{"id":4529,"date":"2026-03-27T04:27:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T08:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4529"},"modified":"2026-03-28T07:54:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T11:54:08","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-march-27-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4529","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; March 27, 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>There is no resting for <strong>Andrew Cash<\/strong>. His local coffee shop, <strong>Jubala Coffee<\/strong>, will soon open a second location at <strong>North Hills<\/strong>. They will be in the Main District at the base of 4114 Center at North Hills, between Alo Yoga and Gorjana. This is the fifth Raleigh location for <strong>Jubala<\/strong>, having most recently opened (last November) a location in downtown Raleigh in the Pendo building &#8211; which also doubles as a late-night spot,\u00a0<strong>Bar Marigold<\/strong> (which just opened last month). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jubalacoffee.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 Jubala 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>We start over in Apex where <strong>The Line<\/strong> reported that a new cafe called <strong>Popovers Cafe<\/strong> had their grand opening this week at 219 N. Salem Street in downtown Apex. Offering sweet and savory popover pastries, owners <strong>Mustafa<\/strong> and <strong>Juliette Ozturk<\/strong> have created a space that reflects so much of their family, both growing up (for instance, <strong>Juliette&#8217;s<\/strong> grandmother&#8217;s traditions) as well as current family (for example, their second-oldest son is the chef). Popovers are a pastry with a crisp exterior and a custard-like interior, with fillings ranging from sweet, like bourbon caramel apple, to savory, like spinach, sun-dried tomato, and gruyere cheese. Sign me up! <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/popoverscafe.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>Also in Apex, <strong>David McCreary<\/strong> shared that <strong>Foxtail Coffee Co.<\/strong> has just opened a second Apex location (the first located near downtown Apex). The new store is situated at 1451 Richardson Road, Suite 126, in the burgeoning <strong>Sweetwater Town Center<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/foxtailcoffeesweetwater\/\" 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>In North Raleigh, <strong>Nash &amp; Smashed<\/strong>, known for its Nashville-style  hot chicken and hand-smashed burgers, has signed a 10-year lease for its first North Carolina location at 5821 Poyner Village Parkway, Suite 101. They will occupy 1,575 square feet at <strong>Poyner Village<\/strong>, an open-air shopping center located across from <strong>Triangle Town Center<\/strong>. This is <strong>Nash &amp; Smashed\u2019s<\/strong> first entry into the North Carolina. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nashandsmashed.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>In downtown Raleigh, <strong>NC Triangle Dining <\/strong>reported that <strong>The Artist Lounge<\/strong> is coming soon to 122 S. Salisbury Street. It is an outdoor oasis&nbsp;with a relaxed vibe for artists to&nbsp;get inspired and boost their creativity. There\u2019s a luxurious pool, elongated fire pit, multiple lounge areas and a large bar fit with two beer taps and a cafe. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theartistloungeraleigh\/\" 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 the progress 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>Up in Wake Forest, <strong>Wake Forest Real Community Information<\/strong> page on Facebook noted that <strong>Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant<\/strong> (located at&nbsp;111 South White Street), which served Wake Forest for 26 years and closed for 2 years, is reopening soon under the name <strong>Las Mas Mexican Food &amp; Cantina<\/strong> after a complete remodel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Also in Wake Forest, Wake County\u2019s first&nbsp;<strong>Whataburger<\/strong>&nbsp;location opened yesterday (<strong>Thursday, March 26<\/strong>)&nbsp;near Wegmans. The Raleigh location will open&nbsp;<strong>Thursday, April 9<\/strong>&nbsp;on Six Forks Road near Costco. Not to be confused with&nbsp;<strong>What-A-Burger<\/strong>, NC\u2019s first&nbsp;<strong>Whataburger<\/strong>&nbsp;location opened in Charlotte last year, and 12 are now open across the state. Expect Texas-sized burgers, fries, patty melts, and more fast food faves. Plus, it\u2019s open 24\/7 for late-night cravings.&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/whataburger.com\/home\" 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>In Morrisville, <strong>Mike Depersia<\/strong> of <strong>DePersia &amp; Associates<\/strong>, shared that the <strong>Red, Hot &amp; Blue<\/strong> (1000 Market Center Dr., Morrisville) in <strong>Park West Village<\/strong> has been sold and will reopen as <strong>Dum N Grill<\/strong>, an Indian fusion concept. Their menu brings together aromatic biryanis, fire-grilled kebabs, comforting curries, and modern Indian favorites. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dumngrill.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>Out in Wendell, the <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> reported that <strong>Chris<\/strong> and <strong>Lauren Gass<\/strong>, who first opened <strong>Bellow Butcher Co.<\/strong> in October (at 8 N Main Street, Wendell), will open a soft-serve ice cream shop next door called <strong>Daughters<\/strong> in honor of their two daughters. The space was formerly home to the ice cream shop <strong>Creative Cone<\/strong>. Expect them to open in May. In the meantime, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bellowbutcher.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 Bellow 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>Located within <strong>Horseshoe at Hub RTP<\/strong>, <strong>Cheeni Indian Food Emporium<\/strong> will expand beyond its lunch-only service to offer dinner from 5-9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, with vegetarian, pescatarian and omnivore menus. Dinner service will begin <strong>April 1<\/strong>. Cocktail service also will start that evening. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheenidurham.com\/hours-and-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 Cheeni 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>My buddy <strong>Glenn Gillen<\/strong> shared that <strong>Proximity Brewing<\/strong> just posted on Instagram that they are closing their taproom in <strong>Old East Durham<\/strong> effectively immediately and will focus on wholesale. <\/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>The folks at&nbsp;<strong>Trophy Brewing<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Locals Seafood <\/strong>will host an<strong> Oyster Festival<\/strong>&nbsp;on <strong>April 12<\/strong> from 1 to 5 p.m. at <strong>The Bend Bar<\/strong> in downtown Raleigh. The celebration features NC&#8217;s best oyster farmers &#8211; 8 of the finest oysters farmers from Eastern North Carolina for a one day event. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.localsseafood.com\/news-and-media\/oysterfest-the-bend\" 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 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 are admitted for 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&nbsp;<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&nbsp;<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 <strong>DOUBLE!<\/strong> 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>&nbsp;<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-4529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4529","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=4529"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4550,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4529\/revisions\/4550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}