{"id":4654,"date":"2026-05-22T06:30:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T10:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4654"},"modified":"2026-05-22T06:51:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T10:51:26","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-may-22-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4654","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; May 22, 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>The <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> reported this week that months after the restaurant <strong>Mandolin<\/strong> closed along the edge of the Hayes Barton neighborhood (2519 Fairview Rd.), <strong>La Victoria Cocina Mexicana<\/strong>, with a location in Cary, will open their second location in that spot. <strong>La Victoria<\/strong> is a sister restaurant to <strong>La Buena Vida<\/strong>, <strong>Fonda Lupita<\/strong> and <strong>Tacos Number Juan<\/strong>, all part of the fast-growing local <strong>JalMex Hospitality Group<\/strong>. Look for them to open this fall. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavictoriamex.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><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>Looking for hand crafted cocktails, curated whiskeys, fine wine, champagne, craft beer or artisanal mocktails? Well, your spot just opened in the heart of Apex. <strong>Aqua Vitae<\/strong> is in soft open mode at 2701 Lawnview Lane. No food just yet, so strictly a liquid diet. Thanks to reader <strong>Brad Borges<\/strong> for this tip. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apexaquavitae.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>Over in Cary, <strong>Mike DePersia<\/strong> of <strong>DePersia &amp; Associates<\/strong> tipped me off to the fact that the former <strong>Dame\u2019s Chicken and Waffles<\/strong> space in the Bass Pro Shop Shopping center on Harrison Avenue will soon be home to a full serve Indian concept called <strong>Spice Trail<\/strong>. They will remodel and plan to open in a few months. Stay tuned. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And just when one cookie place closes (see below), another growing, at least that is what <strong>David McCreary<\/strong> shared with me with the announcement that <strong>Insomnia Cookies<\/strong> is officially expanding to Cary! The popular late-night bakery is opening a location at 107 Edinburgh South Dr, Suite 141 in MacGregor Village shopping center. No word on an open date. <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><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over in Holly Springs, <strong>David McCreary<\/strong> shared with me that <strong>Flying Biscuit Cafe<\/strong> will open on <strong>June 1st<\/strong> in <strong>Oakview Commons shopping center<\/strong> at 161 Oakview Commons Drive, Suite 105. They&#8217;ll be serving up breakfast, brunch and lunch with a Southern twist. This will be the 6th Triangle-area location for the chain out of Georgia. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flyingbiscuit.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 Flying Biscuit 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>You may have heard that the Triangle&#8217;s location of <strong>Andretti Indoor Karting &amp; Games<\/strong> opened recently. You may now be asking why I mention it here. Well in addition to their super fast karts and arcade games, they have a pretty impressive food and drink menu. I&#8217;m talking chicken &amp; rice bowls, flatbreads, tacos, burgers and a full menu of shareables. Finish it off with cocktails and craft beer (after you finish driving of course and before you jump in your Uber). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/andrettikarting.com\/durham\/eat-drink\" 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 the 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><strong>Chapelboro<\/strong> reported this week that <strong>Crumbl Cookies <\/strong>has closed its Franklin Street location after just over three years in business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And more news that our dessert options are dwindling &#8211; <strong>Mike DePersia<\/strong> shared that after a 13-year run, <strong>Dairy Queen<\/strong> in Morrisville has closed. <\/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 remaining dates from noon to 4 p.m. &#8211; <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 them. <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><strong>NC Sugar Rush<\/strong>, a dessert-only event, is taking place this <strong>Sunday, May 24th<\/strong>, at downtown Raleigh&#8217;s <strong>City Plaza<\/strong> from noon until 6 p.m. Come out and enjoy six hours of sugar like no other with an event dedicated solely to your sweet tooth. Italian Ice, Pineapple Smoothies, Funnel Cakes, Ice Cream, Popsicles, Cookies, Cupcakes, Cookie Dough, Vegan Treats, Beignets, Mini Donuts, Belgian Waffles and much more (even treats for pets). <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ncsugarrush.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 all the sweet 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 <strong>Downtown Cary Park<\/strong> along with the <strong>Cary Farmers Market<\/strong> is hosting a high-end dinner at the park on <strong>Sunday, May 24th<\/strong> called <strong>Gather: A Seasonal Supper<\/strong>. Tickets are $150 and guests will enjoy hors d\u2019oeuvres and cocktails from <strong>Flour &amp; Barrel<\/strong> and <strong>Side Door Cocktail Bar<\/strong>, a wood-fired main course by <strong>Jake Wood<\/strong> of <strong>Lawrence Barbecue<\/strong>, and breads and desserts by <strong>Christopher McLaurin<\/strong> of <strong>Lutra Bakery<\/strong>. All of this is set inside the beautiful <strong>Gathering House<\/strong> inside the park. Dietary restrictions and allergies can be accommodated. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/downtowncarypark.com\/things-to-do\/calendar\/r_EVEN0046_001\" 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><strong>Boatman Spirits Co<\/strong> has partnered with several Raleigh restaurants and bars to launch the <strong>Local Spirit Cocktail Competition<\/strong>, a series of friendly cocktail contests across downtown Raleigh designed to highlight North Carolina spirits. The next one will be at <strong>7 p.m. on Sunday, May 24<\/strong> at <strong>Longleaf Swine<\/strong>. Beyond <strong>Boatman<\/strong>, the participating businesses include <strong>Mala Pata<\/strong>, <strong>William &amp; Company<\/strong>, <strong>Transfer Co. Food Hall<\/strong>, <strong>Foundation<\/strong> and <strong>Longleaf Swine<\/strong>. The rules are simple: whoever is hosting the contest does not compete but gets to choose a local spirit that must be used in the cocktails and a unique house rule for that event. Five bartenders will compete, including <strong>Aaron Lambert<\/strong> of <strong>Boatman Spirits Co.<\/strong>, <strong>Hope Levinson<\/strong> of <strong>Mala Pata<\/strong>, <strong>Doug Wheeler<\/strong> of <strong>Transfer Co Food Hall<\/strong>, <strong>Patrick Dunmire<\/strong> of <strong>Foundation<\/strong> and <strong>Nolan Ruhmke<\/strong> from <strong>William &amp; Company<\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatmanspirits.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 Boatman 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 <strong>Sunday, May 31<\/strong>, chef <strong>Saif Rahman<\/strong> will welcome <strong>Aaron Salita<\/strong> and <strong>Conor Delaney<\/strong> of <strong>Crawford &amp; Son<\/strong> to <strong>Peregrine<\/strong> for a <strong>Kamayan Dinner<\/strong>. If you are not familiar, it is a Filipino tradition where food is laid directly on banana leaves, shared without utensils, eaten together. This evening honors <strong>Salita&#8217;s<\/strong> Filipino heritage and the bond he shares with <strong>Rahman<\/strong>; two immigrants who have spent their lives in kitchens, who both speak the language of live fire and the joy of feeding people well. In the spirit of Kamayan, they have reimagined a tradition \u2014 the whole-roasted pig becomes a whole lamb on the spit, a bridge between Filipino communal feasting and <strong>Saif&#8217;s<\/strong> Muslim and South Asian roots. The $175 fee includes the feast as well as three beer\/cocktails. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peregrineraleigh.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 Peregrine 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 for <strong>Raisin\u2019 The Roof<\/strong>, the opening event in this year\u2019s <strong>Chefs for Change<\/strong> fundraising series benefiting <strong>Families Moving Forward<\/strong>, Durham\u2019s primary emergency shelter for families with children. The 2026 mixer will take place on <strong>June 4th<\/strong> at 6 p.m. at <strong>ReCity Network<\/strong> in Durham (112 Broadway St.). This lively community gathering will have a retro block party feel and feature small plates prepared by celebrated local chefs, including <strong>Seth Gross <\/strong>and <strong>CeCe Lopez <\/strong>of <strong>Bull City Burger and Brewery<\/strong>; <strong>Aaron Louv<\/strong> of <strong>NanaSteak<\/strong>; <strong>Serena<\/strong> and <strong>Toriano<\/strong> of <strong>Boricua Sou<\/strong>l; <strong>Rahul Nikam<\/strong> of <strong>Viceroy<\/strong>; and introducing<strong> Riche<\/strong> and <strong>Perry<\/strong> of <strong>Flaming Hills Hot Pot<\/strong>. Dessert will be provided by <strong>The Parlour<\/strong>. Guests will enjoy an evening of incredible food, interactive games and activities, and a live DJ set by DJ NABS. Tickets are just $60 and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/fmfnc.org\/tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">can be purchased 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> for 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>For thousands of kids in central and eastern North Carolina, the last day of school won\u2019t be the happy event you and I remember. There\u2019s a quiet struggle going on in their homes. Their parents are trying to navigate low wages, high housing and medical costs, and rising food prices \u2014 amid cutbacks to federal food assistance.&nbsp;<strong>The end of school breakfast and lunch programs for the summer could bring them to a crisis point.<\/strong> More of our neighbors have already been turning to the <strong>Food Bank of Central &amp; Eastern North Carolina <\/strong>and our partner agencies lately. We expect those numbers to grow once school is out. Summer can be a tough time for kids facing food insecurity \u2026 but it doesn\u2019t have to be, when we work together. Thank you for helping kids spend their vacation playing and growing!&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/secure.foodbankcenc.org\/site\/R?i=rr6NP0KIiPUa79GbXE61vtxyeXQWPGpXegzBIYqaNWztNkhzY-szEQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Make This a Hunger-Free Summer<\/mark><\/strong><\/a>.<\/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-4654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4654","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=4654"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4665,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4654\/revisions\/4665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}