{"id":4005,"date":"2025-07-18T06:30:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T10:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4005"},"modified":"2025-07-18T06:30:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T10:30:39","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-july-18-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4005","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; July 18, 2025"},"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>Over in Durham, the <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> shared the exciting news that downtown Durham will soon have a new option for watching the big game from two of the biggest &#8220;players&#8221; in the hospitality scene in the Bull City. <strong>Michelle Vanderwalker<\/strong> and <strong>Sean Umstead<\/strong>,\u00a0owners of a handful of restaurants and bars in Durham (think <strong>Kingfisher<\/strong>, <strong>QueenBurger<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Queeny\u2019s<\/strong>, <strong>Killer Queen<\/strong> and <strong>Roadrunner<\/strong>), are opening <strong>E.O\u2019s Athletic Club<\/strong> this fall at 341 W. Main St. in the former\u00a0<strong>Beyu Caffe<\/strong> location. <strong>E.O\u2019s<\/strong> menu centers around chicken wings, New Jersey\/Massachusetts-style bar pizza and loaded baked potatoes &#8211; a classic Americana sports bar. It will also serve salads, sandwiches and other scratch items. Look for them to open this fall in time for basketball season. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eosdurham.com\/\" 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 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>Rumors circulated earlier this week that legendary<strong> Stanbury<\/strong> <strong>Restaurant<\/strong> would expand into the space next door at 936 N. Blount St. once occupied by <strong>Escazu Chocolates<\/strong> (who just recently moved to <strong>Gateway Plaza\u00a0<\/strong>earlier this month). Not true as learned in an interview with <strong>Raleigh Magazine<\/strong>. But what is true, they will take over the new space with a brand new concept &#8211; new name, new menu &#8211; but helmed by <strong>Stanbury<\/strong> chef <strong>Drew Maykuth<\/strong>.\u2060 Now that is just as, if not more, exciting! Look for them to open sometime next year. In the meantime, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stanburyraleigh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">follow Stanbury 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 are getting closer to <strong>Jake Wood&#8217;s<\/strong> move to downtown Cary as was announced recently that his last day at <strong>Boxyard RTP<\/strong> would be <strong>August 9th<\/strong>. <strong>Lawrence Barbecue<\/strong>\u00a0will be moving from their\u00a0<strong>Boxyard RTP\u00a0<\/strong>spot to a new brick and mortar location in<strong>\u00a0downtown Cary\u00a0<\/strong>at 150 E. Cedar Street (near <strong>Scratch Kitchen &amp; Taproom <\/strong>and <strong>Zest Sushi<\/strong> and <strong>Small Plates<\/strong>). The new spot will bring together all three of <strong>Jake Wood\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0concepts \u2013\u00a0<strong>Lawrence Barbecue<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Lagoon Bar\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Leroy\u2019s Taco Shop<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 and will also feature a patio, smokehouse, full bar and merchandise. Congrats to\u00a0<strong>Jake<\/strong>\u00a0on all his success and hard work (and his team)! No word yet on an actual opening day.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lawrencebarbecue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Follow along on Instagram here<\/mark>.<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We first told you about it last week, but <strong>Inka Grill<\/strong> is now open in downtown Raleigh in the former <strong>Capital Club 16<\/strong> space on West Martin Street. They are serving up the vibrant flavors of Peru with dishes like lomo saltado (a steak-based dish typically served with fries or rice), ceviche, Peruvian-style paella and other authentic eats. This is their first venture outside of Virginia, with what looks like a possible second North Carolina location opening soon in Greensboro. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inkagrill.pe\" 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><strong>RALtoday<\/strong> shared this week that the highly anticipated market, bar, and eatery concept, <strong>Good Graces<\/strong>, is opening in August in the <strong>North Hills Innovation District<\/strong> (540\u00a0St.\u00a0Albans\u00a0Drive). Look for a menu featuring Southern favorites, refreshing drinks as well as grab-and-go meals. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/goodgracesraleigh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Follow along on Instagram here<\/a><\/mark><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On a recent stroll down Wilmington Street in downtown Raleigh I noticed that <strong>Thirsty Buffalo Wings &amp; Brews<\/strong> has opened in the former <strong>Una Mas Burritos and Tequila<\/strong> space (which opened in December, 2024) and before that <strong>Tonbo Ramen<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/p\/The-thirsty-buffalo-wings-and-brews-61577966791373\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Not much up on their Facebook page yet<\/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 Raleigh, we learned this week that<strong> Peri Brothers<\/strong>, a two-in-one dining experience, has opened in the <strong>Celebration at Six Forks<\/strong> shopping center (7321 Six Forks Rd.). On one side, enjoy classic New York-style pizzeria for takeout and delivery and on the other, step into their full-service modern Italian restaurant and bar, offering handmade pastas, and curated wines. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/peribrothersitalian\/\" 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><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>In Durham, <strong>Axios<\/strong> shared the news this week that\u00a0<strong>Narrative Coffee,<\/strong>\u00a0which has served coffee in recent years across the Triangle via a truck, has opened its first brick-and-mortar location at 300 Morris St. in downtown Durham on the first floor of the\u00a0<strong>Durham Innovation District<\/strong>\u00a0office building. They are open 7am-3pm weekdays, 8am-3pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.narrativecoffeecompany.com\/\" 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 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>Over in Carrboro I learned from my friends over at <strong>The Splinter Group <\/strong>shared that <strong>Autostrada<\/strong> (modeled after an auto grill one would find along an Italian highway) is now serving up pizza and paninis in Carr Mill in the former <strong>Pizza Factory<\/strong> space. They will soon have a gelato and coffee shop (<strong>Autostrada Gelato &amp; Coffee<\/strong>) right across the hall. Both are brought to us by chef <strong>Drew Moore<\/strong> from <strong>Venable<\/strong> and <strong>B-Side Lounge<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/autostradacarrboro.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Check out both of them, and their menus, 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>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>The final <strong>Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo<\/strong> of 2025 will be on <strong>Sunday, November 2<\/strong>. It will run from 12 noon until 4 p.m. featuring over&nbsp;<strong>50+ food trucks<\/strong> with cuisine from all over the world making it the ultimate Sunday Funday in <strong>Durham Central Park<\/strong> (501 Foster Street)! <a href=\"https:\/\/eventvesta.com\/events\/97144-food-truck-rodeo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><strong>Get all the details here<\/strong><\/mark><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/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>Mark your calendars. The <strong>Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week<\/strong> returns <strong>July 24th \u2013 August 3rd<\/strong>. This beloved tradition is your invitation to discover the unique, locally-owned restaurants and bars that make downtown Raleigh a true dining destination. Savor exclusive deals, prix fixe menus, and chef-driven specials at your favorite spots across our community. Now in its 17th year, the celebration returns with a fresh new look. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/downtownraleigh.org\/restaurant-week\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Get all the 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>Get tickets now! The <strong>Grand Finale of&nbsp;NCRLA\u2019s Chef Showdown <\/strong>will take place on <strong>Monday, August 4th<\/strong> at&nbsp;<strong>Bay 7<\/strong>&nbsp;in Durham. Presented by&nbsp;<strong>Got To Be NC<\/strong>, this one-of-a-kind event showcases the state\u2019s top chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and distilleries as they compete for the coveted titles of <strong>Chef of the Year<\/strong>, <strong>Pastry Chef of the Year<\/strong>, <strong>Mixologist &amp; Distillery of the Year<\/strong>, and <strong>Best Mocktail of the Year<\/strong>. Guests will savor sweet and savory bites, sip creative cocktails and mocktails, and cast their vote in <strong>The People\u2019s Choice Awards<\/strong>\u2014all while celebrating North Carolina\u2019s rich culinary culture. Plus, for the first time ever, the <strong>Grand Finale<\/strong> will feature a <strong>North Carolina Wine Bar<\/strong>, highlighting some of the state\u2019s top vineyards. Tickets are $150 per person and include all food and beverage tastings. Attendance is limited\u2014don\u2019t miss this unforgettable night of flavor, competition, and local pride. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncrla.org\/ncrla-events\/2025-ncrla-chef-showdown\/\" 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><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The inaugural <strong>Salt &amp; Smoke &amp; Sound Festival <\/strong>will be held <strong>Saturday, October 18th<\/strong> at <strong>Blackwood Farm Park<\/strong> between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. The exciting new community event merges together two beloved festivals\u2013<strong>Acme\u2019s Salt &amp; Smoke<\/strong> and Sonark Media\u2019s <strong>Harvest Festival<\/strong>\u2013into a celebration of food, culture, and music in a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere. Food will be provided by <strong>Acme\u2019s Kevin Callaghan<\/strong> and a team of local chefs and food trucks offering a wide variety of dishes and dining options. The festival will feature craft beers, curated beverages, and other interesting spirit-free options. All food and drink will be available for purchase and is not included in the price of festival entry. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/saltsmokesound.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Tickets are on sale now<\/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>Yesterday, Congress voted for devastating cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. <strong>Amy Beros<\/strong>, President &amp; CEO of the <strong>Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina<\/strong>, shared what this will mean for North Carolina. &#8220;No one should go hungry\u2014no matter where we live, where we\u2019re from, who we love, or the color of our skin. Yet with this vote by Congress and a stroke of the President\u2019s pen, millions more people will soon face hunger here in North Carolina and across the country.&#8221; The <strong>Food Bank<\/strong> is moving mountains to make food available to all who need it. They\u2019re still here, no matter what. They need your help now more than ever. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/foodbankcenc.org\/federal-budget-reconciliation-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Read their full statement here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/Donation2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">get involved in the fight to end hunger<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/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-4005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4005","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=4005"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4016,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4005\/revisions\/4016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}