TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

•   The Outer Bank’s much-anticipated Triangle edition of Duck Donuts opened yesterday in Cary at100 Wrenn Drive (next to Firehouse Subs and Chipotle). Follow them on their Facebook page here.

Wake County Restaurant News

•  It is out…the News & Observer’s listing of restaurants that are open on Christmas Day. As you might expect, reservations are highly recommended. Here is the list.

• And if you don’t feel like going out to eat, but don’t really want to spend all day in the kitchen, Raleigh’s Q-Shack is offering locally raised, all natural fresh turkeys, hams and brisket and meals packed for reheating. Pick-up is available in Raleigh and Durham. Get all the details here.

•  Hillsborough Street’s newest edition, State of Beer, opened for business this week at 401 Hillsborough Street. In addition to the beer, they offer a nice selection of salads and sandwiches. Check them out on Facebook here.

• The Triangle’s first 100% organic restaurant opens today in Poyner Village shopping center behind Triangle Town Center. Organic Festival will initially serve lunch and dinner, but plans on adding breakfast soon. Check them out here.

• Got word this week from reader Michelle Fleer that Sultan’s Deli, a Greek and Mediterranean deli, has opened at Beaver Creek Crossing in Apex (two doors down from the movie theater).

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza is holding its grand opening today (December 19th) in Park West Village in Morrisville. This marks the franchises first North Carolina location. Get all the details here.

• And down in Garner, the Triangle Business Journal is reporting a handful of new restaurant offerings when the White Oak Crossing shopping center is completed. Carolina Ale House, Longhorn Steakhouse, City Barbecue and Five Guys will occupy a good chunk of the development which is anchored by Cabela’s. Look for them to open in the middle of next year.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

•  Got word this week from my friends over at Taste Carolina that Scott Howell’s newest venture, a French eatery and bar called Bar Virgile, is now open and features former G2B chef Carrie Schleiffer at the helm! It is located in a rear annex to the former Citizens National Bank building at 102 E. Main Street. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• Saw in the News & Observer yesterday that Charlie Deal, owner of Dos Perros in Durham and Jujube in Chapel Hill, has opened Juju in the old George’s Garage space on Ninth Street in Durham. They bill themselves as an Asian tapas establishment. Get all the details here.

• The Triangle Business Journal is reporting this week that The French Corner Bakery, a new bake shop featuring artisan breads, cookies, muffins as well as a lunch menu, is now open at 2005 North Pointe Drive, Suite B, in Durham.

• Durham keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. Got the word this week that the beloved downtown Durham ice cream shop The Parlour will expand into the former Playworks space next door to add an additional 1,000 square feet. The expansion will allow the shop to serve more people, expand the menu, and accommodate events. The Parlour, which currently seats around 24 guests, will grow to seat almost 60. Get all the details here.

• And I saw on Twitter that Town Hall Burger and Bar is expanding their bar. The site says it will open the expanded side on January 1, 2015, but we are hearing it might open as early as next week. Get by and check it out. They are located across from the Streets at Southpoint, behind Bonefish Grill and Aldi. Check them out here.

Closings 

•  Saw in the News & Observer that the downtown Raleigh institution Sam & Wally’s has closed. But hopefully it is only temporary. They are looking for a new location. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• Got word from local news source New Raleigh that Jade Garden on Hillsborough Street closed suddenly last week. No word on whether or not they will reopen in a new location.

• Got word from The Triangle Explorer that the Ninth Street location of Market Street Coffee has closed. The Triangle Business Journal is reporting that a new juice and coffee bar is expected to open in that space by January 15.

• Thanks to the keen eyes of reader Sarah Armstrong, she noted that Mantra India Cuisne and Bar, formerly at 116 N. West Street in downtown Raleigh, has closed.

Food Trucks 

Food Bank Corner   

• The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is about 55% of the way to their goal for their Holiday Meals Drive and they need your help to reach their goal of raising $435,000 online before December 31, which would be enough to provide 2.17 million meals! Folks can donate, make a gift in honor of a friend or family member or host a holiday fundraiser. Perhaps your company can join in on this extremely worthy cause. Get all the details here.

•  Alright Triangle, let’s do this. Today is the last day to vote! Our very own dessert truck Not Just Icing is in a national competition to crown America’s best dessert food truck. As of this writing, we are just a few hundred votes out of first place. Let’s make this happen! Stop what you are doing for just one minute, click here and vote for them. How cool would that be? Do it! Click here now!

Wake County Restaurant News

• It is out…the News & Observer’s listing of restaurants that are open on Christmas Day. As you might expect, reservations are highly recommended. Here is the list.

• And if you don’t feel like going out to eat, but don’t really want to spend all day in the kitchen, Raleigh’s Q-Shack is offering locally raised, all natural fresh turkeys, hams and brisket and meals packed for reheating. Pick-up is available in Raleigh and Durham. Get all the details here.

• Got a note this week from Kelly Trimyer that the Outer Bank’s much-anticipated Triangle edition of Duck Donuts is slated to open in Cary (100 Wrenn Drive) towards the middle of next week. At this point they are just waiting on some final inspections. Follow them on their Facebook page where they will announce their official opening day once it is known.

• The News & Observer reported this week that Steve Adams, owner of Peak City Grill in Apex, has teamed up with Franz Propst, longtime chef at the restaurant, to open The Blistered Pig Smokehouse just down the street in the historic Tobacco & Mule Exchange Building (225 N. Salem Street). Love their slogan, “We Only Smoke The Good Stuff” – and they note that all their meat products are direct from the farmer and all are North Carolina grown and processed. Check them out here.

• Got word hat Smashburger is gearing up to open its second Triangle location, this one in Raleigh, on Wednesday, Dec. 17 in the Shops at Falls Village (6679 Falls of Neuse Rd.) in North Raleigh. Get all the details here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Monuts Donuts is officially open in their new location in Durham on Ninth Street in the old Magnola Grill spot (1002 Ninth Street to be exact). They are serving up hot donuts, Counter Culture espresso, bagels, biscuits and more! Get all the details here.

• According to the Herald-Sun, G2B Gastro Pub has reopened after adding a small-batch brewery and bringing on a new executive chef, Travis Robinson. Previously Robinson trained and gained experience at The Ritz-Carlton up and down the Eastern seaboard. Get a peek at some of the changes at their website here.

• Durham’s newest addition, The Boot (an Italian off-shoot of Geer Street Garden), has now opened their doors for lunch (they opened right around Thanksgiving for dinner). Anyway, check them out for lunch or dinner. The initial reviews are quite strong! They are located at 2501 University Drive. Check them out here.

Closings 

• We were sad to learn this week in the News & Observer that Pop’s, a 20-year-old institution in Durham, has closed their doors. But note that Pop’s Backdoor South, the pizzeria in Hope Valley Square, remains open.

Food Trucks 

Food Bank Corner   

• The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is in the middle of their Holiday Meals Drive and they need your help to reach their goal of raising $435,000 online before December 31, which would be enough to provide 2.17 million meals! Folks can donate, make a gift in honor of a friend or family member or host a holiday fundraiser. Perhaps your company can join in on this extremely worthy cause. Get all the details here.