Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- This isn’t really restaurant news but is something so cool (and restaurant related) that is important for everyone to know. The late Dean Smith has done yet something else that shows his true class and character. His estate left $200 to each of his former players to be used for “dining out.” How cool is that? A lot of those guys are still in and around the triangle, so hopefully we’ll see some of that activity here. Truly a class act. Thanks Coach!
Wake County Restaurant News
- The big news out of Raleigh this week was the “sudden” announcement that the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group’s 518 West in Raleigh will be closing after serving their last meal on April 5th. Get by between now and then to enjoy a meal. Word on the street is that they received an offer on the building they simply couldn’t refuse. Now the wait to see who bought the building. Lots of rumors swirling around that. Stay tuned.
- The News & Observer reported this week that Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen’s latest project, Death & Taxes and Bridge Club (which aren’t open yet) have scheduled a series of pop-up dinners in April in the new space. The dinners will feature some big-name chefs from here and elsewhere in the Southeast. Single tickets are $182. For tickets and all the details go here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News
- This is exciting news. The food truck blogger The Wandering Sheppard reported that KoKyu BBQ has opened a sandwich shop called Na’Mean (short for “Know What I Mean”) at 4823 Meadow Drive just off Highway 55 behind Papa John’s. Get all the details here.
- And continuing the theme of food trucks moving into brick and mortar, blogger The Wandering Sheppard reported this week that the food truck Gussy’s will move into the space formerly occupied by Baguettaboutit Café at 2945 Miami Blvd. They will be open for lunch and special occasions. Look for them to open May 1. Get more information on Gussy’s here.
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that True Flavors Catering Co. has opened True Flavors Diner in south Durham at 5410 Highway 55. The diner features “upscale yet familiar diner classics,” according to its website. Get all the details here.
- And Dos Perros in downtown Durham announced this week that they have stopped serving lunch during the week. They were quick to remind folks that they still have brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Get all the details here.
Closings
- Got the surprising news this week that after just over a year in operation, The Black House at Straw Valley in Durham has closed their doors. Will be interested to see where chef Adam Rose lands next.
- We confirmed this week via The Wandering Sheppard blog that after the passing of Baguettaboutit’s owner Chris Derby, the cafe located in RTP quietly closed its doors. The good news is the food truck is still in operation serving up baguettes and artisan sausages. Chris was one of the nicest people you would ever meet. I was lucky enough to have known him. My prayers and thoughts continue to be with his family.
- Got word from reader Wanda Callis that the TerraFin Station in Garner has also closed. Reader Sammi Hilliard confirmed that. No more TerraFin Stations.
- Sammi Hilliard also reported that Quail Corners Creamery has closed permanently. Hilliard suggested that a Rocket Fizz would be coming into that space.
- And finally, Sammi Hilliard also was the first to report that the food truck Wicked Biscuit has ceased operations.
Food Trucks
- Learned this past week about a new food truck headed our way called The Wandering Moose. Serving slow cooked meats and sauces from scratch, friends Anthony Reid and Matt Lundgren hope to have the truck rolling by mid April. You can bet we’ll keep an eye on this one. Get a sneak peek at them here.
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Cousins Maine Lobster, a food truck business launched in Los Angeles by two cousins from Maine (and featured on Shark Tank), is coming to the Triangle thanks to Deb and Greg Keller of Wake Forest. Keller expects to launch the truck in early April, and the menu will feature fresh lobster flown in from Maine in a variety of formats, including lobster rolls, lobster quesadillas and lobster tacos. Learn more about it here.
- Wake Forest will hold its first Food Truck Rodeo this Sunday, March 29th from noon until 4 p.m. at 405 S. Brooks Street in historic downtown Wake Forest. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.
- Food Trucks and Flowers – sounds like a great, and fun, combination. The third annual Fairview Garden Center Flora and Food Trucks series will feature the Triangle’s most popular and delicious food trucks. These events will take place on spring Saturdays, March 28 through May 23, 11:30 am until 2:30 pm at 8224 Holly Springs Rd. in Raleigh, North Carolina. Get all the details here.
- Get the schedule for the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo Series here. But also, the Early Bird VIP Wristbands are ready for those that want them. They will only be available March 25th – April 25th. The wristbands (limited number, and they WILL sell out) will get you into the trucks half hour before everyone else. Get them while they are available here.
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And not to be outdone by the bigger cities, Cary is jumping on the food truck rodeo bandwagon with their very own Chatham Street Chowdowns (they win hands down on the name!) scheduled for 2015. The first one is scheduled for April 19th. Feeling left out Chapel Hill? Get all the details and the full schedule here.
Events
- On March 31st, Lafayette Village’s Vinos Finos Kitchen and Wine Bar will host a pop-up wine dinner with guest chef Sarig Agasi. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. and will also feature live music. The cost is $70 per person, or $130 per couple. Get all the details here.
- Triangle residents can experience many of the sights, sounds and flavors of Lebanon at the 17th annual Lebanese Festival. This free, open-air event will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 at City Plaza in downtown Raleigh. You can get all the details on the Triangle Lebanese Association website here.
- This is kinda cool. I’m sure a lot of you are planning on attending the Southern Ideal Home Show when it hits Raleigh April 10-12. In a new tasty twist, each day breweries and wineries from around the area will partner with local restaurants and create unique food pairings for show guests to try in this Sip and Savor feature. Check them out on Facebook here.
- Taste The Event 2015 is coming up, but it is really more a series of events, with the Grand Taste Experience being held on Thursday, April 23rd at the Armory in downtown Durham, where you’ll experience over 20 dishes created by the area’s top chefs. There are other events surrounding this event. Get all the details here.
- And go ahead and mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25th to be in downtown Raleigh (City Plaza to be exact) for Brewgaloo – a festival celebrating craft beer…and they’ll have 50+ food trucks there. Get all the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- Did you know that the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina plans to distribute between 50 and 52 million pounds of food this year? That’s more than 140,000 meals a day! They expect their fleet of 19 trucks to travel over 500,000 miles to serve their 800 partner agencies and maximize their food donor partnerships. To do that, they are aiming to raise over $8 million in revenue and work with over 15,000 volunteers to keep the Food Bank running and expand service where possible. Can you help? Check out their web page for how you as an individual, or your company, can be part of the success.
