Friday Fun Food Facts - October 25, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

• The N&O’s Andrea Weigl reported this week that Salt and Lime Cabo Grill will be going into the former Amedeo’s North location in Raleigh's North Ridge Shopping Center next to the Harris Teeter. Salt and Lime will be a baja-style bar and grill concept with a “Cabo” flair. The restaurant hopes to open its doors sometime in December. Check them out on Facebook here.

Wake County Restaurant News 

• Weigl is also reporting that just down the road at 5009 Falls of the Neuse Road, a second location of locally-owned restaurant called TerraFin Station will take the place of Falls Tap Room which closed earlier this year. The restaurant will serve American fare with locally-sourced ingredients, including steak and seafood entrées. TerraFin Station currently has a location open in Garner. And Triangle Explorer John Huisman tipped me off to the fact that they will open on Monday, November 4th. Check them out here.

• And in that same shopping center, in the ever-changing world (or so it seems) with It’s a Grind Coffee House (remember the Cary location closing, and then reopening?) the North Raleigh location is no more and is now called DéJà Brew according to WRAL. It appears as if it is a chain, although we couldn’t find a web site.

• We knew the newest location of Chuy’s was slated for next month over at North Hills in Raleigh, but Twitter follower Robert Williams sent us a tweet confirming (via John Kane) that the opening date is November 12th! I can almost taste it now! Check them out here. 

• We also got word this week that North Carolina’s newest Dave & Buster’s location will open its doors to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Dave & Buster’s will be located in Cary Towne Center. Get familiar with this newest fun and interactive dining experience by visiting them here.

• The Twisted Fork at Triangle Town Center has reopened with a reinvented menu and dining concept. The new menu, which focuses on a fun and fresh dining experience, highlights your favorite American foods in a fun way. Check it out here. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• This is exciting news. Durham just got their second location of Los Comales. The original location at 2103 N. Roxboro Road has been joined by the newest location near Kroger and Total Wine along 15-501 on Southwest Durham Drive. According to the Chowhound blog, they opened their doors yesterday. I’ll be sure to swing by and check it out.

• According to the Herald-Sun, the former catering manager at Honey’s (which closed in August) is opening a new restaurant called Some Kind of Wonderful that will serve comfort food that will make you think of your grandmother. The restaurant is shooting for a November opening and will be located at 826 Fayetteville Street in the Phoenix Crossing Shopping Center.

• Baguettaboutit, the food truck that sells a variety of sausage-stuffed baked French baguettes, is opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Nov. 4. But just prior to the opening, they will hold a grand opening celebration on Nov. 1 from 5-8 that features, you guessed it, a food truck rodeo including Baguettaboutit, Sweet Traditions, Captain Poncho and American Meltdown. Baguettaboutit Cafe will be at 2945 S. Miami Blvd., behind Sheetz and Waffle House in the former Worth It Café location. Get more details here. 

• And if you know of a great location for a really cool café (Café LOVE to be exact) from the folks over at Triangle Raw Foods, please reach out to them. Apparently their original plans fell through and they are looking for a new location. Check out Triangle Raw Foods here.

Closings 

• Downtown Raleigh’s Pop Up Ice Cream Parlour confirmed this week on their Facebook page that November 3rd will be their last day of operations. No word yet on whether they will “pop up” somewhere else. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• We got word first through Chapel Hill Magazine, that Carr Mill Mall’s Panzanella restaurant would not renew its lease and will close their doors at the end of December. Panzanella is operated by Weaver Street Market. Sad to see them go after 14 years, but you still have a couple of months to get by. Do it! Check them out here. 

• And over in Cary, the Cary Citizen reported this week that the Corner Tavern has closed their doors.

Food Trucks 

• The folks over at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market are having a Haloween Pumpkin Party from 3:30 ‘til 6:30 and a Food Truck Rodeo from 7 ‘til 9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 30th. Food trucks included will be American Meltdown, Baguettaboutit, Foster’s on the Fly, Steel String Brewery and more. Get all the details here. 

• Here is a good "cause" to get behind. The good folks behind KoKyu have launched a Kickstarter Campaign for a brick and mortar location! Sign up here through Halloween to be on their mailing list for their campaign.  

Events 

• The annual Red & White Food and Beverage Festival is coming up on Tuesday, October 29th from 6-9 pm at The State Club in Raleigh. The event features NC State alumni who are chefs or are otherwise involved with restaurants, farms, breweries, alcoholic beverage companies and/or wineries. Ticket proceeds support Wine to Water. And as a perk, all Triangle Food Guy friends will get $5 off admission by entering “trifoodguy” at checkout. See, it pays to ready my stuff! Get all the details here. 

• Halloween and all of its fun is not just for the children - and that is what the folks at The Daily Planet Café want to make sure of. They will be hosting a Halloween-themed dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 30. All food served during the event will play off Halloween and will be monster-themed cuisine and cocktails. The cost is $50 excluding tax and gratuity and tickets can be purchased here. 

• If there is one way to bring Duke and Carolina together this time of year, it is beer. And the Washington Duke Inn is doing just that with a fun beer dinner planned with Carolina Brewery on November 6th. Executive Chef Jason Cunningham and Chef de Cuisine Murray Healy will present a four-course prix-fixe menu paired with limited-edition Carolina Brewery beers. Carolina Brewery will also unveil a brand new beer at this dinner. Get all the details and ticket information here. 

• Competition Dining's "Final Fire" is coming back to Raleigh November 20-23rd for the big showdown. The final event will feature the winners from earlier competitions in Asheville, Wilmington, Greensboro, Charlotte and of course, Raleigh. Tickets go on sale Oct. 30 but you can check out the brackets now.

• On Sunday, November 17th (from 1-4 pm) the good folks over at Sola Coffee Café in North Raleigh are throwing a “Thank You Raleigh Party” where they will be giving a free drink of choice to all their customers. Proceeds for those who choose to donate will go to Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem, a program for abused and neglected children in Wake County. Check out Sola here.

• Here is another great foodie event to get on your calendar - the March of Dimes Triangle Signature Chefs Auction on November 17 at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. Attendees will be able to sample signature dishes from top chefs from around the Triangle while bidding on great auction items/packages during our silent and live auctions.  Get all the details here.