{"id":1085,"date":"2020-02-28T06:21:31","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T11:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1085"},"modified":"2020-02-28T06:21:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T11:21:31","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-february-28-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1085","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; February 28, 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>&nbsp;The <strong>James Beard Foundation<\/strong> announced their semi-finalists this week, and again the Triangle was on display showcasing why we are so lucky to call this area home. <strong>Ashley Christensen&#8217;s<\/strong> restaurant<strong> Death and Taxes<\/strong> was named a semi-finalist this year for Outstanding Wine Program. <strong>The Angus Barn<\/strong> in Raleigh was named a semi-finalist for Outstanding Hospitality. <strong>Crawford and Son&#8217;s Krystle Swenson<\/strong> was named a semi-finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The best chef in the southeast award semi-finalist list included <strong>Steven Devereaux Greene<\/strong> of <strong>Herons<\/strong> in Cary, <strong>Cheetie Kumar<\/strong> of <strong>Garland<\/strong> in Raleigh and <strong>Ricky Moore<\/strong> of <strong>Saltbox Seafood Joint<\/strong> in Durham. The <strong>James Beard Award<\/strong> finalists will be announced March 25. The awards will be presented at a gala on May 4 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesbeard.org\/blog\/the-2020-james-beard-award-semifinalists\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A complete list of the semi-finalists can be found 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>Reader<strong> Jan Delory<\/strong> shared the news this week that <strong>Crab Du Jour Cajun Seafood and Bar<\/strong> held their grand opening this week, taking over the space formerly occupied by <strong>Mimi&#8217;s Cafe<\/strong> in <strong>Plantation Center<\/strong> at 6320 Plantation Center Dr. off Capital Blvd. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.crabdujourraleigh.com\/\">You can get to know them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In Apex, reader <strong>David Amann<\/strong> shared that <strong>Mission Market<\/strong> is open at 124 N. Salem St. right next to the re-opened <strong>Peak on Salem<\/strong> (was <strong>Peak City Grill<\/strong>). <strong>Mission Market<\/strong> serves <strong>Counter Culture<\/strong> coffee, a\u00e7a\u00ed bowls and smoothies, avocado toast and\u00a0 is owned by the couple that owns Apex Outfitter. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shopthemission.com\/\">Get familiar with them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Over in Cary, we told you about this move back in January, but reader <strong>Andy Siouville<\/strong> confirmed that the move is complete &#8211; <strong>Noodle Blvd<\/strong> has completed their move from their tiny spot on N. Harrison in the Wal-Mart anchored <strong>Northwoods Shopping Center<\/strong> into the old <strong>Pizza Hut\/Hotpoint Deli<\/strong> location at 1718 Walnut Street (Walnut Street and Buck Jones Road). <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NoodleBlvd\/\">Visit their Facebook page here<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/noodleblvd.com\/\">their website here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Just a reminder that the <strong>State Farmers&#8217; Market Restaurant<\/strong> reopens tomorrow, <strong>Saturday, February 29th<\/strong> after undergoing &#8220;maintenance, remodel and repair.&#8221; They are scheduled to re-open at 6 a.m. but <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/statefarmersmarketrestaurant\">check in with their Facebook page<\/a> for any changes or announcements.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And finally, if you are not familiar with <strong>321 Coffee<\/strong>, you should be. They are a nonprofit coffee shop that provides meaningful work experience to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Currently <strong>321<\/strong> operates out of the <strong>North Carolina Farmers&#8217; Market<\/strong> (Thursday through Sunday at 1202 Agriculture Street), and they are just $50k short of their fundraising goal of moving into permanent space. They have raised $200k of their $250k goal in just four months! It is heart-warming to see the outpouring of support from not only the coffee community, but the community as a whole. Consider making a donation to this great cause or getting your company behind their efforts. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/321coffee.com\/donate-now\">Get all the details 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>In Durham, <strong>Kristen Venema<\/strong> shared with the <strong>Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies group<\/strong> that\u00a0 <strong>Stephanie Rosse<\/strong> will be opening the <strong>Rockwood Dairy Bar<\/strong>, next to <strong>Nana&#8217;s<\/strong>, in a few weeks! Homemade ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, milkshakes, homemade seltzers (Italian sodas), espressos, beignets and French pastries! We were not able to find an online presence, so stay tuned with further updates.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Saw in the <strong>Durham Magazine<\/strong> email this week that in March<strong> Bar Virgile<\/strong> owner <strong>Daniel Sartain<\/strong> and business partner <strong>Connell &#8220;Nellie&#8221; Vail<\/strong> plan to open an underground bar, <strong>Annexe<\/strong>, just below <strong>Bar Virgile<\/strong> at 105 S. Mangum St. The space features a bar with built-in turntables, pink Champagne on tap and a dance floor. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/annexedurham\/\">Follow their progress on Instagram 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><strong>WRAL<\/strong> reported this week that <strong>Calavera Empanadas and Tequila<\/strong> will not be reopening its doors. The restaurant closed in January after about eight months in business at 615 W. Morgan Street. There was a suggestion that their food would soon be available via a delivery service, but stay tuned on that.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>And in Cary, friend <strong>Nancy Scotto<\/strong> shared that the <strong>Bruegger&#8217;s Bagels<\/strong> on SW Maynard Rd in Cary 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>\u00a0If you are enjoying the warmer-than-normal winter as much as I am, you will also sense that the food trucks are warming up as well. And that means food truck rodeos! Durham rolled out their first one already and their next one is next month. And last week, Raleigh rolled out their schedule for the year with the first one in May. Check out <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com\/\">Raleigh&#8217;s schedule here<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/durhamcentralpark.org\/events\/food-truck-rodeo-info\/\">visit Durham&#8217;s here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Here are a \u00a0couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/roaminghunger.com\/food-trucks\/nc\/raleigh-durham\/\">here<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/streetfoodfinder.com\/c\/NC\/Raleigh\">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>\u00a0The <strong>4th Annual Cooking for a Classic<\/strong> benefiting the kids at the <strong>Lucy Daniels Center<\/strong> began this week with round one on <strong>February 24-27<\/strong>. <strong>Round 2<\/strong> is <strong>March 4 &amp; 5<\/strong>. And the finale is on <strong>March 11<\/strong>. All events take place at <strong>1705 East<\/strong> in Raleigh. New this year, enter a raffle to win a triple-black loaded 1969 Chevy Camaro! <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lucydanielscenter.org\/special-events\/cookingforaclassic\/\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>On <strong>March 1st<\/strong>, <strong>Locals Seafood<\/strong> will host their sixth annual <strong>Winter Seafood Jubilee<\/strong> at their oyster bar in downtown Raleigh. The 2020 Jubilee will feature a fish fry and oyster roast at <strong>Transfer Co. Food Hall<\/strong>. Special guests at the Jubilee will include oyster growers, fishermen and women, policy makers and industry stakeholders. This event gives consumers the opportunity to enjoy eating seafood while meeting the folks who harvest, produce, and advocate for our seafood resources. This educational event is free and open to the public. There are no tickets required for the Jubilee, but guests are encouraged to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/178127556869395\/\">RSVP on Facebook here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Then on <strong>March 2<\/strong>,\u00a0 the celebration of seafood continues with the day-long <strong>NC Catch Summit<\/strong>. The Summit is an annual gathering of folks from every facet of the industry to discuss the state of North Carolina seafood and the industry as a whole. This year will be the first time the Summit is not held on the coast. Attendees can expect presentations and panel discussions from 9:30am to 4pm inside the <strong>Transfer Co.<\/strong> Ballroom. A break for lunch will allow attendees to enjoy food from the many vendors inside the food hall. The Summit is free and open to the public. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/8th-annual-nc-catch-summit-tickets-90262161555\">Registration and all the details can be found here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Also on <strong>March 2nd<\/strong>, <strong>The Umstead<\/strong> in Cary they will kick off a new quarterly program called <strong>Umstead Unbottled<\/strong>. It is an interactive classroom-style event with educational talks from <strong>Herons&#8217;<\/strong> in-house sommeliers. Both somms have a passion for wine exploration and education and will walk customers through the <strong>Herons<\/strong> wine list. The first session, kicking off on <strong>Monday, March 2nd<\/strong>, will focus on Old World versus New World wines and will teach guests the differences between the classic styles. The event will be held quarterly, with a different area of focus for each session. Tickets are $45 plus tax and service fee, and can be purchased by calling 919-447-4050. For more information and to view a complete list of the hotel&#8217;s upcoming events, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theumstead.com\/events\">visit them here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>March 6th through 8th<\/strong> the Graham Building over at the <strong>NC State Fairgrounds<\/strong> will host the <strong>34th International Festival of Raleigh<\/strong>. While there you will be able to enjoy delicious food from around the world and you&#8217;ll also find a great selection of international beers and wines. They suggest that you bring your appetite. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/internationalfocus.org\/festival\/\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/a>. Thanks to reader Rua Mordecai for bringing this event to our attention!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>On <strong>March 14th and 15th<\/strong> the <strong>Lebanese Festival<\/strong> returns, but in a new location. This year it will be held at the <strong>NC State Fairgrounds<\/strong> in the <strong>Kerr Scott Building<\/strong> and will feature Lebanese food, music, dancing, beer, wine, and lots of fun!! This event is free and open to all!! Get all the details on <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/722802324917405\/\">their Facebook events page here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Durham-based <strong>Markay Media<\/strong> and <strong>UNC-TV<\/strong> will present a special screening of an episode of <strong>Somewhere South<\/strong>, a new series featuring award-winning chef <strong>Vivian Howard<\/strong>. The premier will take place at the <strong>Carolina Theater<\/strong> in Durham on <strong>Sunday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m.<\/strong> This celebration will also feature a Q&amp;A with <strong>Howard<\/strong> and series director <strong>Cynthia Hill<\/strong> and tickets are $15.50. The show premiers at 9 p.m. March 27 on PBS stations nationwide. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.carolinatheatre.org\/events\/somewhere-south-premiere-chef-vivian-howard\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This sounds like a lot of fun &#8211; the <strong>Sisters vs. Sisters Battle<\/strong> on <strong>April 2nd<\/strong> that will pit the<strong> Sassool Sisters<\/strong> facing off against the <strong>Soul-Full Sisters<\/strong> in a family recipe battle like you&#8217;ve never tasted before! <strong>Noelle<\/strong> and <strong>Simone<\/strong> are the sisters that run the three <strong>Sassool<\/strong> restaurants in Raleigh and Cary. And <strong>Paten<\/strong> and <strong>Quinn<\/strong> are sister food bloggers and storytellers who just really love food. The battle pits Lebanese family recipes against Southern home cooking. The event will be held at <strong>1705 East<\/strong> venue (1705 East Millbrook Road in Raleigh) at 6 pm on <strong>Thursday, April 2.<\/strong> The battle will benefit the <strong>Lucy Daniels Center<\/strong>, which supports programs in children&#8217;s mental health. You decide who wins! <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/sisters-vs-sisters-battle-tickets-94533972657\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Lindsey Chester<\/strong> notified us that <strong>Fest in the West<\/strong> is back for its fifth year on <strong>Saturday, May 2<\/strong> from 11 am- 5 pm at the <strong>USA Baseball National Training Complex<\/strong> in Cary. The event features food &amp; beer, music, arts &amp; crafts, a KidZone, contests and a petting zoo. A great way to spend time with 7,000 of your closest friends. Admission is free! <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/festinthewest.com\/\">Get all the details here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The <strong>Thrive NC Food Festival<\/strong> will return to downtown Raleigh this spring on <strong>May 7 and 8<\/strong>. <strong>Thrive NC<\/strong>, which held its inaugural festival in 2018, was developed to help raise awareness about food insecurity in the Triangle, where more than 1.5 million North Carolinians struggle with hunger on a daily basis. The first day will include a food summit that delves into ways to address hunger in the state. A service project will be held on the second day involving members of the community in partnership with a local non-profit. Each night includes a food festival with more than 65 local restaurants and beverage purveyors, live entertainment, chef demonstrations and music. Tickets for <strong>Thrive NC&#8217;s<\/strong> food festivals are $30 each and went on sale this week. Tickets have sold out each year. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gothrivenc.com\/\">Get all the details here<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The <strong>5th Annual Raleigh International Food Festival<\/strong> will be held on <strong>Saturday, June 6<\/strong> from noon until 10 p.m. in the 100-200 block of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. While there you will be able to try authentic international food, desserts as well as\u00a0 imported beer and wine! There will also be lots of music and entertainment at this child and pet friendly event. Admission is free and parking on the street is as well. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/844582545980950\/?active_tab=about\">Get all the details on their Facebook event page 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>Want to do something for the <strong>Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina<\/strong> at your office? Forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store for your next food drive&#8230; create a food drive without the heavy lifting using our<strong> Virtual Food Drive<\/strong>, and maximize your donation times five! For every $1 donated, the <strong>Food Bank<\/strong> can provide FIVE meals! You can make a difference in your community by hosting a <strong>Virtual Food Drive<\/strong> for your friends, family members, or coworkers.&nbsp; Starting a <strong>Virtual Food Drive<\/strong> is easy! <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foodbankcenc.org\/get-involved\/host-a-food-fund-drive\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See how easy here<\/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 &nbsp;The James Beard Foundation announced their semi-finalists this week, and again the Triangle was on display showcasing why we are so &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=1085\">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-1085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1085","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=1085"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1086,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1085\/revisions\/1086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}