TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Learned from NC Triangle Dining that a new Italian spot has opened in downtown Durham at 104 City Hall Plaza called Convivio Restaurant and Wine Bar. They are currently in soft-opening mode. Owned by executive chef Paolo Gavazza and sommelier Giuseppe Cagnoni, it is a traditional and authentic Italian restaurant featuring dry aged, locally sourced NC meats and fish and the very best wines found locally and worldwide. Gavazza is an alumnus of Alma, one of the most prestigious culinary schools in Italy and worked for a Michelin Star Restaurant in Rome. Cagnoni has 20 years of restaurant experience including owning restaurants in Miami and San Francisco. Get to know them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• This is it. Who is ready for the opening of Andrew Ullom’s Union Special Bread retail location in the redeveloped Gateway Plaza off Crabtree Boulevard? This is opening weekend! How good will it be? Let’s put it this way, his closing time isn’t a set hour. His closing time is “sold out.” In other words, they will be open as long as the goodness is around. In further words, get there EARLY! On Saturday, check-in around noon to see what is available for the 2 p.m. blow out. And Sunday morning, the madness begins at 8 a.m. until…well, you know, everything is gone! Bread, pastry, cookies, Counter Culture Coffee on the drip and Slingshot Coffee on the keg. Their Facebook page is likely the best way to keep up.

• Got word this week that following the recent openings of O-Ku Sushi and Oak Steakhouse in downtown Raleigh, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group is excited to announce continued expansion in the Triangle with its Italian concept Colletta. It is expected to open in 2021 at Fenton in Cary and will be the second location with the original location north of Atlanta in Alpharetta, Georgia. Drawing influence largely from Northern Italy, Colletta Cary’s cuisine will put a twist on treasured classics while introducing modern culinary techniques with the changing seasons. Menu highlights will include housemade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, cheeses and other hand-crafted ingredients. It is the latest restaurant to call Fenton home, joining Ford Fry’s popular Tex-Mex concept Superica and Scott Crawford’s newest steakhouse Crawford Brothers. Get familiar with them here.

• The summer pop-up fun continues through the summer where you can get a sneak preview of kō*än at their sister restaurant so*ca in Cameron Village! Follow them on Instagram here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• In Chapel Hill, got word from the Burgeoningbaker (Twitter) that a concept called Hawkers, featuring Asian street fare, is coming to University Place. The owners were inspired by their travels to Asia and memories of growing up, craving the unapologetic flavors of true Asian food-dumplings with bounce, spicy curries, crisp pork belly, etc. When in Asia, they knew the best dishes were on the streets from hawker stalls, thus the name. This is the second North Carolina location and the first in the Triangle (other NC location is in Charlotte). Get familiar with the Orlando concept here.

• And one final note from Chapel Hill, if you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own burger joint, we learned from Neal DePersia at National Restaurant Properties that Buns Burger and Fries, which has enjoyed over nine years of success on Columbia Street near the intersection with Franklin Street, is up for sale. Check out their website for details.

• On a recent outing in Durham, noticed that a Tandoori Bites Indian Kitchen is moving into the Dickey’s BBQ spot in the New Hope Commons shopping center at 5311 New Hope Commons Drive. They also have a location in Wilmington. Sign is up and it looks like a lot is happening inside. I was told the are targeting the first week in September for an opening, so stay tuned. Check out their Facebook page here.

Closings

• Spike’s Hot Chicken in Carrboro (also formerly the Meatball Shoppe) has closed. The new owner is redecorating and said it’s going to be a Thai restaurant soon. Thanks for the tip Julie!

Food Trucks 

• Got word from reader Stephen Head that there is a new food truck that has been sighted mostly in and around Chapel Hill called Mike’s Vegan Hotdogs. Most of the time you can find them at 102 Merrill Mill Road near the intersection with W. Franklin Street. Check out their Facebook page here.

• Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is back up for the season. The event is held the third Thursday of the month from April through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.

• The remaining two dates for the 2019 Durham Food Truck rodeos are September 1 and November 3! Get all the details here.

• And the remaining two dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo are: Sunday Oct 6th – 12-6pm; and the make-up date on November 10th. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.

Events

•  Here is an event we can get behind. On Saturday, August 10th the town of Morrisville will change its name to S’Morrisville as they honor and enjoy the delicious snacks made famous at campfires everywhere. This event takes place all over S’Morrisville with activities at four different sites. There will be music, games, t-shirts to win and, of course, lots of s’mores to enjoy. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

• The Downtown Raleigh Alliance shared this week that the dates have been set for the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week which will be held August 12-18. Go ahead and mark your calendars. Here is their website which will be updated with additional details and participating restaurants as we get closer to the date.

• Underground Kitchen, the popular Richmond, Va.-based experiential dinner series, returns to Raleigh August 24 to debut its new food tour, “The New Americana.” Raleigh-based Lemar Farrington will be the featured chef for the evening. If you are not familiar with UGK, it is a one-night-only event, held at an undisclosed location (location is shared a few days before), featuring up-and-coming chefs and creative, multi-course dinners with wine pairings. The menu is kept secret until the night of. Oh, and it ALWAYS sells out, so act quickly. Get tickets here.

• The third annual Savor the Triangle Food Festival produced by Mix 101.5 will again be held at the Kerr Scott building at the NC State Fairgrounds this year on Wednesday, September 18th from 6-9 p.m. Savor the Triangle Food Festival is a culinary event with the opportunity to sample many of the Triangle’s most delicious foods and drinks all in one place. Get all the details and early bird discounted tickets here.

• It was recently announced that one of Chatham County’s largest food festivals, the 12th Annual Pittsboro Pepperfest, is returning to main street in downtown Pittsboro. The date for this year’s event is Sunday, September 22 from 3 – 6 p.m. So go ahead and mark your calendar to spend your afternoon in historic, downtown Pittsboro. Get all the details here.

• This is it. Your last chance. I’ve been touting this amazing event that Colleen Minton dreamed up 10 years ago and now we are at the 10th and FINAL Terra Vita Food & Drink Festival in Chapel Hill October 16-19, 2019. Yep, you read that right. This is the grand finale. There will be no more. And heed my last (and final) warning – tickets will not last. If you’ve never been – GO! If you’ve been, don’t miss the last one. If you don’t know, it is a multi-day celebration that brings together top chefs, food artisans, sommeliers, baristas, brewers, educators, distillers, cookbook authors and industry luminaries from across the Southeast to celebrate culinary excellence and sustainability in food and drink. Get tickets and details here on all the events that week.

• On Sunday, November 3rd, more than 30 of the Triangle’s finest restaurants will be paired with world-class wines at the third annual Sip + Savor – A Wine, Food and Music Experience.  Sip + Savor will showcase 30+ culinary all-stars, sommeliers, on-stage experience with live music, VIP lounge, and more. Get all the details and tickets here.

Food Bank Corner

•  Looking for a way your office can make a direct difference in people’s lives? But time is limited? We’ve got the perfect answer for you – coordinate an office-wide Virtual Food Drive! Forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store for your next food drive… “Shop” with the Food Bank through our Virtual Food Drive and maximize your donation times ten! For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide $10.00 worth of food or five meals. Over half a million people in the 34 counties we serve struggle with food insecurity. You can make a difference in your community by hosting a Virtual Food Drive for your friends, family members or coworkers. It is simple! Get all the details here.

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

Featured Restaurant News

• This week, Sean Umstead and Michelle Vanderwalker opened the highly anticipated Kingfisher in downtown Durham. At this intimate cocktail bar located next to The Durham Hotel at 321 East Chapel Hill Street, Umstead takes a chef’s approach, elevating North Carolina’s fruits and vegetables to star status, and artfully serving them in Vanderwalker’s hand-thrown ceramics. From one-of-a-kind ground-to-glass cocktails, hand-cut ice, farm-driven small plates, and a cozy interior in “America’s Foodiest Small Town,” Kingfisher is a refreshing reflection of the couple’s North Carolina home. Get familiar with it here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• The folks over at Offline Raleigh shared that, In addition to Moore Square opening this weekend (Saturday, August 3rd), Square Burger, the cafe inside the park, will be serving their first customers. Coming to us from Empire Eats Restaurant Group, it will feature a menu of burgers (that are actually square), hot dogs, milkshakes, and fries, plus a few healthier options. They’ll even have wine and beer that can be enjoyed on their patio. Think of it as Raleigh’s version of Shake Shack in Madison Square Park! Check it out here.

• Can you smell it? We are somewhere inside a month for the opening of Andrew Ullom’s Union Special Bread retail location in the redeveloped Gateway Plaza off of Crabtree Boulevard in the Woodcrest neighborhood. As you will remember, Ullom was executive pastry chef at Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants. Initially the retail shop will open serving breakfast and lunch and continue to serve meals into the afternoon and sell loaves of bread to take home for dinner. Later, a dinner service may be added. Thanks to Ruth Stanton for the update. A tentative date of August 17 is on the table, but follow Andrew’s Instagram account to get the latest and final word once that date is officially set.

• The folks over at the ITB Insider shared the news that Rush Bowls will be making its way to the ground floor of the Sir Walter apartment building at 400 Fayetteville Street (think former Chick-fil-A). The eatery recently held a grand opening celebration for its Hillsborough Street location. No word yet on an open date. Get familiar with their other Raleigh location here.

• Heard from Chana Lynn over at RaleighWhatsUp that there is a new bottle shop called Beach Shack Bottles & Taps coming soon to 6300 Creedmoor Rd in the shopping center at the corner of Lynn and Creedmoor roads. Their goal is to try and duplicate the same laid-back feel they get when they are in a Beach Shack on an island, but with more beer and wine choices. Looking to open sometime late September to mid October. Keep up with their progress and opening date on their Facebook page here.

• Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing shared the news that after a few weeks of testing brunch menu items (can’t believe I didn’t get called in to do a little taste testing), they are swinging open their full-on brunch menu beginning this Sunday, August 4. Doors open at 10 a.m. Check them out here.

• Over in Cary, the newest version of BurgerFi opened this past Saturday in front of Crossroads Plaza. This is their third location in Wake County and second in Cary. Visit the Cary Crossroads location here.

• And down in Garner, reader Amy Brewer tipped us off to the fact that there is a new coffee shop coming to Garner called How’s it Bean? It will be located in the Timber Crossing shopping center between Food Lion and the new Big Ed’s (217 Timber Drive). Looks like the build-out has just begun. Keep up with their progress on their Facebook page here.

• The summer pop-up fun continues through the summer where you can get a sneak preview of kō*än at their sister restaurant so*ca in Cameron Village! Follow them on Instagram here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• David “Flip” Filippini has opened his newest Kokyu joint at 245 E. NC Hwy. 54 (near Southpoint) in the former Cure Deli & Cafe spot. The new joint features some throwback classics to get your food truck fix – DuckFat Tot, Fish TaKo, Truck Sliders, etc. It also features an entire wall with a pour-your-own beer, wine and Kombucha taps. Visit their website here.

• Got word from Amber Watson over at Bites of Bull City that the new Korean fried chicken place, Chicken Bee, located on Ninth Street is in soft-opening mode this week. Can’t exactly tell when they are going to begin “regular” hours, so check in with their Facebook page to get the latest.

• Some interesting developments along Chapel Hil’s Elliott Road. On the ground floor of the Berkshire Apartments, the once-closed Living Kitchen is making a comeback. Saw a banner up as I drove by yesterday that they will be re-opening soon. A closer look indicated quite a bit of renovation work going on inside. That’s the good news. The bad news is that closer look also revealed a “Stop Work Order” from the friendly Town of Chapel Hill Inspections office. Uh oh. I’m sure it is just a temporary delay. So stay tuned! Visit their website here.

• With this came the news that the Raleigh location of Living Kitchen at 555 Fayetteville Street has closed. Didn’t see that coming. They also have a location in Charlotte.

• And just a few doors down, on the ground floor of the Berkshire Apartments, a new watering hole called The Casual Pint is on the way – where their mission is to share the craft beer experience in the neighborhood, one pint, one growler and one person at a time. They tout that they are a fun spot with an upscale, yet casual family-friendly atmosphere much like a coffee shop, with a focus on craft beer. Tim Coynesmith, “coffee” soon? Get to know them here.

• And over in Mebane, the latest Chick-fil-A in the area opened yesterday (Thursday) in a stand-alone building at 1311 Mebane Oaks Road. Congrats to owner/operator Todd Perkins. Visit their Facebook page here.

Closings

• Reader Chad Barringer shared the news with us this week that Growler USA in downtown Raleigh (314 S. Blount Street) has closed.

• The Raleigh location of Living Kitchen (555 Fayetteville Street) has closed (re-opening the Chapel Hill location on Elliott Road).

Food Trucks 

• Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is back up for the season. The event is held the third Thursday of the month from April through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.

• The remaining two dates for the 2019 Durham Food Truck rodeos are September 1 and November 3! Get all the details here.

• And the remaining three dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo are: THIS WEEKEND, Sunday August 4th – 3pm-9pm (Evening Rodeo); Sunday Oct 6th – 12-6pm; and the make-up date on November 10th. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.

Events

• Today and tomorrow (August 2 & 3) is the 10th Annual Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. In a nutshell it is two great days of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbeque eatin’. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. Get all the details and ticket information here. 

• On Saturday, August 3rd, the Raleigh and Cary locations of Sassool will host a birthday celebration for Cecilia “Sassool” Saleh, the restaurant’s namesake. In her honor, they will celebrate with their customers by having lots of special meal options, sampling of new retail products and plenty of dining fun! Sales for the day will be donated to Fill Your Bucket List Foundation that grants financial support to adults with cancer in order for them to create lasting memories with those they love. Get details on their event page here.

• The ladies at Mofu Shoppe are celebrating 2 years! And they want you to join them on Sunday, August 4th – now pay attention, because there are two parts/events. The first part is a volunteer meal packing event in the morning from 10 am to noon where they will pack 10,000 meals with Rise Against Hunger. Following that, they will have a day party – a big luau themed bash including: Pig picking; Viet Cajun Crawfish/Crab Boil; Drink Specials all day; Indoor Summer time Boodle Fight; Frozen Sake/Kombucha drinks; Cakes/Desserts/Fresh fruits; and more! You must buy a ticket to enjoy the party/food in the afternoon, but the morning meal packing event will be open to everyone who wants to come donate their time and efforts! Ticket proceeds and sales during the day party will go towards funding the morning meal packing event. Here is the Eventbrite link with all the details.

• Also on Sunday, August 4th from 6-9 p.m. at Market Hall in downtown Raleigh is the second annual Federation Feeds, a fun foodraiser for Jewish Family Services that provided over 3,300 nutritious meals for children, families, and older adults living with food insecurities in 2018. Federation Feeds pays tribute to the culinary excellence of local restaurants within our community during this special evening, restaurants present their signature dishes for the tasting while guests enjoy interactive activities, silent auction, cash bar, and music. Tickets are $54. Get tickets, a list of participating restaurants and all the details here.

• Here is an event we can get behind. On Saturday, August 10th the town of Morrisville will change its name to S’Morrisville as they honor and enjoy the delicious snacks made famous at campfires everywhere. This event takes place all over S’Morrisville with activities at four different sites. There will be music, games, t-shirts to win and, of course, lots of s’mores to enjoy. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

• The Downtown Raleigh Alliance shared this week that the dates have been set for the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week which will be held August 12-18. Go ahead and mark your calendars. Here is their website which will be updated with additional details and participating restaurants as we get closer to the date.

• The date was released this week for the third annual Savor the Triangle Food Festival produced by Mix 101.5. This year’s event will again be held at the Kerr Scott building at the NC State Fairgrounds on Wednesday, September 18th from 6-9 p.m. Savor the Triangle Food Festival is a culinary event with the opportunity to sample many of the Triangle’s most delicious foods and drinks all in one place. Get all the details and early bird discounted tickets here.

• It was recently announced that one of Chatham County’s largest food festivals, the 12th Annual Pittsboro Pepperfest, is returning to main street in downtown Pittsboro. The date for this year’s event is Sunday, September 22 from 3 – 6 p.m. So go ahead and mark your calendar to spend your afternoon in historic, downtown Pittsboro. Get all the details here.

• This is it. Your last chance. I’ve been touting this amazing event that Colleen Minton dreamed up 10 years ago and now we are at the 10th and FINAL Terra Vita Food & Drink Festival in Chapel Hill October 16-19, 2019. Yep, you read that right. This is the grand finale. There will be no more. And heed my last (and final) warning – tickets will not last. If you’ve never been – GO! If you’ve been, don’t miss the last one. If you don’t know, it is a multi-day celebration that brings together top chefs, food artisans, sommeliers, baristas, brewers, educators, distillers, cookbook authors and industry luminaries from across the Southeast to celebrate culinary excellence and sustainability in food and drink. Get tickets and details here on all the events that week.

• On Sunday, November 3rd, more than 30 of the Triangle’s finest restaurants will be paired with world-class wines at the third annual Sip + Savor – A Wine, Food and Music Experience.  Sip + Savor will showcase 30+ culinary all-stars, sommeliers, on-stage experience with live music, VIP lounge, and more. Get all the details and tickets here.

Food Bank Corner

• While some kids daydream about trips to the pool and neighborhood games, others are worried summer will mean months with an empty fridge. But thanks to our generous corporate sponsors, you can help twice as many kids facing hunger this summer: Every gift you give before July 31 will be doubled – up to $102,500! That means that every $10 you give will be doubled to help provide 100 meals for children and families losing access to school-provided meals this summer. Double your donation today!