{"id":2847,"date":"2024-03-15T08:14:40","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T12:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2024-03-15T08:14:40","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T12:14:40","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-march-15-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=2847","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; March 15, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Triangle Restaurant News<\/mark><\/strong><br>Triangle restaurant news\u2026that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Featured Restaurant News<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>News &amp; Observer<\/strong> shared the news this week that popular Wilmington-area coffee shop <strong>Drift Coffee &amp; Kitchen<\/strong> is coming to the Triangle with one location in Raleigh&#8217;s <strong>Ridgewood Shopping Center<\/strong> on Wade Avenue and a second in Chapel Hill&#8217;s <strong>Village Plaza Shopping Center<\/strong>. Look for the first to open this spring, with the second to follow a couple months later. All <strong>Drift <\/strong>locations brew coffee beans from Wake Forest roaster <strong>Black &amp; White<\/strong> and both Triangle locations will offer a full food menu as well. They currently have six locations, all in and around Wilmington. Welcome to brothers <strong>Michael<\/strong> and <strong>Ben Powell<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/driftcoffee.kitchen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get to know them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Wake County Restaurant News<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Twitter buddy <strong>BurgeoningBaker<\/strong> shared with me that <strong>ShinMai Shokudo<\/strong> is now open in Cary at 1904 NW Maynard Road. They began as &#8216;Shinmai&#8217; in Oakland, California. They are now reborn as &#8216;<strong>Shinmai Shokudo<\/strong>,&#8217; (Shinmai translates to &#8216;novice&#8217; or &#8216;newbie,&#8217; representing their new start in Cary). driven by three passionate women &#8211; <strong>Ming<\/strong>, <strong>Stacia<\/strong>, and <strong>Jayden<\/strong> &#8211; who share a deep love for authentic and creative Japanese cuisine. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shinmaius.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get familiar with them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over in Raleigh, <strong>Tim Roy <\/strong>at <strong>PFS Sales<\/strong> shared the news with me that <strong>The Optimist &#8211; Crabtree Terrace<\/strong> is now open. This is their second location with the original location being over at 1000 Brookside Drive, just outside downtown Raleigh. The new location is just across from <strong>Crabtree Valley Mall<\/strong> in the same building as <strong>Perry&#8217;s Steakhouse<\/strong> <strong>and Grille<\/strong> in the space formerly occupied by <strong>Fiction Coffee<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoptimistraleigh.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Visit them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>My friends at <strong>Parkside Restaurant<\/strong> (with locations in downtown Raleigh and in <strong>Wendell Falls<\/strong>) will be featuring a special <strong>St. Patrick&#8217;s Day menu<\/strong> available today through Sunday for brunch (Saturday and Sunday until 3 p.m.), lunch and dinner at both locations. Think Corned Beef Plate, Bangers and Mash and a Classic Reuben to name a few. And of course Guinness (complimentary glasses will be available at the <strong>Wendell Falls<\/strong> location while supplies last). Also, be sure to check out the new outdoor dining at the <strong>Wendell Falls<\/strong> location! <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/parksiderestaurant.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Visit Parkside here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Also in downtown Raleigh, <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> shared the news this week that the &#8220;combo hotel&#8221; of Homewood Suites and Tempo hotel (just behind <strong>Whiskey Kitchen<\/strong> at 200 W. Davie St.) will open this July. But alas, we are not a hotel blog &#8212; so more  importantly the property will boast the highest rooftop bar in the Triangle 13 stories up (but technically on the 14th floor) called <strong>Urban Oak<\/strong>, which will be open to the public.  <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.urbanoakraleigh.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get a sneak peek here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Out in Apex, the <strong>Peach Cobbler Factory<\/strong> will hold their grand opening this <strong>Saturday March 16th<\/strong> at 11 a.m. at 1071 Pine Plaza Drive in Apex. The first 30 people in line get one free dessert! <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peachcobblerfactory.com\/the-peach-cobbler-factory-locations\/604-apex-nc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get familiar with them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over in Cary, reader\u00a0<strong>Jennifer B.<\/strong>\u00a0shared that\u00a0<strong>Nautical Bowls<\/strong>\u00a0will hold their grand opening on\u00a0<strong>March 16th<\/strong>. They feature superfood bowls, a\u00e7a\u00ed and more. This will be their first Triangle-area location, and third in the state. They are located at 1205 Parkside Main Street in\u00a0<strong>Parkside Town Commons<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nauticalbowls.com\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get to know them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>RALtoday<\/strong>\u00a0shared the news that\u00a0<strong>Mac\u2019s Speed Shop<\/strong>\u00a0in Raleigh\u2019s\u00a0<strong>Five Points<\/strong>\u00a0(in the former\u00a0<strong>Lonerider<\/strong>\u00a0space next to The Rialto) will open on <strong>March 25<\/strong>. This will mark their 10th location and the first in the Triangle.\u00a0<strong>Mac\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0was founded 18 years ago by\u00a0<strong>Wynn Davis<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Hall Johnston<\/strong>\u00a0as a place that would blend their love for BBQ, beer and bikes. Everything is made from scratch including the barbecue sauces and dressings. But don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t have to have a Harley, your minivan (and dog) are more than welcome there.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/macspeedshop.com\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get familiar with them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Durham, Orange &amp; Chatham Restaurant News<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>WRAL<\/strong> reported this week that <strong>MilkShake Factory<\/strong> will open their first North Carolina location this summer in the <strong>American Tobacco Campus<\/strong> in Durham. They noted that the Pittsburgh-based franchise is known for its housemade ice cream, handspun milkshakes and premium chocolates. Congratulations to local owners <strong>Alex Chandler<\/strong> and <strong>Kindall Palmer<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.milkshakefactory.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get to know them here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Pittsboro, <strong>Hops &amp; Berry Taproom<\/strong> will hold their <strong>Grand Opening<\/strong> this weekend with lots of activities and specials taking place throughout the weekend &#8211; including live music, ACC basketball and St. Patrick&#8217;s Day specials. They are a self-serve, pay by the ounce taproom and restaurant with what looks like a pretty yummy upscale bar menu. They are located at 120 Mosaic Blvd. in the\u00a0<strong>Mosaic<\/strong>\u00a0section of\u00a0<strong>Chatham Park<\/strong>. This is their first location in North Carolina (they have two other locations).\u00a0Let&#8217;s give them a warm, North Carolina welcome! <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HopsandBerryPittsboro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Visit them on their Facebook page<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> to see all the events and specials they have running this weekend. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Closings<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>None to report. Keep eating local, folks! <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Food Trucks<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don\u2019t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/streetfoodfinder.com\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Street Food Finder here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Events<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head to downtown Pittsboro this <strong>Sunday, March 17th<\/strong> for the inaugural <strong>St. Patrick&#8217;s Day Celebration<\/strong> hosted at the <strong>SOCO Patio<\/strong> (on the circle at 39 West Street) featuring <strong>Havoc Brewing<\/strong>, live Irish music (begins at noon), the <strong>Doherty\u2019s<\/strong> food truck <strong>The Paddy Wagon<\/strong> (not long before <strong>Doherty&#8217;s<\/strong> opens their brick and mortar location just down the street at 56 Sanford Road), Irish dancers, live bag pipes, local favorites and more. The fun will run from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. The event will benefit the <strong>Boys &amp; Girls Club of Chatham<\/strong>.\u00a0Visit their <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1210064506819473\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Facebook event page<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> for all the details. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The West End<\/strong>\u00a0(23 Rectory Street) will be hosting an afternoon tea on the last Monday of each month from 2:30 \u2013 5 pm. Grab a friend and take a break from your day while enjoying a good cup of tea, yummy treats and some good conversation. Space is limited so reserve your seats today. The first one is\u00a0<strong>March 25<\/strong>.<mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westendpittsboro.com\/events\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/a><\/strong><\/mark>. Thanks to\u00a0<strong>Neha Shah<\/strong>, director of the\u00a0<strong>Pittsboro-Siler City Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau<\/strong>, for passing this info along.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The annual\u00a0<strong>Tacos \u2018n Taps<\/strong>\u00a0will take place this year on\u00a0<strong>Saturday, April 6th<\/strong>\u00a0at Cary\u2019s\u00a0<strong>Koka Booth Amphitheatre<\/strong>. The event takes place from 1-5 p.m. (VIPs get in at noon). This an \u201call you care to taste\u201d\u00a0<strong>Beer and Tequila Festival<\/strong>\u00a0and offers up some of the Triangle\u2019s best tacos and Mexican food, the best dancing music from Triangle area bands, margaritas, contests and some other surprises.\u00a0 This is\u00a0<strong>NACHO\u00a0<\/strong>average taco festival.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.boothamphitheatre.com\/events\/detail\/tacos-n-taps-4\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On <strong>April 13th<\/strong>, the <strong>North Carolina Food &amp; Beverage Podcast<\/strong> along with <strong>Pimiento Tea Room<\/strong> will host <strong>Bubbles &amp; Bagels<\/strong>  at <strong>Wine 100<\/strong> in Holly Springs (100 W. Ballentine Street) from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event will feature an array of exquisite craft bagels each paired with eight handpicked sparkling wines from around the globe. The event is limited to 75 people and tickets are $45. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncfbpodcast.com\/event-details\/bubbles-bagels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get tickets and details here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>My buddy&nbsp;<strong>Neha Shah<\/strong>, director of the&nbsp;<strong>Pittsboro-Siler City Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau<\/strong>, shared that the annual&nbsp;<strong>Farm to Fork Picnic<\/strong>, celebrating local food and local farms, will take place&nbsp;<strong>Sunday, June 2<\/strong>&nbsp;from 4pm \u2013 7pm, again at&nbsp;<strong>Fearrington Village<\/strong>.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cefs.ncsu.edu\/farmtofork\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get details and tickets here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tickets are on sale now for the<strong>&nbsp;9th Annual Dinner in the Meadow<\/strong>&nbsp;which will take place on&nbsp;<strong>September 15, 2024<\/strong>&nbsp;on a grassy knoll at<strong>Meadow Lane Farm<\/strong>, in bucolic Franklin County, offering beautiful pastoral views and clear, starry skies. Some of the region\u2019s most sought-after chefs will be preparing delicious dishes using ingredients from local farms and food artisans. It is an annual fundraiser for the&nbsp;<strong>Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund<\/strong>, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 2014 to support and cultivate small farms in our region of North Carolina.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dinnerinthemeadow.org\/\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get tickets and all the details here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Food Bank Corner<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No doubt we live in a wonderful corner of the world. But here are some things to remember and not forget. Right now, one in five people in central and eastern North Carolina don\u2019t have enough to eat.&nbsp;<strong>The Food Bank<\/strong>provided over 88 million meals to families and individuals last year.&nbsp;<strong>The Food Bank\u2019s&nbsp;<\/strong>partner agency network has reported up to a 60% increase in neighbors visiting for food assistance. The need is real and right here in our backyard. Consider helping in 2024.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/Donation2\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">See how here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Triangle Restaurant NewsTriangle restaurant news\u2026that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.&nbsp; Featured Restaurant News Wake County Restaurant News Durham, Orange &amp; Chatham Restaurant News Closings Food Trucks Events Food Bank Corner<\/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-2847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847","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=2847"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2859,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847\/revisions\/2859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}