{"id":3535,"date":"2024-12-20T08:25:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T13:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=3535"},"modified":"2024-12-20T08:25:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T13:25:58","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-december-20-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=3535","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; December 20, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\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>Italian cuisine with a fresh twist is arriving to <strong>The Exchange Raleigh<\/strong> in Raleigh&#8217;s Midtown (1000 Social Street) and being brought to us by <strong>Michael Bongiorno<\/strong> renowned for<strong> Bongiorno &amp; Son<\/strong> in Raleigh&#8217;s <strong>Lafayette Village<\/strong>. While the name is yet to be finalized, the restaurant is expected to open in the third quarter of 2025 and will be located in the flagship 12-story office tower. <strong>Chef Bongiorno<\/strong> brings decades of global culinary expertise to the table. He led Hyatt International\u2019s Southeast Asia operations for 15 years, served as a private chef in Beverly Hills, and later became Corporate Chef for United Therapeutics in Raleigh. Following that chapter, he pursued entrepreneurship by opening <strong>Zanyu<\/strong>, a noodle shop he has since sold. <strong>The Exchange<\/strong> is a 40-acre mixed-use development, who also recently announced the landing of <strong>Peregrine<\/strong> from the team of chef <strong>Saif Rahman<\/strong> and artist <strong>Patrick Shanahan<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bongiornoandson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Might be best to follow them on Instagram here for updates and announcements<\/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><strong>The Bend Bar<\/strong>, a welcoming neighborhood spot crafted by the team behind <strong>Trophy Brewing<\/strong>, <strong>State of Beer<\/strong> and <strong>Young Hearts Distilling<\/strong> will officially open its doors at 4 p.m. Saturday in downtown Raleigh. Situated on a distinctive curve along West Morgan Street, it draws its name from its unique location. The centerpiece of its interior is a curved, 16-seat bar designed to resemble a stereo speaker. Patrons can choose from 10 taps featuring local craft beers, alongside wine, craft cocktails and an assortment of carefully curated beverages. This opening marks the first phase of development for the Morgan Street property. By early 2025, a new location of <strong>State of Beer<\/strong>, the <strong>Trophy<\/strong> team\u2019s beloved bottle and sandwich shop, will open next door in another renovated bungalow. Plans for the third bungalow on Morgan Street are still under development. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bendbarraleigh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Best to follow along on Instagram<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tonight is the night (December 20) for <strong>Scott Crawford\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0newest concept \u2013\u00a0<strong>Crawford Brothers Steakhouse<\/strong> officially opens their doors. Located in Cary&#8217;s <strong>Fenton<\/strong> development, reservations are open &#8211; but I can tell you that they received 3,000 reservations in the first fifteen minutes they opened &#8211; so might be a minute now before you can get in (they do take walk-ups). It will be the largest\u00a0<strong>Crawford Hospitality<\/strong>\u00a0restaurant to-date with seating for 120. It will celebrate the nostalgia of an old school steakhouse, but with a lighter and edgier twist. They will specialize in house dry-aged beef, and boast an extensive wine program, a vibrant cocktail bar, two private rooms. A prominent feature of the design will be a floor-to-ceiling \u201cglass curtain\u201d on one side of the restaurant, visible from the street, giving passersby a full view into both the warm, inviting cocktail bar.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/crawfordbrosnc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Keep up with announcements on their Instagram page here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reader <strong>Rebekka Mastin<\/strong> tipped us off to the news that <strong>Uptown Pho<\/strong>, literally a sister restaurant of <strong>Midtown Pho<\/strong> (424 E. Six Forks Road), has opened on Spring Forest Road next to <strong>Saints &amp; Scholars Irish Pub<\/strong>. They are self described as a fast, casual, authentic Vietnamese restaurant. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uptownphoraleigh.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 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>We first told you back in April about a new sushi\/hotpot concept called<strong>\u00a0Umiya<\/strong>\u00a0coming soon to the old Tuesday Morning space at the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest roads (404 E Six Forks Road) next to the Dollar Tree. We learned this week that they are now open and in &#8220;soft open mode.&#8221; Of note, they have a sushi buffet. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chowbusmkt.wixsite.com\/website-632\" 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>And down in Fuquay Varina, <strong>David McCreary<\/strong> dialed us into the fact that <strong>Angadi<\/strong>, an Indian grocery store and cafe, opened this week at <strong>Quaint Plaza<\/strong> at 405 Broad Street in Fuquay-Varina. The store offers a wide selection of Indian produce, spices, lentils, rice and much more. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/angadifv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Check them out on Facebook 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>Thanks to a tip from my buddy <strong>Glenn Gillen<\/strong>, I learned that the new Durham location of <strong>Crank Arm Brewing<\/strong> (620 Fernway Drive) opens to the public today (December 20) at 4 p.m. Their original location is in Downtown Raleigh at 319 W Davie Street. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/crankarmbrew\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Check them out on Instagram here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thanks to a post on the <strong>Discover Durham<\/strong> Instagram page, we learned that <strong>Fare &amp; Fellow Coffee + Table<\/strong> has opened a second location in downtown Durham&#8217;s <strong>NC Mutual building<\/strong> (411 W. Chapel Hill Street). They also have a location in RTP at <strong>Park Point<\/strong>. Looks like they are serving up <strong>Jubala Coffee<\/strong> and a pretty expansive menu. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fareandfellow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Start getting acquainted here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. Thanks to <strong>Glenn Gillen<\/strong> to giving us the heads up on this. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One of our very own needs our help. Chef <strong>Vimala Rajendran<\/strong>, who has a heart bigger than life, and her <strong>Curryblossom Cafe<\/strong>, an award-winning gem in Chapel Hill, are struggling to make rent. She is reaching out to the community that she has helped time and time again for an assist. While donations would be phenomenal, going to eat at the restaurant or buying gift cards would also help tremendously. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/curryblossom.com\/giving-page-1-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Visit Curryblossom 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\">Closings<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> shared the sad news that after 27 years, <strong>Blue Corn Cafe<\/strong> on Durham&#8217;s Ninth Street will close their doors on December 21. Two bits of good news. It looks like <strong>Danielle<\/strong> and <strong>Antonio<\/strong> will continue their personal chef and catering offerings. The other good news is that their space on Ninth Street will soon be home to a new concept of Nepalese fusion. Stay tuned on that.  <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bluecornchef\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Keep up with them on Instagram 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> reported that <strong>Amitie Macaron<\/strong>\u00a0will\u00a0close its three Triangle-area locations. The Crabtree store will close on Wednesday, Dec. 25. The downtown locations on Wilmington and Morgan streets will close on Wednesday, Jan. 1.<\/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>Tickets went on sale earlier this month for <strong>An Evening To Ignite<\/strong>, the annual fundraiser by the teams at\u00a0The Merrimon-Wynne House,\u00a0Band Together\u00a0and\u00a0La F\u00eate Planning &amp; Design. The nonprofit beneficiary of this year&#8217;s event will be\u00a0<strong>Ripe for Revival<\/strong>, which operates a fleet of pay-what-you-can mobile markets in central and eastern North Carolina. They will use the proceeds to expand the mobile markets&#8217; presence in Raleigh. This year&#8217;s An Evening To Ignite will be March 14, 2025 in downtown Raleigh. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/one.bidpal.net\/ignite2025\/welcome\" 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 here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ripeforrevival.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 information on Ripe for Revival here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is kind of cool&#8230;a traveling <strong>Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy<\/strong> cocktail event that will be in Pittsboro next <strong>January 23 and 24<\/strong>. It&nbsp;is a chilling cocktail experience that brings four of his stories off the page and onto the stage as told through the Poe historians while you sip on delicious themed cocktails that are paired with each story. Tickets are $45 and will take place at <strong>The Plant<\/strong> (220 Lorax Lane). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/edgar-allan-poe-speakeasy-pittsboro-tickets-1095357827749\" 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 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>The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to spend time with family and friends over delicious festive meals. Unfortunately for many of our friends and neighbors, holiday meals may not be an option. The rising cost of living is putting a strain on our community. By donating a holiday gift, you can help bring comfort and relief to local families fighting food insecurity. It\u2019s a perfect time to give!&nbsp;Until December 31,&nbsp;compassionate friends are matching all gifts to the <strong>Food Bank of Central &amp; Eastern North Carolina<\/strong> up to $503,100.&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/R?i=r3uAEigD_ihCjGLd2I-baYZan3SgCpUQROfvJceqHSg4vJfQjUC4IA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Give $10 now and have double the impact, providing 100 meals<\/mark><\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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-3535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3535","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=3535"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3541,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3535\/revisions\/3541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}