{"id":4667,"date":"2026-05-29T06:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4667"},"modified":"2026-05-29T06:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:46:14","slug":"friday-fun-food-facts-may-29-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/?p=4667","title":{"rendered":"Friday Fun Food Facts &#8211; May 29, 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 after months of planning and construction,\u00a0<strong>Botiwalla by Chai Pani<\/strong>\u00a0has an opening date at <strong>Raleigh Iron Works<\/strong>.\u00a0The highly anticipated restaurant from Asheville\u2019s James Beard Award-winning <strong>Chai Pani Restaurant Group<\/strong> is opening this coming <strong>Tuesday, June 2<\/strong>, at 4 p.m. at 2221 Iron Works Drive.\u00a0\u00a0Owners <strong>Meherwan<\/strong> and <strong>Molly Irani<\/strong> are stacking the menu with kebabs, paneer, lamb burgers and more as an ode to India\u2019s tea and kebab houses. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 80 people indoors and 30 on the patio.\u00a0The opening will occur ahead of the <strong>James Beard Awards<\/strong> June 15, where the\u00a0<strong>Iranis<\/strong>\u00a0are finalists in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/botiwalla.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>With June nearly upon us, that means one thing&#8230;we are inching closer to the opening of\u00a0<strong>Songbird<\/strong>, the new day-to-dusk bar by\u00a0<strong>Charlie Blue Arm<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Meg Paradise<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0<strong>Umbrella Dry Bar<\/strong> at\u00a0<strong>East End Market<\/strong>\u00a0(1020 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Ste. 130). The concept will feature a walk-up window, sit-down service, two intimate custom bars, and a lush patio and garden. The beverage line-up is extremely diverse as well as seasonal offering up alcoholic, low-ABV and nonalcoholic beverages, wines, small-batch spirits, coffee service (<strong>Willow House Coffee<\/strong>), and a tea program developed with\u00a0<strong>Tin Roof Teas<\/strong>. On the food front, look for shareable plates, larger dishes and desserts developed by <strong>Dave Mitchell<\/strong>, formerly of\u00a0<strong>Plates Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0and currently of\u00a0<strong>Longleaf Swine BBQ<\/strong>, who will serve as chef-in-residency for the first few months. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/songbird.nc\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Keep up with an opening announcement soon 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>News broke this week that <strong>Giorgios Epicurean Market (GEM)<\/strong> \u2014 the European eatery and gourmet market from restaurateur <strong>Giorgios Bakatsias<\/strong> \u2014 has permanently closed the location in <strong>East End Market<\/strong> and will soon be replaced by a new Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant called <strong>Casa Nama<\/strong> from the <strong>JalMex Restaurant Group<\/strong>. They are the team behind <strong>Gringo a Go Go<\/strong>, <strong>Chido Taco<\/strong>, and <strong>Yatai <\/strong>in downtown Raleigh as well as <strong>La Buena Vida<\/strong>, <strong>La Victoria Cocina<\/strong> and <strong>Tacos Number Juan<\/strong>. The new concept is expected to feature sushi, ramen, tacos, and more, with an opening targeted for late 2026. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/casanama_midtown\/\" 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 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&#8217;s Hillsborough Street is getting two new tenants according to the <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong>. First up will be <strong>Beignets &amp; Brew<\/strong> in the former home of <strong>Mulan Ice Cream &amp; Milk Tea<\/strong> in the <strong>Stanhope Apartment<\/strong> building. It is a franchise that features a menu that includes traditional and flavored beignets, croissants, specialty coffees, tea and more. No word yet on an opening date. And just down from that, Mexican-inspired chain <strong>Qdoba<\/strong> has signed a lease for a space at 2510 Hillsborough Street. Look for them to open by the end of the year. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beignetsandbrew.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Visit Beignets &amp; Brew here<\/a><\/mark><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qdoba.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Qdoba 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, the <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> reported this week that <strong>Desi Chowrastha<\/strong>, with locations across the country, is planning to make its North Carolina debut in Cary. The restaurant is opening at 2734 N.C. 55 in the <strong>West Park Place<\/strong> shopping center. The menu features a number of Biryani dishes, curries and much more. Stay tuned for an opening date.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.desichowrastha.com\/location\/cary\" 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>Also in Cary, reader <strong>Brannon Part <\/strong>informed us that <strong>Teriyaki Madness<\/strong> is coming to <strong>Parkside<\/strong> in Cary next to <strong>Hooky Entertainment<\/strong> at 1132 Parkside Main Street. If you are not familiar with them, you&#8217;ll find crave-worthy, customizable teriyaki bowls piled high with fresh ingredients, made-to-order when you order. They serve marinated, grilled chicken, steak, tofu or salmon with choice of rice or noodles and fresh, stir-fry veggies. This will be their second Triangle-area location with a location already in Wake Forest. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/teriyakimadness.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>We first shared this with you back in February, but reader <strong>Arthur Barham<\/strong> notified us that <strong>Duke\u2019s Kitchen &amp; Taphouse<\/strong>\u00a0in Fuquay-Varina is now open at 132 S. Fuquay Avenue in the former\u00a0<strong>Vicious Fishes Taproom &amp; Kitchen<\/strong>\u00a0space. It has the same chef, management and staff that was at\u00a0<strong>Vicious Fishes<\/strong>, but a new owner. Additionally, some of the old menu favorites like pimento cheese will be resurrected, and a full bar will feature domestic and craft beer on tap, ciders, seltzers and a solid wine section.\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dukeskitchennc.com\"><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>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 sixth 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><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Also in Holly Springs, the <strong>Triangle Business Journal<\/strong> shared that <strong>The Perch<\/strong> plans to open at 1125 McChesney Hill Loop later this summer. The cafe will serve coffee from California roastery <strong>Cat &amp; Cloud<\/strong> in addition to a wide array of sandwiches, baked items, salads and more. The business will also have an array of games and game tables. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Up in Wake Forest, reader <strong>Mark Cleveland<\/strong> shared with us that <strong>Charlie Darmetta<\/strong> and his team will soon open a <strong>Burrito Shak<\/strong> at the new <strong>Wake Forest Exchange<\/strong> development along Star Road and Capital Boulevard.  They had the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the development a couple of weeks ago. This will be there 18th location in North Carolina and third in the Triangle-area (Cary and Clayton). They had a location in Raleigh that was replaced by a <strong>Gym Tacos<\/strong>.  <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.burritoshak.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\">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\u2019s location of\u00a0<strong>Andretti Indoor Karting &amp; Games<\/strong>\u00a0opened 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\u2019m 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).\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/andrettikarting.com\/durham\/eat-drink\"><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>Chapel Hill&#8217;s brick-and-mortar location of <strong>The Latin Effect<\/strong> shared on social media that they have closed their location on W. Franklin Street. That is the bad news. The good news is that you can continue to enjoy their offerings via their food truck as it will still be cruising around the Triangle. Look for the truck on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/streetfoodfinder.com\/c\/nc\/chapel-hill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">@StreetFoodFinder<\/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>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>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-4667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4667","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=4667"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4677,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4667\/revisions\/4677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trianglefoodblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}