{"id":4426,"date":"2026-02-06T06:47:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T11:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4426"},"modified":"2026-02-06T06:47:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T11:47:51","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-february-6-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4426","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; February 6, 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>Got word this week that <strong>Velvet Taco<\/strong>, the nationally acclaimed taco restaurant known for its imaginative, globally inspired tacos, will be opening its first Raleigh location at\u00a0<strong>North Hills<\/strong> on <strong>February 16th<\/strong>. The restaurant will occupy the former\u00a0<strong>World of Beer<\/strong>\u00a0space at the base of Captrust Tower in the\u00a0<strong>Park District<\/strong>. With quite an eclectic menu, look for everything from Korean Fried Rice and Nashville Hot Tofu to Spicy Tikka Chicken and Fish N\u2019 Chips. And don\u2019t miss their signature Red Velvet Cake for dessert!\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.velvettaco.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\"> <\/mark><\/strong>     <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>Over in Glenwood South, <strong>The Dirty V<\/strong>, a plant-based restaurant, with additional locations opening soon in Myrtle Beach and Miami, is now in soft-open mode (just working out a few cosmetic changes). They took over the former <strong>Marian Cocktails &amp; Kitchen<\/strong> spot at 301 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100. Visit\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thedirtyv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Dirty V here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mother Nature had a different plan for the opening of <strong>Jubala\u2019s<\/strong> new late-night spot,\u00a0<strong>Bar Marigold<\/strong>.  Originally planning to open this past Wednesday at 301 Hillsborough Street (corner of Hillsborough and Dawson) in the Pendo building, they will now hold their grand opening <strong>tonight, February 6th<\/strong>. A coffee shop in the morning and throughout the day, it changes up gears and becomes your newest evening lounge to grab a curated menu of classic, new, and coffee-infused cocktails (including espresso martinis), mocktails, and evening bites.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bar.marigold\/\" 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>Over on Hillsborough Street, <strong>Roots Natural Kitchen<\/strong>, which also has a location on Chapel Hill&#8217;s Franklin Street, will open on <strong>Saturday, February 21st<\/strong> across from NC State&#8217;s campus at 2712 Hillsborough Street (think former <strong>Gumby&#8217;s<\/strong> spot). If you are not familiar with <strong>Roots<\/strong>, they were founded in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2015 serving up natural food in a fast-casual setting and now have just over 20 locations, mostly in the mid-Atlantic. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rootsnaturalkitchen.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>Over in Apex, <strong>Adam Orentlicher<\/strong> sent us a note letting us know that <strong>Taki Sushi<\/strong> opened in <strong>Sweetwater Town Center<\/strong> (just off Hwy. 64 at 2701 Lawnview Lane, Suite 103) kind of across from <strong>Southern Peak Brewery Taproom and Pizzeria<\/strong> and behind <strong>Fratelli&#8217;s Delicatessen<\/strong>. This area is quickly becoming a &#8220;food court&#8221; of sorts for Apex! <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.takisushinc.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 Taki Sushi here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A little out of our &#8220;normal&#8221; coverage area, but this might be worth the hour drive down to Southern Pines where <strong>Wisco Taco Foxtrot<\/strong>,\u00a0a casual yet elevated taco restaurant with touches of Midwestern flavor and hospitality, will open on <strong>February 12th<\/strong>. Expect a fun, vibrant gathering place offering scratch-made tacos, creative cocktails and a relaxed atmosphere.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wiscotacofoxtrot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Take a peek here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> and then jump in your car and head on down. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And kudos to brothers <strong>Casey<\/strong> and <strong>Mick Vorbeck<\/strong> as <strong>Manhattan Cafe <\/strong>was picked by <strong>Chowhound<\/strong> as North Carolina&#8217;s best hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop joining 49 others, one in each state. The downtown location (320 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh) got the nod for being the hole-in-the wall, but they also have a location in RTP (1004 Lower Shiloh Way, Morrisville). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/manhattancafe.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Stop by and see for yourself here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. See the article in <strong>Chowhoud<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chowhound.com\/2085450\/best-hole-wall-sandwich-shops-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">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>The <strong>News &amp; Observer<\/strong> shared that a location of <strong>Paris Banh Mi<\/strong>, known for banh mi, baked goods and drinks such as boba tea, will have their soft opening on <strong>Thursday, Feb. 12th<\/strong> in Chapel Hill&#8217;s <strong>Meadowmont<\/strong> development at 407 Meadowmont Village Circle (formerly <strong>Meet Fresh<\/strong> and before that, <strong>Five Guys<\/strong>). There is already a location in Cary. Congrats to owner <strong>Thai Doan<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parisbanhmi.com\/locations\/paris-banh-mi-chapel-hill-nc\" 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 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>And another re-opening at Chapel Hill&#8217;s <strong>Eastgate Crossing<\/strong> shopping center following the devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal. <strong>Clean Juice<\/strong> opened this week simply announcing, &#8220;We are back!&#8221; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/locations.cleanjuice.com\/ll\/us\/nc\/chapel-hill\/1800-e-franklin-st\/\" 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><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>Reader<strong> Bridget Lambusko<\/strong> notified us that <strong>Giorgios Bakatsias<\/strong> has closed his recently opened sushi spot in Raleigh called <strong>Tomi Sushi<\/strong> (they opened last October). It was in the<strong> East End Market <\/strong>development (off East Whitaker Mill Road between Wake Forest Road and Atlantic Avenue). <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> reported this week that <strong>Bahama Breeze<\/strong> is closing its tropical-themed Raleigh restaurant on Wake Forest Road on <strong>April 5th.<\/strong> Owned by <strong>Darden Restaurants<\/strong>, it will become one of its other concepts. Stay tuned. <\/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>Due to the weather, the dates for the  annual\u00a0<strong>Triangle Restaurant Week<\/strong> have been extended through\u00a0<strong>February 8th<\/strong> (but check with each restaurant before heading out). During the event, participating restaurants within Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham and surrounding areas will offer a special 2 or 3-course prix fixe menu ($20, $25, $30,$35, $40, $45, $50) each day they are open.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/trirestaurantweek.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 full list of restaurants, hours, days 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><strong>Rocky Top Catering<\/strong> announced new dates for the eighth annual <strong>Cooking for the Kids<\/strong>, a multi-night culinary competition uniting the Triangle\u2019s vibrant chef community in support of\u00a0 an impactful local nonprofit, <strong>Overflowing Hands<\/strong>. <strong>Overflowing Hands<\/strong> is a 100% volunteer-led 501c3 organization serving the most vulnerable children in our neighborhoods, across the United States and around the world. Hosted at the elegant <strong>Millbrook Manor<\/strong> (located at 1705 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh), <strong>Cooking for the Kids<\/strong> offers guests an immersive dining experience where philanthropy and culinary creativity take center stage. The first round was last <strong>Monday<\/strong>, and the finale is now scheduled for <strong>Tuesday, February 24<\/strong>. Check out who the winners were in week 1 and see what the next round entails. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.overflowinghands.org\/c4k-indexhome\" 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, including competing chefs as well as tickets, 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 <strong>Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina<\/strong> is looking for caring friends to&nbsp;become <strong>Monthly Sustainers<\/strong> of the <strong>Food Bank&nbsp;<\/strong>to help respond to the ever-increasing demand for food assistance. When you partner with them monthly, you help ensure that healthy, nutritious food can reach people in need all year long. In fact, your monthly gift of: <strong>$25 can provide 75 meals per month<\/strong>; <strong>$35 can provide 105 meals per month<\/strong>; <strong>$50 can provide 150 meals per month<\/strong>; <strong>$100 can provide 300 meals per month<\/strong>. <strong>Plus, with your monthly commitment of $25 or more, they\u2019ll send a special tote bag your way.<\/strong>&nbsp;And when you carry it, you are reminded of all you make possible for your neighbors through your consistent generosity! <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/R?i=XMTDzjwd75UjVviRGJ5j6G-FRiJn9oKCk552LiX5oqjmyiO5KxWcLg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Become a Monthly Sustainer here<\/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-4426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4426","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=4426"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4435,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4426\/revisions\/4435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}