Friday Fun Food Facts - October 22, 2010

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

• If you live near Ten Ten & Kildaire Farm Road listen up. We've learned that a new frozen yogurt shop, My Berry Frozen Yogurt Café, has leased the space vacated by Fresh Fruit Boquet in Stonebridge Village and is expected to open by February of next year.
  
  
• Thanks to the N&O's Sue Stock, we can report two new restaurants in Cary. Starting Tuesday, you'll have another option to get your "Chicken 'n Biscuits" fix at the newest location of Bojangles, which is located at 3023 Winston Hill Drive.
  
  
• Also in Cary, Bombay Beijing, which specializes in a fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisines, recently opened at 1026 Ryan Road, which is just off Walnut Street near Cary Towne Center.
  
  
• Sue Stock also informed us that the old Hardee's store at the corner of Durant and Capital Boulevard in North Raleigh/Wake Forest will become a Dunkin' Donuts-Baskin Robbins later this year. I'm trying to decide which is worse for the old heart...
  

• If you've gotten tired of chasing the Only Burger truck around the Triangle, relax. This past week Only Burger opened up a brick-and-mortar shop in the recently renovated Hope Valley Square shopping center on Shannon Road in Durham. Same menu as the truck, and they have beer! Keep up with them via their facebook page or follow them on Twitter.
  
  
• Saw a tweet this week from Dickey's Barbecue Pit that the Raleigh location (170 East Davie Street) is nearly open. Remember, this is the location in the first floor of the new Progress Energy building almost directly across from Raleigh institution - Cooper's Barbecue. Looks like downtown Raleigh is getting ready for an old-fashioned "showdown."
  
  
• Fullsteam Brewery will help launch a new Triangle food concept on October 28th at its 726 Rigsbee Avenue location in downtown Durham. Look for the official launch of Farmhand Foods' Sausage Wagon (ok, it's really a truck) at the popular brewery. Sausage Wagon is a concept that connects North Carolina's pasture raised livestock farmers with local food lovers, restaurants and retailers. For more information as well as keeping up with the wagon's whereabouts, visit their website.
  
  
• Morrisville will get a gaggle of new restaurant options by this time next year. Last week the town broke ground on the 100-acre, 375,000-suqre-foot, Target-anchored Park West Village shopping center at the intersection of Cary Parkway and Chapel Hill Road. The food line-up in the center right now includes: Travinia Italian Kitchen, New Japan Express, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Zoe's Kitchen and Ruckus Pizza. The first phase will be completed by this time next year.
  
  
• Hardee's, founded 50 years ago in Greenville, NC, will be giving away 50,000 sausage biscuits this weekend at the ECU v. Marshall football game. The "kicker" is that a selected attendee must nail a 25-yard field goal. If it goes through the uprights, everyone at the game will leave with a coupon for a free sausage biscuit! If not, I'm afraid that poor individual might not make it out of Greenville alive!
  
  
• Scratch, Durham's (becoming more and more) famous bakery has made the headlines again. This time the bakery is featured in Travel & Leisure's list of America's 14 best pies. Congrats to Phoebe! They suggest that her "pie to try" is her Shaker Lemon Pie. See the article here.
  
  
• Raleigh's Bella Monica won Open Table's 2010 Diners' Choice Awards for Best Italian Cuisine - they were one of 50 in the United States. Congratulations! Bella Monica is located on Edwards Mill Road in the Old Raleigh Village shopping center. Visit their site here.
  
  
• Looking for something "foodie" to do this weekend (if you've already been to the State Fair)? Durham Magazine is partnering with 14 downtown businesses and restaurants for a day of food, drink, live music and shopping! Bright Lights, Bull City in the Brightleaf District will be held Saturday from 2-6 pm. Participating restaurants include 604 West Morgan Italian Eatery, Alivia's Durham Bistro and Pop's. Click here for coupons to enjoy while you are there!
  
  
• The Feed Your Brain event is this Saturday from 7-11 pm Saturday in Chapel Hill. The event, which raises money for the American Brain Tumor Association, will feature foods and beverages known to promote brain health from red wine, coffee and green tea to lentils, blueberries and almonds. Beverages will be provided by 3Cups, and food is being provided by Lantern, Sandwhich, Neal's Deli and Crook's Corner. Tickets cost $50. The event will be held on the fifth floor of the Greenbridge in Chapel Hill. For more information and to buy tickets, go to their site.
  
  
• If you've got a wedding/special event coming up and/or you've never been to The General Store Café in historic downtown Pittsboro before, this Sunday might be the time to go. From 4-8 pm, they'll be hosting a Garden Party to showcase both their indoor and outdoor space. They'll have plenty of food available to sample as well as several vendors that will be on hand. The event is free and open to the public.
  
  
• If you've never been to Saxapahaw, this is the reason to go! The little town situated on the Haw River in Alamance County (about 10 miles west of Chapel Hill) will hold it's annual Octoberfest celebration from 4-9 pm tomorrow. There will be live music, a farmer's market, Fullsteam Brewery on hand, as well as food from Vimala's Curryblossom Café and of course, the Saxapahaw General Store. More information here.
  
  
• Mobile cupcake bakery DaisyCakes is trying to expand its operations by opening a brick-and-mortar space - but they need a little help to do so. They've published an "online" drive to help raise the necessary $20k for equipment and the initial upfit - with a cute little video. If you're a fan of DaisyCakes and want to help, check out the video to see how you can!
  
  
• Somebody's turning 1! To celebrate their one-year anniversary, Peppers Market & Sandwich Shop is hosting a final Thursday evening event this Thursday which will feature a wine tasting and live music from 6-9 pm. Peppers is located at 2107 Grace Park Drive in the Grace Park development.
  
  
• North Raleigh's Taylor's Wine Shop is holding a barbecue fundraiser from 11 am -3 pm Saturday (October 23). A plate will set you back $8, but proceeds will benefit Community HOPE, a program that connects volunteer mentors with high-risk students from low-income neighborhoods for weekly mentoring session.
  
  
• The Weathervane in A Southern Season in Chapel Hill is serving up a five-course dinner at 7 pm next Wednesday featuring beers from Duck-Rabbit Brewery (based in Farmville, NC). Tickets cost $45 without tax or tip. For a reservation, call 929-9466.
  
  
• Zely & Ritz four-course dinner featuring Fullsteam Brewery held earlier this week was so successful, they've scheduled a second one for anyone that missed it. It will be held next Thursday. The meal begins at 7 pm and costs $49 per person. To make a reservation, call 828-0018.
  
  
• Don't feel like cooking for Thanksgiving? Well, you better move quickly to make sure you don't find yourself in the kitchen that morning. The Angus Barn is taking reservations for its annual Thanksgiving Day Buffet on November 25 from noon-6pm! Some of the featured items include turkey and gravy, prime rib, roasted pork loin, poached salmon, Walter's macaroni and cheese, assorted vegetables, gourmet mixed green salad, fresh baked rolls and, of course, their homemade desserts! Pricing is: 4 & under- Free; 5-12 -$20; 65 & over-$29; everyone else-$45 (plus tax and 18% gratuity). Call 919-781-2444 for reservations.
  
  
• Lucky 32 restaurant, with locations in Cary and Greensboro, just released their new menu - "Fall For Us Again." It features pork belly, fried quail, Cheerwine Cake and Chili. Definitely worth a visit.
  
  
• If you love Mimi's Café, then you're going to definitely want to click on this link - a month's calendar of discounts at the popular café. Mimi's has two Triangle-area locations - Walnut Street in Cary and Plantations Center Drive in Raleigh.