{"id":4520,"date":"2026-03-20T07:27:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4520"},"modified":"2026-03-20T07:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:27:17","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-march-20-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4520","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; March 20, 2026"},"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>You might recognize these names: <strong>Cheetie Kumar<\/strong>, <strong>Paul Siler<\/strong>, <strong>Angela Salamanca<\/strong>, <strong>Marshall Davis<\/strong> and <strong>Justin Pasfield<\/strong>. You&#8217;ll recognize them from <strong>Ajja<\/strong>, <strong>Garland<\/strong>, <strong>Neptunes<\/strong>, and <strong>Kings<\/strong>; Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recipient <strong>Mala Pata<\/strong>, <strong>Ex-Voto<\/strong>, <strong>Centro<\/strong>, <strong>Gallo Pel\u00f3n<\/strong> and <strong>Patty Boy<\/strong>; as well as <strong>Locals Seafood<\/strong>. Well, they&#8217;ve all come together to create <strong>Big Cat<\/strong>, a multi-concept restaurant, full bar and market featuring day-to-night offerings and essentials for Raleigh\u2019s East Mordecai, Oakwood, and surrounding neighborhoods, nestled on the corner of Brookside Drive and Glascock Street. They will begin accepting reservations next week on <strong>March 25th<\/strong>. <strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> This <strong>Saturday, March 21<\/strong>, from 11 &#8211; 4, they&#8217;ll host some of North Carolina&#8217;s finest culture producers in art, music, food, beverage, film, photography, architecture, and design at <strong>Pop Cat at Big Cat<\/strong>. <strong>Locals Seafood<\/strong> and <strong>Mala Pata<\/strong> will be popping up with food on the patio, while <strong>Big Cat<\/strong> serves drinks and soft serve ice cream for all ages. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bigcat.brookside\/\" 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<\/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>The <strong>News &amp; Observer<\/strong> reported this week that a concept called <strong>Biddy Thomas<\/strong> is set to open this spring next to <strong>Union Special<\/strong> at 2409 Crabtree Blvd. in <strong>Gateway Plaza<\/strong>. <strong>Margaret Soler\u2019s<\/strong> concept will blend a myriad of ideas under one roof. The retail section will feature gifts such as playing cards, stationery and desk calendars; the dining area will boast a caf\u00e9-style menu of sandwiches, salads, soups and homemade desserts, inspired by Southern cuisine and a nod to New Orleans; a game area, for guests to enjoy; and plenty of drink options featuring signature cocktails, beer and wine. The name is a nod to <strong>Soler&#8217;s<\/strong> grandmother. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/biddy.thomas\" 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 with their progress 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><strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> reported that <strong>Vino &amp; Tap <\/strong>will be taking over the old <strong>Cotton House<\/strong> location in downtown Cary. They will be serving curated wines, champagne cocktails, and rotating craft drafts in a warm, welcoming space. They are shooting for an opening the first week in April. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/vinoandtap\" 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 Facebook 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 a cool collaboration&#8230;.<strong>Cha House Wake Forest<\/strong> announced a new partnership with <strong>Knucklehead BBQ<\/strong>, bringing a bold, flavorful barbecue menu into its in-house dining experience. This collaboration marks a major step in enhancing <strong>Cha House\u2019s<\/strong> food program, blending its signature beverages with authentic North Carolina barbecue. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/chahouseusa.com\/cary-cha-house-locations\" 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>.  <strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> A food sampling of these new and exciting offerings will be happening this <strong>Saturday, March 21st<\/strong> from 12-2pm at <strong>Cha House Wake Forest<\/strong>. Pro Tip 2: If you haven&#8217;t been to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.khdbbq.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Knucklehead BBQ in Mebane<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>, get there now&#8230;you can thank me later. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And if you live in Cary and have a sweet tooth, good news is on the way. Reader <strong>Zan Bunn<\/strong> noticed a sign for <strong>Insomnia Cookies<\/strong> in <strong>MacGregor Village<\/strong>. No word on a timeline. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insomniacookies.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 Insomnia 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>Carrboro will soon have a new option for enjoying your morning Joe. <strong>Bridge Coffee<\/strong> is opening soon at 203 N. Greensboro Street in a renovated house next to Fitch Lumber. Look for them to open in a few months. Follow along with the renovation progress and opening announcement <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bridgecoffeenc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">on their Instagram<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Back in February, we told you that chef<strong> Michael Lee<\/strong>\u00a0would be opening his seventh concept in the former\u00a0<strong>Plum<\/strong>\u00a0space at 501 Washington Street in downtown Durham. We now have the name of the Korean restaurant &#8211; <strong>M Hansik<\/strong>.\u00a0It was also disclosed that they are targeting a mid-May 2026 opening. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/m-restaurants.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 all of Lee&#8217;s concepts 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>Jaguar Bolera<\/strong> closed at <strong>Raleigh Iron Works<\/strong> after less than two years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Cary, <strong>Cary Downtown<\/strong> posted that <strong>Paris Bahn Mi<\/strong> permanently closed at 712 SE Maynard Road.<\/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 <strong>Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo<\/strong> continues in 2026 on these dates from noon to 4 p.m. &#8211; <strong>April 12<\/strong>, <strong>May 31<\/strong>, and <strong>September 27<\/strong>. At each event, you&#8217;ll find food and drink at over 30 food trucks as well as inflatables and family fun for all ages. The rodeos are hosted at <strong>Durham Central Park<\/strong> (500 Foster Street, Durham). Go ahead and mark your calendar for all three. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/durhamcentralpark.org\/events\/food-truck-rodeo-info\/\" 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>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>This is pretty cool. Heading to an event in downtown Raleigh? If so, stop by and see my friends at <strong>Whiskey Kitchen<\/strong> (201 W. Martin St.) where they have just launched a <strong>\u201cPre-Game with Whiskey.\u201d<\/strong> What is that? It&#8217;s pretty simple. If you show them a same-day Raleigh event ticket or pass (for any event like concerts, game or any downtown event) you get 10% off your meal. Told you it was cool. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whiskey.kitchen\/\" 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 Whiskey here<\/mark><\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Raleigh\u2019s <strong>Trophy Brewing Co.<\/strong> is celebrating its <strong>13th anniversary<\/strong> by hosting an all-day party on <strong>Sunday, March 22nd<\/strong>. The party starts at 11 a.m. and includes live music, including The Petty Thieves (1-3 p.m.), throwback pizzas and a special anniversary brew from the Foeders. <strong>Trophy Brewing &amp; Pizza<\/strong> is located at 827 W. Morgan St. in downtown Raleigh. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trophybrewing.com\/brewing-pizza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Visit Trophy 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 fourth annual <strong>Gettin\u2019 Piggy With It<\/strong> returns to downtown Raleigh on <strong>May 17<\/strong>, bringing award-winning chefs and pitmasters from across the country together for a day of barbecue, community and philanthropy benefiting the <strong>Frankie Lemmon School<\/strong>. Tickets go on sale at noon <strong>Friday, March 20<\/strong>. The family-friendly event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at <strong>Maywood Hall and Gardens<\/strong> (622 Maywood Ave., Raleigh) and will feature barbecue and other chef-driven bites, along with local beer and spirits, live music, games and more. The event is hosted by the <strong>Frankie Lemmon Foundation<\/strong> in partnership with <strong>Jake Wood<\/strong> of <strong>Lawrence Barbecue<\/strong> and <strong>Chris Powers<\/strong> of <strong>Trophy Brewing Co.<\/strong> VIP tickets are $200 per adult and includes early entry at noon. General admission tickets are $150 per adult with entry beginning at 1 p.m. Children ages 11 and under can admitted free. Proceeds benefit Raleigh&#8217;s <strong>Frankie Lemmon School and Developmental Center<\/strong>, which provides accessible education and therapies to children with and without disabilities, often at little to no cost to families. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/frankielemmonfoundation.org\/gettinpiggywithit\/\" 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>Tickets are on sale now for the <strong>2026 Dinner in the Meadow<\/strong> event on <strong>September 13th<\/strong> in Louisburg. The biennial event will be held at the beautiful and bucolic <strong>Meadow Lane Farm<\/strong> and is a fundraiser that supports the\u00a0<strong>Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund<\/strong>, a non-profit organization that helps small farms in North Carolina. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dinnerinthemeadow.org\/\" 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>Did you know that in North Carolina, 1 in 4 households led by single women live below the poverty line? That\u2019s nearly twice as many as the households led by single men with children. Hunger hits different for women. Economic challenges \u2014 from pay disparity to the rising cost of childcare \u2014 make it harder to keep growing kids fed. Our heart goes out to the moms of North Carolina who are wondering what to do as SNAP cuts loom. This <strong>International Women\u2019s Month<\/strong>, let\u2019s\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/R?i=nM9U9xM6-idH1FK2xfI9lu-Y2BXmV_MYonYzisP028s25kXffB5Egg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">show them that they can count on their community.<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> Some good friends have stepped forward with a $50,000 matching challenge gift, so any amount you give to the <strong>Food Bank<\/strong> by <strong>March 31<\/strong> has the power to DOUBLE! It\u2019s a terrific chance to stretch every dollar of your support while helping parents, seniors, and veterans stretch their budgets. In fact, if you\u2019re able,<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/R?i=e3haqIxo5I-t_ZGe6_3IhZMxBzkd9ZNeENAh7OZGB8eWsh6SEGaNlg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">this is a good time to make an especially generous gift<\/mark><\/strong><\/a><\/strong>, perhaps to honor a mom, grandma, auntie, or another woman who\u2019s stood in a mother\u2019s place in your life. It\u2019s simple to do when you donate.<\/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-4520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4520","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=4520"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4528,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4520\/revisions\/4528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}