Friday Fun Food Facts - August 20, 2010

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

• As the summer winds down, and the heat retreats into the fall, outdoor dining is again something people are seeking. And if you live in Raleigh (or at least dine in Raleigh) here is a cool new site that rates outdoor dining experiences at area restaurants. A great resource before you head out for your Friday night dining experience.
  
  
• Downtown Raleigh restaurants are celebrating Restaurant Week NEXT WEEK - Monday, Aug. 23 to Sunday, Aug. 29. Participating restaurants will offer a three-course meal for either $20 or $30. Click here for a complete list of restaurants and to see their menus.
  
  
• If you are a Wolfpacker and have said Chapel Hill is full of cupcakes, we'll, you'd be right tonight (but only tonight). Tonight from 7-9 pm the Horace Williams House will host the town's best bakers for the 2nd Annual Cupcake Festival. Enjoy samples of the area's best cupcakes and live music for only $5 (kids 12 and under are free). The Horace William's House is at 610 E. Rosemary Street and you can get more information here.
  
  
• This could be one of the most interesting openings of a Krispy Kreme in recent memory. Krispy Kreme, which will open next Wednesday on Franklin Street (directly across the street from the return of 25,000 starving college kids), will be offering the first person in line a dozen donuts a week for a year. And persons 2-100 will receive a dozen donuts a month for a year. In addition, those lucky 100 people will also get a Carolina Blue Krispy Kreme T-shirt. With last year's basketball season, this may be the "camp out" event of the year in Chapel Hill!
  
  
• If you are a fan of Popeyes, we've got good news. Popeyes has confirmed another Triangle location (aside from the one at RDU) will open in November. Signage seen in the window seems to indicate that it will be in the former Hardee's at the corner of New Bern Avenue and Trawick Road in Raleigh.
  
  
• Café Helios on Glenwood South in Raleigh continues to prove itself as so much more than just a coffee shop. The latest proof of that is the release of its new Fall 2010 menu. Check out their new menu here. Lunch and dinner are served from 11:30 am to 10 pm. Of course, breakfast and coffee are still offered from 7 - 11 am.
  
  
• Across the street, we have confirmed that Sauced Pizza in Glenwood South was recently sold. In a "tweet" from the new owners, "same slices you love, a renewed focus on a great customer service experience and an expanded menu coming soon!" Apparently there had been some serious "customer experience" issues under the previous owners. Sauced Pizza is located at 410 Glenwood Avenue.
  

• Rumor has is that Chef Maurizio Privilegi, who was most recently the head chef at Caffe Luna, will be opening a new Italian restaurant in the warehouse district of Downtown Raleigh. We'll keep our eyes and ears open as more information becomes available.
  
  
• The Noodles & Co. stores in Cameron Village and Cary are hosting Family Fun Nights on Tuesdays in August. During the events, from 5 to 9 pm each Tuesday, children under the age of 12 receive a FREE small bowl of noodles. The Cameron Village store is at 403 Daniels St., Raleigh, and the Cary store is in Crossroads Plaza, 200 Crossroads Blvd.
  
  
• Cameron Village's Uncle Fatty's has a coupon for $3.00 worth of food or drink (not valid on beer or wine) with any purchase of $5.99 or more. Sounds like a half-off coupon to us! Hurry, it expires today! Get it here.

• The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) will be holding the 5th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm tour on Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 18 and 19th from 1-5 pm on both days. This year's tour will have a record twenty-four sites, including eight new farms! The cost is $25 per car (so see how many people you can pack into one car!). Get tickets online here.
  
  
• Not to be outdone by their friends over on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough Street in Raleigh now has a location of The Pita Pit at 2908 Hillsborough Street, near the intersection with Dixie Trail.
  
  
• Also in Raleigh, Little Caesar's opened at the corner of Glascock Street and Raleigh Boulevard.
  
  
• Morrisville has a couple of new dining options. The Dim Sum House opened at 100 Jerusalem Drive (that's the same strip mall as Babymoon Café). Dim sum is the equivalent of Chinese tapas (think small plates / appetizers).
  
  
• The other Morrisville announcement is that Martin's Curry Rice will open tomorrow at 9549 Chapel Hill Road - that's the same strip mall as Danny's BBQ & Bear Rock Café.
  
  
• On Saturday the Morrisville location of Randy's Pizza (4129 Davis Drive) will be celebrating its 15th anniversary of the original store opening by rolling its prices back to 1995 levels. Store hours on Saturday are 11 am to 9 pm.
  
  
• Just down the road in Cary, Tribeca Tavern has been recognized as one of the top 50 kid-friendly restaurants in the nation by OpenTable, a leading provider of online reservations for diners. Tribeca Tavern is located near the corner of High House Road and Davis Drive in Cary and is part of the Rocky Top Hospitality family of restaurants.
  
  
• Over in Chapel Hill, Locopops closed its Franklin Street store at 128 E. Franklin Street this past Monday, but is now operating a cart on the UNC campus which can be found in The Pit near the bookstore.
  
  
• Carrboro's Panzanella restaurant is offering a dinner next Monday featuring dishes created from produce and animals raised on Eco Farm, which is run by John and Cindy Soehner in Chapel HIll. Panzanella's next farm dinner will feature Chapel Hill Creamery on September 27. More details here.
  
  
• Over in Durham, Old Havana Sandwich Shop is prepping for a fall opening at 310 E. Main St., just past Roxboro St. and the courthouse.
  
  
• Also in Durham, we mentioned the rumor a few weeks ago, but it is now confirmed that starting this week the West Village space occupied for a decade by Tosca will become 604 West Morgan Italian Eatery featuring Cinelli's Pizzeria.
  
  
• Durham's Piedmont restaurant has been bought by the Eno Hospitality Group, the folks behind Coon Rock Farm and Raleigh's Zely & Ritz restaurant. Andy Magowan, who owned Piedmont, apparently has plans to open a beer-garden/restaurant in Durham. Piedmont is located at 401 Foster Street in Durham.
  
  
• When the new terminal opens at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in January, you'll be able to enjoy Jason's Deli, Five Guys Burgers & Fries and gourmet market Flavours.
  
  
• From the "strap on the feed bags" file...The Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Bowl has returned for a limited time. $8.95 gets you unlimited access to 42 combinations of pasta and sauces as well as unlimited salad and breadsticks.
  
  
• TGI Fridays continues with their free $10 gift card but you better hurry as this "deal" ends this Saturday. All you have to do is order two entrees from their new Caribbean Summer Menu. Check out the details here.
  
  
• Chili's Grill & Bar introduced this week a $20 dinner-for-two promotion - which amounts to a shared appetizer and two full-size entrees. The offer does not include beverages or tax. Get more details here.