Coop<\/strong>. We will see if that name sticks. The three locations are early spring 2020 at <strong>Midtown East<\/strong> in Raleigh; Spring\/Summer 2020 at <strong>University Hill<\/strong> in Durham and late 2020 in <strong>Parkside Town Commons<\/strong> in Cary. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/projectxtracrispy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Keep up with any more news here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Up in Wake Forest, looks like the Triangle is getting ready to get another <strong>Chick-fil-A<\/strong> location. Located in <strong>Heritage Village<\/strong> at 1010 Forestville Rd., the store will open on <strong>Wednesday, January 8th<\/strong> with all the usual opening day activities including a camp-out where 100 participants will earn a year&#8217;s supply of <strong>Chick-fil-A<\/strong>. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chick-fil-a.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Visit Chick-fil-A here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Back in October we told you that a new restaurant was coming to the old <strong>Sweet Tomatoes<\/strong> location at 2310 Walnut Street called<strong> Seol Grille<\/strong>, an all-you-can-eat Korean steak house.Well, reader <strong>Matt Christ<\/strong> just informed us that It looks like they had a soft opening Christmas Eve and continue to be in soft-open mode through this week. <strong>Matt<\/strong> also noted that the banner out front indicates Korean Tabletop Barbeque. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/2310walnut\/\" target=\"_blank\">Check them out on Facebook here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Staying in Cary, got word from <strong>Ibanca Anand<\/strong> that they have opened a new Indian street food restaurant in Cary called <strong>Nukkad<\/strong>. It is near the intersection of Davis Drive and High House Road (1710 High House Road) in the former <strong>Wendy\u2019s<\/strong> location. They opened <strong>November 8th<\/strong> and will be having a launch ceremony on <strong>January 9th<\/strong>. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/nukkadusa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Get familiar with them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Also in Cary, <strong>Vishal Shah<\/strong> notified us that <strong>Cinnaholic<\/strong> (located at 1209 Parkside Main Street) in the <strong>Parkside Town Commons<\/strong> shopping center will have their grand opening on <strong>January 10th<\/strong> at 10 a.m. Once open, they will serve create-your-own cinnamon rolls and other sweet treats like made from scratch brownies, cookies, and edible cookie dough. Select from over 20 unique frosting flavors and a variety of fresh and decadent toppings for your cinnamon roll. Mix and match flavors to create a new experience every visit! <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/locations.cinnaholic.com\/ll\/US\/NC\/Cary\/1209-Parkside-Main-St\" target=\"_blank\">Get familiar with them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>David McCreary<\/strong> sent us a note to let us know that the delightful couple of <strong>George<\/strong> and <strong>Andia Xouris<\/strong> are opening a second <strong>Andia&#8217;s Homemade Ice Cream<\/strong> location in Cary. Opening this month, the new shop will be located at 1008 Ryan Road near Cary High School. If you are not already familiar with <strong>Andia\u2019s<\/strong>, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.andiasicecream.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">do so here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>McCreary<\/strong> also informed us that the good folks at <strong>Crosstown Pub &amp; Grill<\/strong> in downtown Cary plan to open a breakfast spot called <strong>Daybreak<\/strong> in early 2020. The restaurant will be located in a building adjacent to <strong>Crosstown<\/strong> at 154 E. Chatham St. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.daybreaknc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Go ahead and get familiar with them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And one last note from Cary, reader <strong>Chris Creighton<\/strong> informed us that a new<strong> Bojangles<\/strong> is coming to Cary at the intersection of Walnut Street and Tryon Road. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bojangles.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Visit Bojangles here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And for those flying in and out of <strong>RDU<\/strong>, the <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> just provided a quick update on the restaurant additions and changes happening at the airport. In summary, Cary\u2019s <strong>Bond Brothers Beer Company<\/strong> is making their debut this weekend replacing <strong>Gordon Biersch<\/strong> with local beer and spirits as well as a menu with what <strong>RDU<\/strong> calls \u201clocal flair.\u201d <strong>Cantina Grill<\/strong> is replacing <strong>Carolina Ale House<\/strong> at Gate C17 and will feature a slew of offerings from tacos to burgers to local beers and spirits &#8211; and it will have vegan and gluten-free options. <strong>Raleigh Brewing<\/strong> collaboration <strong>Raleigh Taproom<\/strong> is replacing <strong>Carolina Vintages<\/strong> at Gate D3, offering its beers along with a full bar and menu. In addition to the <strong>Taproom<\/strong>, <strong>Raleigh Brewing<\/strong> will open the flagship <strong>Raleigh Brewing Tavern<\/strong> in Terminal 1 later this year. Further down the road, <strong>Deli &amp; Co<\/strong> replaces <strong>Brookwood Farms<\/strong> at Gate C9 and will feature locally-sourced, healthy, organic and made-to-order food options. <strong>Rush Bowls<\/strong> replaces <strong>Flavours<\/strong> at Gate D9 and will feature smoothies and bowls with fruit, granola, honey and other \u201cnutritious ingredients.\u201d <strong>Wow Bao<\/strong> replaces <strong>A&amp;W All American Food<\/strong> at Gate C18 and brings a fast casual Asian concept to the terminal, with steamed dumplings, rice bowls and bao &#8211; steamed hot Asian buns with a variety of savory and sweet fillings. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rdu.com\/shops-and-restaurants\/dining\/\" target=\"_blank\">Keep up with all the dining at RDU on their site here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Durham, Orange &amp; Chatham Restaurant News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Reader <strong>Mike Bamford<\/strong> notified us that <strong>Al\u2019s Burgers<\/strong> is expanding their reach over into Durham as they join with <strong>Beer Study\u2019s<\/strong> expansion into the former <strong>Boot<\/strong> space next door on University Drive. <strong>Beer Study\u2019s<\/strong> expansion makes room for <strong>Al\u2019s<\/strong>, a private event space and a separate soccer-focused pub with with a full bar called <strong>The Boot Room<\/strong>. They expect to complete the expansion in March, but <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beerstudydurham\" target=\"_blank\">stay tuned to their Facebook page<\/a> for updates and announcements.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Over in Carrboro, reader <strong>Jeremy Simon<\/strong> sent us word that a <strong>Jersey Mike\u2019s<\/strong> sign is now up in the <strong>Carrboro 54 Plaza<\/strong> just down from <strong>Monterrey<\/strong>. I was able to confirm this is another location under the umbrella of <strong>Charlie Farris<\/strong> and <strong>Clint Winslow<\/strong> and their growing <strong>Jersey Mike\u2019s<\/strong> empire. The boys indicated that this location should open in March and provided an update on the <strong>Eastgate<\/strong> location which should open in April. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jerseymikes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Visit Jersey Mike&#8217;s here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In Chapel Hill, <strong>Carrie Brogren<\/strong> with the <strong>Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook Group<\/strong> notified us that <strong>Chimney Indian Kitchen &amp; Bar<\/strong> opened on January 1st. They are located at 306 W Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. They are open for lunch and dinner. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.chimneyindiankitchen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Get to know them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Closings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Got word from reader <strong>Lisa Sonntag<\/strong> that the <strong>Shuckin\u2019 Shack Oyster Bar<\/strong> location at the corner of High House Road and Cary Parkway has closed. It is no longer listed on the company website. However, there are still locations in Cary\u2019s <strong>Tryon Village<\/strong> as well as locations in Raleigh and Durham.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Chris Creighton<\/strong> informed us that the <strong>Little Cesar&#8217;s Pizza<\/strong> in the Harris Teeter shopping center at Ten Ten and Kildaire Farm Rd. has closed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Food Trucks&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you are missing the food truck rodeos, my friend the <strong>BurgeoningBaker<\/strong> shared with me that we are are not far from the next one. The <strong>Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo<\/strong> is an all-ages Sunday afternoon gathering of dozens of the Triangle&#8217;s most popular food trucks, five times each year. And the first one in 2020 is on <strong>January 25<\/strong>! <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/durhamcentralpark.org\/events\/food-truck-rodeo-info\/\" target=\"_blank\">Get more details and updates here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As things get cold, here are a &nbsp;couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/roaminghunger.com\/food-trucks\/nc\/raleigh-durham\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/streetfoodfinder.com\/c\/NC\/Raleigh\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Events<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Chef Matt Kelly<\/strong> will be bringing a taste of <strong>Saint James Seafood<\/strong> to Raleigh on <strong>Jan. 9<\/strong> at <strong>St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar<\/strong>. <strong>Kelly<\/strong> is an old friend of <strong>St. Roch&#8217;s<\/strong> chef-owner <strong>Sunny Gerhart<\/strong>. This is a fun opportunity for the two chefs to cook together and get the word out about <strong>Saint James&#8217;<\/strong> reopening. It&#8217;s very informal: No reservations or set menus. Just a specials menu featuring some <strong>Saint James<\/strong> favorites. If you have been eagerly awaiting <strong>Saint James<\/strong> reopening in mid-January, this is your chance. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/2499677366808153\/\" target=\"_blank\">Here is the event page on Facebook with all the details<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>What does it mean to have a celebrity chef in our midst? Well, for starters, how about a dinner series at <strong>Katsuji Tanabe\u2019s High Horse<\/strong> restaurant beginning on <strong>Monday, January 13th<\/strong> where he will be bringing in<strong> Silvia Barban<\/strong> from Brooklyn\u2019s <strong>LaRina Pastificio &amp; Vino<\/strong> for a ticketed dinner. And if that is not enough, the menu items from that night will begin on the menu on January 14th in addition to the regular <strong>High Horse<\/strong> menu. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/highhorsenc\/\" target=\"_blank\">Follow them on Instagram for any announcements<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>On January 16th, the fine folks over at <strong>Sassool Cafe<\/strong> in Cary will team up with <strong>Steven Ashton<\/strong>, a holistic nutritionist from <strong>Earth to Fork Nutrition<\/strong>, to bring you a 5-course Mediterranean <strong>Spice of Life Dinner<\/strong> focused on highlighting spices that not only add great flavor, but bring tremendous health benefits. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/spice-of-life-dinner-tickets-84427716573\" target=\"_blank\">Get all the details and tickets here<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The <strong>8th Annual Bull City Food and Beer Experience<\/strong> will take place on <strong>Sunday, February 23, 2020<\/strong> at the <strong>DPAC<\/strong>. The event pairs delicious local restaurants, with breweries from across the nation. Unlimited food and beer samplings will be spread throughout all three floors at <strong>DPAC<\/strong>, plus the On Stage Experience will bring guests up onto the performing arts stage to showcase even more food, beverages and live music. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bullcityexperience.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Get all the details here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>Food Bank Corner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Check it out! <strong>The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina<\/strong> has a new logo and a new look &#8211; &#8220;New Look. New Chapter. Same Food Bank.&#8221; Their new logo represents the innovative ways the<strong> Food Bank<\/strong> is developing programs addressing root causes of hunger, building new partnerships, and most importantly, nourishing people. Until no one goes hungry. When you volunteer, donate, or see them working in the community, we hope it reminds you of how the <strong>Food Bank<\/strong> is evolving in order to have a true impact on hunger, and working to create an environment where North Carolinians thrive. In 2020, get involved. Donate. Make a difference. <a href=\"https:\/\/foodbankcenc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Visit their website here to see what you can do<\/a>! <\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Triangle Restaurant News Triangle restaurant news&#8230;that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler. Featured Restaurant News We told you about this back in December, but it is now official thanks to confirmation from WRAL and INDY. Arthur &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1054\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1054"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1057,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054\/revisions\/1057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}