Friday Fun Food Facts - September 24, 2010

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

• It appears as if Noodles & Company will be opening their fifth Triangle location in November. The new location will be in the former Camille's Sidewalk Café location in Briar Creek in Raleigh. The other Triangle locations include: Crossroads Plaza in Cary, West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, The Pavilion in Durham and Cameron Village in Raleigh.
  
  
• Downtown Raleigh is getting another sushi restaurant. Sushi O opens next week in the Glenwood South District (222 Glenwood South) and will also serve Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese.
  
  
• Yogen FrUz has opened their first North Carolina location at North Hills in Raleigh. They will be having their "Grand Opening" celebration this Saturday from 10-10 with free t-shirts, yogurt samples and more.
  
  
• The Shish Kabob restaurant located in downtown Raleigh's City Plaza is expanding with another location next month. The store's second location will be in Pinecrest Pointe in North Raleigh at 9101 Leesville Road.
  
  
• It looks like the swinging doors at the Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon in Raleigh will swing no more. The Raleigh location is one of 19 locations across the country that recently closed. The Durham, Knightdale and Clayton locations remain open.
  

• Over in Cary in South Hills Mall there is some letter-changing going on. Huh? The Triangle's last K&S Cafeteria was sold to employees Sylvester and Diane Smith and is now D&S Cafeteria (their initials). Aside from the initials, pretty much everything stays the same.
  
  
• We reported a few weeks back that Sauced Pizza in the Glenwood South District in downtown Raleigh is under new ownership. Word now is that the restaurant is getting a bit of a face-lift to go along with that. The good news is that the restaurant remains open during this improvement process. Check it out!
  
  Looking for some fun stuff to do this weekend?
  
  
• The Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro is holding their annual Oktoberfest Celebration this Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. There will be kids' activities in the afternoon (kids bounce house, clown and magic, face painting and a dunking booth) and live music in the evening beginning at 7 p.m. Plus beer and brats all day. Admission is $5 and includes a token for one beer or food item. More details here.
  
  
• Durham's Guglhupf Cafe is also hosting an Oktoberfest with a twist - Rocktoberfest - a live performance by the German rock band, Die Nierentische. The event will be from 4-10 p.m. this Saturday on the cafe's outdoor patio. Enjoy this festive day with delicious cuisine, paired with outstanding beers and wines. Get more information here.
  
  
• The Anugus Barn is hosting a complimentary wine tasting in the Wild Turkey Lounge this Sunday (Sept. 26th) from 3:30 - 5 p.m. Call 919.787.3505 for more information.
  
  
• This Saturday four area farmer's market will participate in the Triangle Farmer Foodshare Challenge - each market is trying to collect 1,000 pounds of fresh, locally grown food. Participating markets are: Carrboro Farmers' Market, Durham Farmers' Market, South Estes Farmers' Market and Western Wake Farmers' Market. So, head out this Saturday and "buy a bunch and give a bunch!" More information here.
  
  
• Triangle Uncorked is this Saturday, September 25th from 2-6 pm at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre. Taste hundreds of wines from around the world for just $25 ($35 day of event). If you want access to the VIP tent, high-end wine tastings and free appetizers, those tickets will cost $75. For more information go to their site. All proceeds benefit The Frankie Lemmon Foundation and the North Raleigh Rotary Club.
  
  
• It is fall (unless you step outside into the heat), which is a time for new menus for many area restaurants. Two to note here: Southern Rail next to Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro has released a new menu featuring new entrees as well as new sandwiches, starters and desserts. Now open for lunch and dinner, it is worth a visit to check out Chef Mark's new creations.
  
  
• And in downtown Raleigh, Sono chef and owner Mike Lee has crafted a new lunch and dinner menu, which debuted this week. Sono is located at 319 Fayetteville Street in the heart of downtown Raleigh.
  
  
• And if it is fall, it means the North Carolina State Fair is just around the corner! So, coat your stomach with Pepto-Bismol and head on over to see what is being deep fried this year! And to help out a great cause at the same time, make plans to attend on Thursday, October 21 for the annual Food Lion Hunger Relief Day. Just bring four cans of Food Lion brand food to the Fair and your admission is covered and you've helped the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina.
  
  
• Fall also means corn mazes. And at Ken's Korny Corn Maze, if you bring 4 cans of corn, you get ½ off admission - all while benefiting the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina. Get more information on the corn maze here.
  
  
• Here's another beer dinner you don't want to miss. Zely & Ritz will hold a beer dinner on Wednesday, October 13 featuring brews from Durham's very own Fullsteam and desserts from Raleigh's Crumb. For reservations, call Zely & Ritz at (919) 828-0018. Zely & Ritz is located at 301 Glenwood Avenue.
  
  
• In Fearrington Village, the Old Granary will host an "Evening Out Dinner Series" on Wednesday, September 29th! These popular three-course dinners are $30 per person, $45 with wine pairings. Reservations can be made online or at (919) 542-2121.
  
  
• Ruby Tuesday is offering up their popular BOGO coupon (buy one, get one). Max of $10. Get it here.
  
  
• Uncle Fatty's in Raleigh's Cameron Village has a new coupon ($3 off any entrée). Get it here. It is good through the end of this month.
  
  
• Get your TGI Fridays coupon for half off appetizers. These coupons are good through this weekend.
  

• CiCi's is back at it just in time to help with the time crunch that hits all families as school cranks back up. Their popular $3.99 all-you-can-eat buffet deal runs from September 22 - October 3. More information here.
  
  
• There's a coupon out for all you can eat soup and salad at Mimi's Cafe restaurants for the flat price of $7.99. It's good through Oct. 1. To get the deal, you have to print the coupon and bring it to the restaurant.
  
  
• You've heard the rumors. And they are true. Quizno's has six new $5 Large Toasty sandwiches on their menu. And to encourage you to give them a try, here's a coupon - $1 off a regular and $2 off a large.