TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Featured Restaurant News

• Sean Umstead and Michelle Vanderwalker, owners of Durham’s Kingfisher Cocktail Bar, are flipping the concept inside out and introducing QueenBurger in Kingfisher’s backyard in mid-August. QueenBurger will serve “smash burgers” two ways – double stacked beef patties and house-made veggie (vegan) burgers with griddled onions, hoop cheese, Duke’s mayo and pickles — seared to perfection on an outdoor flattop alongside Umstead’s award-winning cocktails: pre-bottled, plus wine and beer. Fifteen percent of profits from QueenBurger will support we are, an anti-racist education organization based in Durham. Check out QueenBurger on Instagram here and we are here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Looking for outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

• On a recent drive around Raleigh, the lovely and talented Lori Lennard noticed signage for Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill coming to Crabtree Terrace across from Crabtree Valley Mall (4509 Creedmoor Road). This will be their first North Carolina location. No word on an open date. Get to know them here.

• The folks over at RalToday shared that Durham-based record store and taproom Hunky Dory will open its Raleigh location at Seaboard Station tomorrow. According to the new spot’s Facebook page, hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 pm. + Sunday, 12 to 6 p.m.

• Somewhat food related news, thanks to reader Jeanette Hauser we now know that the former Earth Fare location in Brier Creek will become the next location of Fresh International Market. It will be their seventh location in the United States, which originated in Lansing, Michigan. Get familiar with them here.

• Blogger EatRaleigh shared the news (and I confirmed on a recent drive-by) that Cutie Pies on Hillsborough Street is now open. The took over the old Raleigh French Bakery space at 1213 Hillsborough Street. Check them out here.

• And over in Cary, reader Kris Shuford shared with us that we are getting another Cha House, an Asian-inspired tea house, coming to the Shoppes of Kildaire on Killdaire Farm Road. They already have locations on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street and Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street. Get familiar with them here.

• This weekend (August 1) is the grand opening of The Lodge, located inside Cypress Manor at 1040 Buck Jones Rd. The Lodge will be Raleigh’s newest cocktail and music lounge where you can enjoy a constantly changing schedule of local and regional musicians while enjoying craft cocktails and draft beverages and a signature cast iron cuisine. They will be offering partial-capacity indoor dining, as well as a full to-go menu for pick-up or partnered delivery service. Check them out here.

• And over in Apex, Mike DePersia with DePersia & Associates tipped me off to a couple of new concepts. First up is Bonafide Bakeshop & Cafe has opened in the former Belgian Cafe spot at 1232 W. Williams Street. He also noted that Peak City Hots is under new ownership at 841 Perry Road. Check out Bonafide here and Peak City here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Thanks to Amber Watson at Bites of Bull City, we learned that Bull City Solera and Taproom, located in the former Chick-fil-A on University Drive, officially opened this past Monday, July 27th. The opening menu features Tex-Mex-style burritos, rotisserie chicken, a few sides, beer (without the taps), and soft serve ice cream. Bull City Solera and Taproom is the sister restaurant to downtown’s beloved Bull City Burger and Brewery and Pompieri Pizza. Get to know them here.

• Over in Carrboro, we saw on their Facebook page that Akai Hana will reopen next Wednesday, August 5th for curbside pick-up and patio dining. They just completed a project that leveled and renovated the patio, updated electrical work, and installed new flooring. Visit them here.

• Some great news coming out of Chapel Hill…After numerous pop-ups and their announcement that they were moving into the space at 505 W. Rosemary Street, Brandwein’s Bagels is very, very close to swinging open their doors as a permanent brick and mortar location. Follow them on Instagram for their pending announcement.

• And down in Chatham County, the Chatham Food Hub will begin operations on Wednesday, August 5. It will be a drive-through food court allowing you to safely buy food from multiple local businesses that you know and love. You will be able to buy special family-size meals and local produce through the Food Hub once a week. Your purchases will support the local economy and create jobs for Chatham County residents. CORA Food Pantry will also offer FREE food boxes through the Food Hub. Participants include: Rojo Canela, CORA Food Pantry, Ever Reach Farm, Root Cellar Cafe and Catering, Green Panda Farms, Compadres Siler City and Bestfood Cafeteria. Get all the details here.

Closings / Cancellations

• For the first time since World War II, and only the third time ever, the NC State Fair, originally planned for October 15-25 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, will not be held, due to coronavirus-related concerns.

• Jacqueline Atlas shared with the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Group that Lula’s, on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street in the former Spanky’s spot, shared on Facebook that they have decided to close. That also now means that all three food establishments on Chapel Hill’s most famous corner (intersection of Franklin and Columbia Streets) are now closed.

• And after moving their event twice, the 5th Annual Raleigh International Food Festival will not take place this year. Look for their return on June 5, 2021.

• Several members of the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Group confirmed that McAlister’s Deli in Durham off 15-501 (near intersection with I-40) has closed. They also confirmed that the Jimmy John’s across 15-501 next to Chipotle has also closed.

Food Trucks 

• Triangle on the Cheap shared the news that Food Truck Flix is a recurring event that combines drive-in movies with food trucks, for a safer entertainment experience just announced their schedule for the upcoming weekends (Friday and Saturday nights). The events will be taking place at Frontier RTP, 800 Park Offices, Durham, and at Focus Church, 7000 Destiny Drive, Raleigh. You can purchase tickets in advance for any of the drive-in movies. The price is $25 per car. Of course, you’ll also want to bring money for the food trucks. Get the movie schedule, purchase your pass and get all the details here.

• Up in Hillsborough, Eno River Farm (2127 St Marys Rd, Hillsborough) begins their bi-weekly food truck rodeos called Food Trucks on the Farm. The first was on July 22. You can stop by and grab a bite to eat, throw a blanket on the lawn, and top it off with their homemade ice cream! Don’t forget your mask! Get details here on their Facebook event page.

• Here are a couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks here and here.

Events

• If there is any good to be found in the pandemic (there really isn’t!) it might be the resurgence of drive-in and outdoor movies! Some are your traditional drive-in/car venues, while others are outdoor spaces in the grass with market off “spaces” maintaining safe physical distancing and some even involve watching a movie with babygoats! (I’m serious) Our friends over at Triangle On The Cheap have a great list of drive-in and outdoor movie options for you and your family. Of course, bringing food or ordering food on site makes it that much better! Check out their complete listing of options here.

• Raleigh’s Angus Barn continues the celebration of their 60th Anniversary with their Wine Cellar Dinner Part II August 7th-9th in their Wine Cellar. The five-course offering allows you to feast on the cuisine that made the Angus Barn legendary featuring the most iconic dishes from the Eures, Chef Walter, Ms. Betty and wines specially selected by their sommelier, Henk. The cost is $150 plus tax (inclusive of wine pairings and gratuity) and seating is limited. To purchase tickets call Nicole at 919-987-1270 or Tiffany at 919-987-1260.

• We learned from RalToday and Triangle on the Cheap that The Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill will be hosting Conversations in Philosophy each Thursday at 6 p.m., now through August 27. The free events will include discussions in philosophy plus farm-based beverages! Social distancing and masks are required AND dogs are allowed! If you’ve never been, this is a great reason to check them out. Visit them here.

• The Fest in the West is back for its fifth year on Saturday, November 7 from 11 am- 5 pm at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. The event features food & beer, music, arts & crafts, a KidZone, contests and a petting zoo. A great way to spend time with 7,000 of your closest friends. Admission is free! Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• A quick Covid-19 updated from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. source: https://www.uldiving.com/ live roulette online In the last fiscal year, which includes 4 months of crisis response, the Food Bank distributed nearly 92 million pounds of food, a Food Bank record. This equates to more than 75 million meals. It took an incredible amount of resources, support, and partnership to get this done. Thank you for being part of this monumental effort! In 4 months (March, April, May, June) the Food Bank had to spend $2.3 million to buy food in order to keep food going out to the community. That is more than twice our typical annual food purchase budget. Make a donation today here. #noonegoeshungry

Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Featured Restaurant News

• If there is any good to be found in the pandemic (there really isn’t!) it might be the resurgence of drive-in and outdoor movies! Some are your traditional drive-in/car venues, while others are outdoor spaces in the grass with market off “spaces” maintaining safe physical distancing and some even involve watching a movie with baby goats! (I’m serious) Our friends over at Triangle On The Cheap have a great list of drive-in and outdoor movie options for you and your family. Of course, bringing food or ordering food on site makes it that much better! Check out their complete listing of options here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Raleigh Convergence shared that Andia’s Homemade Ice Cream opened a second shop in East Cary at 1008 Ryan Road. Andia’s has a full menu of classic and creative ice cream flavors such as baklava, ube and rose pistachio. You can also pick up their pints to go at the new shop. Hours (for both shops) are 2-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 12-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 12-9 p.m. Sunday. Visit Andia’s here.

• Friend Keri McCauley shared with us that she saw a sign in the window of the place next to Bruegger’s on Cary Parkway (a few doors down from LaFarm) for a Catalan Tapas Bar. They will serve up small plate tapas-style food, as well as an incredible offering of wines, cocktails and N.C. craft beer on tap. No word on an open date. Follow their progress on Facebook here.

• On Buck Jones Road in Raleigh, got word from Chad Hyatt that they are about a week away (August 1) from opening The Lodge, located inside Cypress Manor at 1040 Buck Jones Rd. The Lodge will be Raleigh’s newest cocktail and music lounge where you can enjoy a constantly changing schedule of local and regional musicians while enjoying craft cocktails and draft beverages and a signature cast iron cuisine. They will be offering partial-capacity indoor dining, as well as a full to-go menu for pick-up or partnered delivery service. Get to know them here.

• Efrem Yates, owner and operator of Your Pie, a pizza restaurant franchise located in Cary, is opening a second location in Raleigh this week (website still says opening soon) at 6320 Capital Boulevard near Triangle Town Center. Get familiar with them here.

• WRAL shared the news this week that Plant Cakes Bake Shop owners Mark Deskus and Jess Reilly are opening their first brick-and-mortar location in a new building in downtown Wake Forest. They’ll be making desserts like cakes, donuts, cookies and even cinnamon rolls a reality for vegans and people with food allergies. The bakery is slated to open in October in the new PowerHouse Row building at 410 South White Street. In the meantime, get to know them here.

• Just last week we told you about the “official” closing of BurgerIM up in Wake Forest. This week Michael DePersia of National Restaurant Properties shared with us that a Pizza Hut is moving into that space. No word on an open date.

• And Starbucks lovers rejoice! Despite the news that Starbucks plans to shutter 400 cafes across the country, that is not necessarily the case here in the Triangle according to the Triangle Business Journal. The Seattle-based coffee giant is opening/will open: Midtown East, Raleigh (by Wegmans; opened in early April); Carraway Village, Chapel Hill (opened in mid-June); and Beaver Creek, Apex (will open this month). All three locations will have drive-thrus. Starbucks hasn’t announced which (if any) Triangle locations will close, but this is an indication that they are moving quickly toward “on-the-go” store models.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• WRAL reported that Saint James Seafood has reopened with a special menu focused on to-go orders. Dubbed Jimmy’s Dockside, the menu features a more casual version of their menu including peel and eat shrimp, lobster rolls, fried seafood, barbecue ribs and fried chicken buckets. Additionally, they are selling “Ready to Slurp” oysters by the half dozen (vacuum sealed with crushed ice) as well as curated wine, local beers and party bowl cocktail mixes! Pick-up is available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 4 to 8 pm. for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Curbside pickup orders can be placed online for contactless payment and curbside pickup at the restaurant. Check it out here.

• In Durham, we learned that Mohit Kishore and Tulshi Bhakar have opened Potbelly Sandwich Shop at 6815 Fayetteville Road inside the Renaissance Center, directly across from the Streets at Southpoint. The shop has significant outdoor seating available for up to 26 guests. Check out their new location here.

• Not exactly Durham news, but an opportunity to celebrate one of Durham’s own and their success/expansion. Durty Bull Brewing Company is opening a second location in Gastonia, NC’s FUSE District across the street from the new multi-use sports stadium at 126 S. Trenton Street. This second location, which will house a small brewing system showcasing experimental beers, will include a taproom and plentiful outdoor seating, a patio, on site kitchen, and stage. Congrats to their continued success! Visit them here.

Closings / Cancellations

• Reader Chris Creighton shared the news that the Firehouse Subs on Wrenn Drive in Cary has closed.

• And the rest of the closings were shared with us by Michael DePersia with National Restaurant Properties. Thanks Michael for always having your finger on the pulse of the restaurant industry!

• First up, The Brunch Box is Morrisville has closed their brick and mortar location. That is the bad news. The good news is they are moving their operation onto wheels in the form of a food truck! Follow them on Facebook for announcements here.

• Nekter Juice Bar in Raleigh has closed.

• The Triple Barrel Tavern (Garner location) has closed. Again, that is the bad news. The good news is they have their location in Fuquay-Varina still open! Visit them here on Facebook.

Food Trucks 

• Triangle on the Cheap shared the news that Food Truck Flix is a recurring event that combines drive-in movies with food trucks, for a safer entertainment experience just announced their schedule for the upcoming weekends (Friday and Saturday nights). The events will be taking place at Frontier RTP, 800 Park Offices, Durham, and at Focus Church, 7000 Destiny Drive, Raleigh. You can purchase tickets in advance for any of the drive-in movies. The price is $25 per car. Of course, you’ll also want to bring money for the food trucks. Get the movie schedule, purchase your pass and get all the details here.

• Up in Hillsborough, Eno River Farm (2127 St Marys Rd, Hillsborough) begins their bi-weekly food truck rodeos called Food Trucks on the Farm. The first is on July 22 from 5-8 p.m. and will feature Cilantro, Crispy Gyoza, Smokehouse Bandits and Street Fare. You can stop by and grab a bite to eat, throw a blanket on the lawn, and top it off with their homemade ice cream! Don’t forget your mask!

• Here are a  couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks here and here.

Events

• OK. Today (July 24) is National Tequila Day. Need I say more? Check out Triangle on the Cheap for some special deals and recipes (besides straight up shots!).

• Raleigh’s Angus Barn continues the celebration of their 60th Anniversary with their Wine Cellar Dinner Part II August 7th-9th in their Wine Cellar. The five-course offering allows you to feast on the cuisine that made the Angus Barn legendary featuring the most iconic dishes from the Eures, Chef Walter, Ms. Betty and wines specially selected by their sommelier, Henk. The cost is $150 plus tax (inclusive of wine pairings and gratuity) and seating is limited. To purchase tickets call Nicole at 919-987-1270 or Tiffany at 919-987-1260.

• We learned from RalToday and Triangle on the Cheap that The Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill will be hosting Conversations in Philosophy each Thursday at 6 p.m., now through August 27. The free events will include discussions in philosophy plus farm-based beverages! Social distancing and masks are required AND dogs are allowed! If you’ve never been, this is a great reason to check them out. Visit them here.

• The 5th Annual Raleigh International Food Festival has decided to move their event to Saturday, November 14th in the 100-200 block of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. While there you will be able to try authentic international food, desserts as well as  imported beer and wine! There will also be lots of music and entertainment at this child and pet friendly event. Admission is free and parking on the street is as well. Obviously, keep up with their Facebook event page for any announcements and/or rescheduling. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

• The Fest in the West is back for its fifth year on Saturday, November 7 from 11 am- 5 pm at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. The event features food & beer, music, arts & crafts, a KidZone, contests and a petting zoo. A great way to spend time with 7,000 of your closest friends. Admission is free! Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• A quick Covid-19 updated from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. In the last fiscal year, which includes 4 months of crisis response, the Food Bank distributed nearly 92 million pounds of food, a Food Bank record. This equates to more than 75 million meals. It took an incredible amount of resources, support, and partnership to get this done. Thank you for being part of this monumental effort! In 4 months (March, April, May, June) the Food Bank had to spend $2.3 million to buy food in order to keep food going out to the community. That is more than twice our typical annual food purchase budget. Make a donation today here. #noonegoeshungry