Friday Fun Food Facts - December 17, 2010

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

But First...A Note To Our Readers...YOU!

Welcome to the "holiday edition" of Friday Fun Food Facts - my 40th edition and the last for 2010. As you will see, things slow down this time of year...and in my opinion, that is a good thing.

I do have a little bit of restaurant news to share with you (below), but I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and readership of this little newsletter that I put together every week. The response has blown me away and I am amazed at the readership and following that has exploded since launching in February of this year.

So while I've got your attention, I'd like to get on my little soapbox, if only for a minute. Thank you in advance for your patience, but this is important to me.

Being in the "food" business, I see a lot of food every day. And in my line of work, that is a good thing. And I am blessed to be here in one of the most vibrant communities in our country. But that said, our community also has a "food hardship" rating that is nearly double the national average. What does that mean? That means there are people right down the street from us that have to experience a feeling that many of us don't know anything about - hunger. And to put it bluntly, that sucks.

So please take a moment right now to consider helping either of these organizations that are out in those streets every single day combating hunger. Here are links to the websites for The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Thanks to both organizations for all they do.

One last thing - have an amazingly wonderful holiday season and enjoy this time with friends, family and loved ones. That is what matters most. And I'll see you again in what is sure to be an incredible 2011!

Sean

aka Triangle Food Guy

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• How can we not begin this "holiday edition" of Friday Fun Food Facts without first talking about an opportunity to dine with the great St. Nick. That's right, this Sunday you can enjoy breakfast/brunch with Santa at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. The cost is $25 for adults, and $20 for children (includes a Holiday Beanie Baby). Reservations are required, so call 919.933.2001 or visit their site here.
  

• Congratulations to Raleigh's Saint Jacques French Cuisine and Pittsboro's Fearrington House Restaurant for making Open Table's top 50 list of Best Overall Restaurants in America. See the entire list here.

• O'Charley's is shutting down two of it's four Triangle area locations. The operations in Wake Forest and Garner are closing, but the locations in Cary and Raleigh will remain open. The Cary location is on Ashville Avenue, and the Raleigh location is in Brier Creek.

• Also in North Raleigh, in the Stonehenge Shopping Center (7432 Creedmoor Road), Orchid Japanese Restaurant is now open.

• Looking for a spot to "slow down" during the holiday rush? Well, just up the hill from Crabtree Valley Mall, in the Oak Park Shopping Center (across from Peddlers Steakhouse) is a little coffee shop that just started serving sandwiches, salads, soups and more - Loco Lu's Coffeehouse. Check them out while you are "out and about" this holiday season.

• Speaking of being out and about during the holidays. If you are looking for a place to dine after tearing open all your gifts under the tree on Christmas Day, the News & Observer's Greg Cox has put together a list of Christmas Day dining options available to you. Lest you think you are the only one not interested in cooking on Christmas, reservations are highly encouraged. Here is the list.
  

• And I can't wrap up the abbreviated "holiday edition" of Friday Fun Food Facts without at least giving you the opportunity to win a gift. The N&O's Andrea Weigl is passing along two coupons for free sandwiches at downtown Raleigh's newest restaurant addition - Dickey's Barbecue Pit. All you have to do is leave a comment here, and she'll randomly choose the winner on Wednesday, December 22nd. You can't win it if you don't enter! So why not!?!