{"id":4045,"date":"2025-08-08T07:49:47","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T11:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4045"},"modified":"2025-08-08T08:10:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T12:10:06","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-august-8-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4045","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; August 8, 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><strong>Oakwood Pizza Box<\/strong> opened its new carry-out only location on Wednesday at 1842 Wake Forest Road in the former home of <strong>Capital Creations Gourmet Pizza<\/strong>. Called <strong>Capital Pizza Box<\/strong>, it is an expansion of the devoted following of <strong>Oakwood Pizza Box<\/strong> and their New York-style pizza. The expansion is in response to the soaring demand at the beloved pizzeria&#8217;s flagship Person Street location in downtown Raleigh where parking can be limited at times. The <strong>Guerras<\/strong> stock an eclectic wine selection at the original <strong>Oakwood Pizza<\/strong> location and plan to open a wine bar, <strong>St. Pierre<\/strong>, in <strong>Raleigh Iron Works<\/strong> later this summer. They also are co-owners of <strong>Tutti Pizza<\/strong> in Charleston, S.C., which they opened earlier this year in partnership with the owners of <strong>Graft<\/strong>, also in Charleston, S.C. Hours for <strong>Capital<\/strong> are 4-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (but may expand in the coming months). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oakwoodpizzabox.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>. Better yet, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/capitalpizzabox.square.site\/#most-popular\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">order some za 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><strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> shared the exciting news this week that the former <strong>David&#8217;s Dumplings &amp; Noodle Bar<\/strong> location at 1900 Hillsborough Street (which closed July 13th) already has a new tenant. <strong>Barley and Burger<\/strong>, a regional smashburger restaurant and bar, is planning to open its fourth location in October. They opened their first location in 2018 in Rocky Mount as a movie-themed restaurant serving smashburgers with two 4\u2013ounce smash patties. The business expanded to Charlotte nearly two years ago and opened a spot in Smithfield last year. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/barleyandburger.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>Also in downtown Raleigh, a romance bookstore and wine bar is coming soon. <strong>Susannah Baird<\/strong> is planning to open <strong>Bright Side Books &amp; Wine<\/strong> in the <strong>Platform <\/strong>development (600 W. Cabarrus St.) just down from <strong>Boulted Bread <\/strong>this fall. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/brightsidebooksandwine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">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>Thanks to the sharp eyes of my good buddy <strong>Jen Willis<\/strong>, we now know the rumors of an <strong>Al&#8217;s Burger Shack <\/strong>coming to Apex are completely true. <strong>Jen<\/strong> sent me a photo of the signage already up on a building in the <strong>Sweetwater Town Center<\/strong> (2832 Teachey Place) development out off Highway 64 near the Harris Teeter. No word on an open date. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/alsburgershack.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 Al&#8217;s here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On a recent drive up in the <strong>Wakefield <\/strong>area, signage went up this week indicating the the Triangle&#8217;s fourth location of <strong>BurgerFi<\/strong> at 10831 Wakefield Commons Drive (just around the corner from <strong>Milton&#8217;s<\/strong> and <strong>Pickled Onion<\/strong>). The location is beautiful and features a drive-thru. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.burgerfi.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><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Also up in Wake Forest, <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> confirmed that <strong>Firebirds Wood Fired Grill<\/strong> has a signed lease and plans to start construction on a new restaurant in mid-September at the southeast corner of Highway 98 and Ligon Mill Road in the&nbsp;Wegmans-anchored <strong>Grove 98<\/strong> development. The restaurant plans to be open for guests next summer. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/firebirdsrestaurants.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Visit Firebirds here<\/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>One of the Triangle&#8217;s most popular vegetarian\/vegan restaurants has returned! Once residing in Chapel Hill&#8217;s <strong>Timberlyne Shopping Center<\/strong>, <strong>Sage<\/strong> has returned, but this time in Durham in <strong>Erwin Terrace<\/strong> at 2812 Erwin Road. The return is brought to us by the same folks from the former <strong>Sage<\/strong> and the former owner of <strong>Rasa Indian Chinese Restaurant<\/strong> in Chapel Hill. They opened yesterday and their opening hours are 12 noon &#8211; 6 p.m. (they are closed on Monday).<\/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 this several week&#8217;s ago, but <strong>Al\u2019s Burger Shack<\/strong> has opened&nbsp;<strong>Puddin&#8217;s Beer Shack,&nbsp;<\/strong>a new bar and dining area with TVs for sports fans and a fresh vibe. They are located directly behind&nbsp;<strong>Al\u2019s<\/strong>&nbsp;on Franklin Street. You can enjoy burgers from <strong>Al&#8217;s<\/strong> at <strong>Puddin&#8217;s<\/strong> or beer from <strong>Puddin&#8217;s<\/strong> at <strong>Al&#8217;s<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/puddinsbeershackchapelhillnc\/\" 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 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>And if you haven&#8217;t made it out to <strong>Preeti Waas&#8217;<\/strong> latest venture, <strong>Nanny Goat<\/strong> (a boutique bodega), you now have an extra day of the week to make it by. Originally they were just open Monday through Friday, but they are now also open on Saturdays (3151 Ellion Drive) from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nannygoatrtp\" 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 on Instagram<\/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>I truly dislike this portion of my blog&#8230;.except when it says &#8220;nothing to report&#8230;.&#8221; However, that is not the case this week. We lost a couple of big ones. First up, after 14 years, farm-to-table concept <strong>Mandolin<\/strong> (and their related farm) announced their immediate closure. And in downtown Raleigh, after an 8-year run, <strong>Mofu Shoppe<\/strong> will serve their last guests on <strong>August 30th<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofushoppe.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Good luck getting a reservation between now and the end of the month<\/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 Trucks<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jennifer Martin<\/strong> posted on Facebook that the <strong>Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo <\/strong>will take place on <strong>August 24, 2025<\/strong> from  12 &#8211; 7 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Expect over 50 of your favorite food trucks. It is being put on by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shoplocalraleigh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Shop Local Raleigh<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/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><strong>Carolina Brewery<\/strong> is closing out the summer with two <strong>Shrimp Boil<\/strong> events at both of its locations. Guests are invited to enjoy a classic lowcountry-style boil, live music, and the release of a limited-edition beer brewed specially for the occasion. The Pittsboro location will host their boil this <strong>Saturday, August 9<\/strong> from 4 to 7 p.m. celebrating 18 years in the community. Two weeks later, the Chapel Hill location will host their boil on <strong>Saturday, August 23<\/strong> from 4 to 7 p.m. For additional details or to make reservations, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carolinabrewery.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><strong>Whiskey Kitchen<\/strong> in downtown Raleigh will celebrate its <strong>9th Anniversary <\/strong>this <strong>Sunday, August 10th<\/strong>. The anniversary celebration is a thank-you to the loyal patrons who\u2019ve made the past nine years unforgettable &#8211; including live music, all whiskeys on the back bar offered at half price, and a complimentary slice of celebratory cake. The event will take place during regular business hours. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whiskey.kitchen\/event\/9th-anniversary-party\/\" 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>The Town of Cary&#8217;s <strong>Lazy Daze Arts &amp; Crafts Festival<\/strong> will be held on <strong>Saturday, August 23<\/strong> and <strong>Sunday, August 24<\/strong> from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is a great way to wrap up the summer and explore the work of over 250 artists from across the nation, great food, live music and performances, as well as a kids section. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carync.gov\/recreation-enjoyment\/events\/festivals\/lazy-daze-arts-and-crafts-festival\" 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>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>New data reveals a worsening hunger crisis in North Carolina and nationwide \u2014 as food insecurity reaches its highest level in nearly 20 years.&nbsp;<strong>More than 607,000 people are now food insecure across the Food Bank of Central &amp; Eastern North Carolina\u2019s 34-county area service area<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 nearly 47,000 more than the prior year.&nbsp;The analysis underscores&nbsp;the serious impact of cuts to federal support&nbsp;as the cost of housing, food and other essentials continue to rise here in North Carolina.&nbsp;The hunger crisis has continued to worsen each year in the wake of the pandemic, as government has stepped back from investments in emergency food purchases and direct support for affected families.&nbsp;Yet despite deepening challenges, federal officials have gone even further by&nbsp;eliminating food purchase funding&nbsp;and forcing&nbsp;significant cuts to SNAP grocery support.&nbsp;<strong>As a result,&nbsp;1 in 7 people across our region are now unsure where their next meal might come from, including nearly 1 in 5 children and teenagers.&nbsp;<\/strong>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-4045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4045","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=4045"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4063,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4045\/revisions\/4063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}