Friday Fun Food Facts - November 5, 2010

• Firehouse Subs is now available for online catering orders throughout all of Raleigh, Garner, Chapel Hill and most of Durham. Visit their menu here. At Firehouse Subs, they cater to appetites, wherever they gather. Whether it's a party, an office lunch or a game-time feast - hearty subs piled high with the best meats, cheeses, and toppings around.
  
  
• I was in Wake Forest yesterday and saw the "Grand Opening" signs outside Newmoon Café at 2101 S. Main Street, across from the Wal-Mart. Turns out this is the "reincarnation" of Joe Leli, the original founder of Babymoon Café in Morrisville. Definitely worth a visit. Visit Joe online here.
  
  
• Sandella's Flatbread Café is having their grand opening today at noon at 2816 Erwin Road in Durham. Sandella's will be serving up soups, salads, paninis, quesadillas, grilled flatbreads, wraps, rice bowls and more! Click here (and scroll down) to get 50% off all food items.
  
  
• Last month, The Restaurant Group of Raleigh opened Tap City, a restaurant and tavern in the former Stonewood Grill space on Falls of the Neuse Road in Raleigh across from North Ridge Country Club (between Moe's and Chick-fil-A). It has a steakhouse inspired menu with 32 beers on tap. These are the folks behind Village Draft House, Sawmill Tap Room, Falls Tap Room and Leesville Tap Room.
  
  
• In Cary, Marilyn's Pizza, known for baking your own customized pizza in stone ovens, recently opened. They also offer calzones, salads and homemade desserts! Visit Marilyn's Pizza at 2131 Kildaire Farm Road in the Saltbox Village complex.
  
  
• Here's a very cool new dining experience. The District at 410, the restaurant at the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham, is open for lunch Thursdays and Fridays through Dec. 17. The restaurant, located at 410 Blackwell Street in Durham's American Tobacco Warehouse District, is run by student chefs, so you are likely to get an amazing meal, relatively cheap, and all in the name of education! Reservations can be made from 11:30 -1:30 pm either online or by calling 919.317.3200.
  
  
• Last week we reported that Tommy's Deli on Ten Ten Road in Apex had closed and that something else was opening up. Well, turns out Tommy's Deli just changed ownership and will be retaining the name and the menu.
  
  
• There's a new food truck in the Triangle. Slippin Sliders features gourmet sliders made from fresh, local ingredients served all over the Triangle via a bright blue truck. Visit their website or follow them on Twitter.
  
  
• Rumor on the street is that the Old Havana Sandwich Shop is VERY close to opening. It will be located at 310 E. Main Street in downtown Durham. Their slogan is "putting the Cuban back in Cuban sandwiches" and the website confirms a November opening. Stay tuned!
  
  
• Looking for fresh, local produce for your Thanksgiving? You are in luck! All 5 Triangle farmers markets will be having special markets on Tuesday, November 23rd. And all the information is on one website.
  
  
• Who wants free coffee? Or should I say, who doesn't want free coffee!?! Well, mark your calendar for next Wednesday, November 10th as all Triangle locations of Bruegger's will be giving away free cups of coffee. Bruegger's is combining this event with an effort to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network, with monies raised locally going to Duke Children's Hospital. So, get a free cup of coffee and help a great cause. Sounds like a great idea to me!
  
  
• Speaking of coffee. I'll take a Grande Mocha with no whip...and a Budweiser. What? Apparently Starbucks is introducing beer and wine in one test location, with potential plans to roll it out to thousands of locations. Great, that's all I need, some guy spilling his beer on my laptop...
  
  
• Dewey's Bakery, known for their Moravian cookies and custom cakes, is in the process of opening their seasonal stores in the Triangle. The Cameron Village location (next to The Fresh Market) and the Crabtree location (near Macy's) have already opened. The Cary Towne Center location (in front of Macy's) and the Triangle Town Center location (lower level in front of Macy's) will open November 15th.
  
  
• Another local bakery is getting some national exposure. Apex's Sweet Memories Bakery will appear on the Food Network Challenge on Sunday, November 7th at 8 p.m. where they competed in the giant wedding cake challenge. They created a six-foot-tall cake with the hopes of taking home the $10,000 purse! Tune in this Sunday to find out if they won!
  
  
• This Sunday, you can dine on some delicious barbecue while helping a good cause. Stop by Poole's Diner between 5:30 and 8:30 this Sunday and enjoy a heaping pile of barbecue with all the sides, dessert and Fullsteam Brewery craft beer. All proceeds benefit the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood. Tickets are $75 for adults; $35 for children. Tickets are limited. Phone orders can be made at 919.459.1611 or you can order tickets here.
  
  
• If you love Chipotle Mexican Grill, listen up. They are developing an Asian restaurant concept modeled after the Chipotle concept. Now here's the catch - they will open a single Asian-inspired restaurant next year but they haven't disclosed a location. Let's all hit them up here, and let them know we want it in the Triangle. Who's with me?
  
  
• The Stonecreek Village Shopping Center Fall Festival is this Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be lots of free food and drink as well as activities for your children. Stonecreek Village is located at the corner of High House Road and Davis Drive in Cary. For more information, click here.
  
  
• The 22nd annual RSVVP Day (Restaurants Sharing Ten Percent) in Orange County will be Tuesday, November 9th. On that day, eating breakfast, lunch, dinner or just popping in for a drink of snack will send 10% of your order to the Inter-Faith Council food programs. Click here for more information and a full list of participating restaurants.
  
  
• Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake. Need I say more? Hit up your nearest Chick-fil-A for this holiday gem! My kids and I knocked down one of these earlier this week and all I can say is, it is so worth it!
  
  
• Next Thursday, November 11th (Veterans Day), Chili's is paying tribute to our veterans and active military men and women by offering them a free entree (none of which are served in vacuum-sealed plastic bags, nor do they require hydration!).
  
  
• Downtown Durham's Revolution restaurant is offering a Gruet wine tasting this Monday, November 8th at 6:30 pm. The dinner will feature four small courses for $40. Reservations can be made by calling 919.956.9999 or visiting their website here.
  
  
• Café Helios' first beer dinner (featuring Fullsteam Brewery) has been rescheduled and it will be next Thursday, November 11th starting at 6:30 p.m. This is limited to 30 people, so get on the list early. Call 919.838.5177 to sign up for the $40 experience (plus tip and tax). More information here.
  
  
• Durham's Blu Seafood and Bar is offering their popular oysters and bubbles four-course dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 17th at 7 pm. The cost is $45 and reservations can be made by calling 919.286.9777 or by visiting their website.
  
  
• Alright folks, here is an amazing opportunity to try one of my favorite Triangle restaurants - Acme in downtown Carrboro. They'll be doing their Thanksgiving dinner (or supper) from noon until 8 pm. The three courses are only $27.95 per person ($12.95 per child). Think about it - would you rather cook, remember how to use the electric knife and wash a gazillion dishes? Or enjoy a true gem in the Triangle? Reservations at 919.929.2263.