Friday Fun Food Facts - January 21, 2011

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

• Just a reminder that next week is Triangle Restaurant Week, a great chance to get out and try some new restaurants and new fare. As part of the week, restaurants are offering 3-course meals (appetizer/entrée/dessert) for a fixed price of $15 for lunch and $20 or $30 for dinner. A complete listing of restaurants (74 at this point) and their menus can be found here.

• The N&O's Sue Stock reported this morning that Greek Fiesta is expected to open its sixth Triangle location in March in the former Pita Delite spot in the Towne North shopping center (8315 Creedmoor Road). Visit their site here.
  

• Over in downtown Durham the much-anticipated Old Havana Sandwich Shop opened this past Thursday at 310 East Main Street. Old Havana specializes in authentic Cuban sandwiches, made using local, pasture-raised heirloom breeds of pork. Get more information here.
  

• And up in North Raleigh, we've been "watching" this and we can now report (thanks for Julie & Tara) that the Bedford Sushi and Grill is now open!

• Also on our "watch list" is Streets Deli in East 54 in Chapel Hill. The self-proclaimed authentic Big City Jewish Style delicatessen and fresh market is expected to open on Tuesday, February 1st. I lost count, but I think this is around the 10th "open date" I have seen/heard, but our sources are fairly certain on this one. Keep up with them on Facebook and sign up for their newsletter here.
  

• We mentioned this briefly last week, but The Treehouse Café opened this past Thursday near the intersection of Hwy 54 & 55 in Durham. The Treehouse Café is the creation of Jeremy Colon who you may recognize from the area Bear Rocks. The Treehouse features salads, panini's, wraps, sandwiches, soups and hot pastas. Best of luck to Jeremy.
  

• The N&O's Greg Cox noted a couple of new eateries this week. The first is The Sahara Mediterranean Restaurant, which opened in the little red-roofed building on 805 W. Peace St. near Broughton High School. The counter service eatery serves Middle Eastern fare - specifically, the dishes of Rania Shammas' native Syria.

• The other was The Artisan that opened last month on Glenwood South. The Artisian, which features authentic Greek/Mediterranean cuisine, is located directly behind The Diner and offers a daily lunch buffet (brunch buffet on the weekends) and dinner. Visit their site here.

• The N&O's Sue Stock also delivered some great news this morning. As we reported a few weeks back, the Dairy Queen on Walnut Street in Cary closed. That's the bad news. The good news, according to Stock, is that they will reopen later next month under new ownership as a DQ Grill & Chill with Orange Julius!

• If you drove down New Bern Avenue in Raleigh (near Wake Med) this past week you surely noticed the line of cars wrapped around the newly opened Popeye's near the intersection with Trawick Road. Maybe there is a reason it is located so close to Wake Med and their new heart center. Just sayin'.

• There is a new food truck in the Triangle - Will & Pop's. W & P is typically parked at the Short Stop across from the Farmer's Market in downtown Carrboro for breakfast and lunch and at Cliff's Meat Market for late nights. Go here to friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.
  

• And speaking of food trucks, Carpe Durham unveiled a new beta site that tracks all the food trucks in the area telling you exactly where they are at any given moment. Looks like they have a few kinks to work out, but it is pretty cool. Check it out here.

• Speaking of cool (literally and figuratively), if you're looking to grab a bite to eat before a Canes game, don't limit yourself to the slim pickins' right around the RBC Center. There is now a luxury bus service, the Pepsi Caniac Coach, that will pick you up in downtown Raleigh, Glenwood South and North Hills and take you to and from the game. The schedule and routes are available here.

• In the event that you were under a rock this week, Starbucks introduced a new concept in coffee consumption - a cup you can crawl in and have coffee poured over you. OK, it's not that big, but they did introduce their Trenta size, which is 7 ounces larger than their Venti. That's a lot of Joe.
  

• And in other Starbucks' news, you can now pay for your coffee using your iPhone, iPod touch, or BlackBerry. Now that's pretty cool.

• Not to be outdone by Starbucks, Caribou Coffee announced this week that all their stores are now offering breakfast sandwiches.

• Speaking of breakfast, listen up Brigs fans (you know who you are). Brigs announced this week that they are extending the hours of their popular $5.99 weekday breakfast special. You can now get that deal all the way until 11 am on any weekday. Brigs has 5 Triangle locations. Find the one closest to you.
  

• The Beyu Café in downtown Durham is expanding their hours to include a brunch on Sunday, starting Sunday, January 30. The café will be open from 9 am until 3 pm. Look for things like French Toast, Eggs Benedict, and Breakfast Crepes. Check them out here.
  

• The Angus Barn is hopping with events - two of which we'll mention briefly here. Get all the event information here. The first is this Sunday (January 23) and is a complimentary Italian Wine Tasting in The Wild Turkey Lounge. The tasting will be from 3:30 pm until 5 pm. Reservations are not required and complimentary Wine Cellar tours will be available. And on Saturday, February 12th they will be hosting their Valentine's Winemaker Dinner at the Lakeside Pavilion featuring dancing and music. $95 per person.

• If you're in downtown Raleigh next Friday and looking for free food, head on over to Dickey's Barbecue on East Davie Street where they will be handing out samples of their new Spicy Cheddar Sausage. This is your chance to get an early taste of this new limited-time product that they'll start selling on Feb. 1st.
  

• But if Friday doesn't work for you, head down to Dickey's either of the last two Mondays of January where they are doing their $1 sandwiches again (limit of two per person - so don't be a pig). The good news is you can get this deal at any of their three Triangle locations. Find the closest location to you here.
  

• There are new Quizno's coupons out for those of you looking for a lunch deal. The coupons are for a free drink and chips when you buy a sub or salad. But hurry up, the coupons expire Jan. 25.

• And finally, it is not too early to start thinking about a nice Valentine's dinner. The N&O's Greg Cox has got you covered and has put together a list of "romantic" spots for the big holiday. Check it out here.