Friday Fun Food Facts - March 25, 2011

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

•  Bull City Burger & Brewery, located at 107 East Parrish Street in Durham, officially opens today at 11 am! Bring on the beer, burgers...and baseball in downtown Durham! Their beef is locally raised, grass fed, no added hormone and antibiotic free and they source as many local ingredients as possible to make everything from scratch. And did I mention the beer? Available in pints in the store, and for take-home in growlers and kegs! Check out downtown Durham's hottest new destination here.  

• The much anticipated and much hyped PieBird will officially open for business next Tuesday at 11 am when they begin dishing up sweet and savory pies for lunch and dinner. They will be open Tuesday thru Saturday and are located between Krispy Kreme and Person Street Pharmacy at 618 N. Person Street. Visit their site here.   

• The Triangle has a new food truck to add to the lineup. The Grilled Cheese Bus is a converted school bus (with wings!) and serves grilled cheese sandwiches with locally sourced and seasonal flair at locations around the Triangle. They will hold a tasting event today, but after that you'll need to visit their website and begin tracking them via GPS or follow them through social media to find their next location!

• The N&O's Sue Stock is reporting that The Olde Raleigh American & Chinese Buffet that took over the former (and very temporary) Hideaway Barbecue space is now open. It is located at 2210 Capital Boulevard, which is inside the beltline, across from Alfred Williams.

• Durham has a new spot for yogurt lovers. Tutti Frutti recently opened up in the Hope Valley Square shopping center. That is the same shopping center that is home to Only Burger, Pops Backdoor South, and Rick's Diner. Visit their site here.

• Looks like a little more of Chicago is coming to Raleigh. Mia Francesca, an Italian fare concept with 20 locations in Chicago, will occupy an 8,500-square-foot space at the entrance to the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel. This will be the first location in the eastern U.S. Expect an early August opening. Check them out early here. 

• We've gone several weeks without any donut news, but that ends this week with Sue Stock sharing the good news that the Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin-Robbins at 3209 S. Wilmington St. has reopened after a major renovation. That's on the southern section of Wilmington Street, South of Raleigh heading out towards Garner.

• North Raleigh gets a new spot to sip mocha this weekend with the grand opening of Jubala Coffee. They will host an all-weekend open house on Saturday and Sunday. It coincides with a larger "grand opening" weekend at Lafayette Village.  Get more information on all the grand-opening activities here.

• Apparently folks love WhichWich as much as I do. As you'll recall that last week Sue Stock reported a second location coming to North Hills. Now she is reporting that there will be a third location - this one in Brier Creek which will open early this summer.

• Escazu Artisan Chocolates is celebrating their third anniversary this weekend with lots of sales and special surprises for the first 50 customers on both Saturday and Sunday (think dessert treat!). Visit their website for more details. They are located at the North end of Blount St. close to Peace College and Seaboard Station. Speaking of Escazu, they are now open on Sundays from 11am to 5pm!

• The Aviator Smokehouse, the new barbecue joint in Fuquay-Varina, is now open for lunch. View their menu and get directions here.

• Mark your calendar for the 3rd annual Cuegrass Festival which has been set for April 16th from 11:30 am to 6 pm. Join the folks at The Pit barbecue in downtown Raleigh for some great bluegrass, beer, and cue! The cost is $5 and goes to North Carolina farmers. Get more information here.  

• Here' s a great dinner you won't want to miss. On Thursday April 21st at 6 pm, Herons Restaurant (Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary) will be offering a winemaker dinner featuring Tommy and Amie Baudoin of Morgan Ridge Vineyards in Gold Hill, N.C. The four-course meal will cost $85. Call 447-4200 for reservations.

• Mark your calendars for the 16th annual Piedmont Farm Tour which will be held the weekend of April 16th and 17th. If you don't get an invitation to my birthday party, this will be a great way to spend part of your weekend. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 that weekend, per car. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.

• Listen up beer lovers. It was just announced that the 2011 World Beer Festrival will make its annual trek to the area on Saturday, April 9th in Moore Square. There will be two afternoon sessions; one at noon and the second at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 ($75 for VIP). Tickets and more information can be found here.

• The Eno River Farmers' Market just announced that they will have their Harvest Dinner on Saturday, April 30! If you've never been, this is a real treat as the meal is sourced from the local farms, prepared by the vendors, and presented elegantly in the market house along with live music. Tickets go on sale at the market house on April 2nd and are $60. More information on their website.  

• The Food Bank will hold a Mac & Cheese Drive this Sunday and Monday at all Triangle locations of Noodles & Company. Simply bring in 3 boxes of Mac & cheese to any Noodles & Company location and get a free bowl of signature Mac & Cheese or one of their special "grown up" Mac & Cheese dishes.

• Our "Tip of the Hat" this week goes to two Chapel Hill legends. First, chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern who is a finalist again for the James Beard Foundation's best chef in the southeast award. And secondly to Crook's Corner, a JBF America's Classics Award winner.

• And one final nod goes to Citipass, a local savings book that raised over $500,000 for schools in the Triangle area this past year. The books contain $7,500 in coupons from more than 285 merchants across the area and are sold by students and other not-for-profit groups to help raise money for their programs.

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 18, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  There are two (count them, two) food truck events this weekend and both are on Saturday afternoon!  

• The first is part of an event called "Marry Durham," a community event concocted to show one's love for the Bull City. It will take place at 4 pm on Saturday at Motorco Music Hall on Rigsbee Avenue and the cost is $5 to "get married" or be a guest. Following the brief ceremony, you'll be able to enjoy music and the fares being offered up by the following trucks -  Bulkogi Korean BBQ, Daisy Cakes, Farmhand Foods, Klausie's Pizza, KoKyu BBQ, Lloyd's Outside Grill, Locopops, Pie Pushers and Slippin' Sliders. For an official map and schedule, visit their site.    

• If you're not in the mood for a wedding, and just want food truck grub and a little music, head over to Al's Garage (that's right, Al's Garage) in Carrboro for the Carrboro Food Truck Showcase from 4 and 7 pm and enjoy fare from the following trucks - Captain Ponchos Tacos, Parlez-Vous Crepe, Will & Pop's, Only Burger and Blue Sky Dining. Al's Garage is located at then very end of Franklin Street just as you head into Carrboro.   

• If you are a a fan of WhichWich (and who isn't?), get ready for location number two in Raleigh. Sue Stock is reporting this morning that the newest location will be in North Hills next to The Q Shack. We don't have an "open" date just yet, but we'll keep an eye on it.   

• It is spring and things are starting to "blossom" at the corner of West Geer and Foster Street in Durham. The "old gas station" is being renovated into a new restaurant and beer garden - Geer Street Garden - and is scheduled to open later this spring. That will be a great addition to the area. You can follow its progress on this site or visit their "official site" here.    

• Speaking of the old adage, "Good things come to those who wait," apparently that is the case with the much anticipated Bull City Burger and Brewery over in Durham. Originally slated to open on the 21st,  that date has been pushed back a little to Friday, March 25th. Visit their site here. 

• Cary doesn't have anything on Raleigh, at least when it comes to a good burger. The second location of Tribeca Tavern opened this week in the old Michael Dean's location up on Falls of the Neuse Road. Still no official word on the third location in Chapel Hill, but we'll continue to monitor that.   

• Listen up Chick-fil-A fans, the two-story Cameron Village location is getting a little closer to reality according to the N&O's Sue Stock. They will break ground in May, which means it will likely be open before year's end. I know the high schoolers at my alma mater are excited about that! 

• We reported a couple of weeks ago about the "soft opening" of Pie Bird on Person Street in downtown Raleigh (across from the original Krispy Kreme). The official opening appears to be just days away. According to Krishna Bahl, it will be open one day next week. The exact date hasn't been set, but we'll let you know. In the meantime, you can visit their site.  

• I guess if you are opening a coffee shop, the name doesn't really matter. At least that appears to be the case with two coffee shops that are slated for downtown Raleigh. It was announced this week that Tribeca Café & Lounge (I know, it is confusing, but this is in no way affiliated with Tribeca Tavern) will open this May in The Hue in the warehouse district. Following this news is news that another coffee shop, Spy Raleigh (huh?), will open soon adjacent to The Pit on Davie Street. 

• It seems like we can't put out an issue here recently without some pizza news, and so it is this week. We've learned that they are putting in an Uncle Vito's New York Pizza in Chapel Hill's Timberlyne Shopping Center next to the Food Lion. Oddly enough, this is a concept out of Georgia. Visit their site here.  

• We reported the sad news months ago that the DQ in Cary on Walnut Street had closed. That was quickly followed by the news that it was not just closed, but being renovated into one of their "Grill and Chill" locations. Well, we're happy to report that that location is now open for business again!

• Speaking of ice cream, The Maple View Farm store across from Weaver Street Market in Carrboro is back open for the "season." While a trip out to the original store is a real treat (imagine beautiful rolling hills and rocking chairs on the front porch) the Carrboro store makes it a little easier to get your ice cream fix. They also have another satellite location in Hillsborough. Visit their site here.  

• A Durham institution closes their doors today after an impressive 58-year run. Dillard's BBQ on Fayetteville street will serve up its last barbecue plate today.

• According to fellow blogger, Triangle Explorer (aka John), the North Seafood Bistro up on Durant Road has closed their doors. Thanks John for that tip!

• Chocolate and coffee lovers will be sad to know that Peche de Chocolat, which was located on Glenwood Avenue near Hillsborough Steet, has closed.

• For those that like to dabble in their own kitchen (interesting concept) you might want to head on over to Chapel Hill's Southern Season this Saturday from between noon and 3 where Molly O'Neill, former New York Times magazine food columnist and cookbook author, will be signing copies of her new book, One Big Table: A Portait of American Cooking.

• If you need another reason to eat out, here's a good one. On Tuesday of next week (March 22) about 23 restaurants (mostly in Durham) will be donating a portion of sales to Communities in Schools in Durham, an organization working to keep kids in school. Visit this site for a list of participating restaurants (scroll down).

• The Angus Barn will hold a complimentary wine tasting this Sunday, March 20th, with certified Sommelier Henk Schuitemaker and his staff. The tasting will be from 3:30 to 5 pm. Reservations are not required. Complimentary Wine Cellar tours will be available. Please email Kecia Bobbitt or Paige Person for all inquiries or call 919.787.3505.

• Mark your calendars for 6 pm on Thursday April 21st as Herons Restaurant at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary will be offereing a winemake dinner featuring Tommy and Amie Baudoin of Morgan Ridge Vineyards in Gold Hill, N.C. The four-course meal will cost $85. Call 447-4200 for reservations.

• Mark your calendars for the 16th annual Piedmont Farm Tour which will be held the weekend of April 16th and 17th. If you don't get an invitation to my birthday party, this will be a great way to spend part of your weekend. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 that weekend, per car. For more information and to purchase tickets, go here.

• Out "Tip of the Hat" this week goes to Gene Hamer, Bill Smith and the entire staff at Crooks Corner as it was announced that they will be honored this May with an award from the James Beard Foundation. The James Beard awards are the "Emmys" of the food industry.

• If you are a Groupon, LivingSocial, or Twongo fan and live in the Chapel Hill area, WCHL and the Chapel Hill-Carrobor Chamber have launched a new site specific to the Chapel Hill Area. Check it out here.  

• Get your scissors out Quizno's fans - we've got coupons for you. Either $1 or $2 off their Lobster & Seafood Salad Sub (depending if you get the regular or large). Clip away!  

• Listen up beer lovers. It was just announced that the 2011 World Beer Festrival will make its annual trek to the area on Saturday, April 9th in Moore Square. There will be two afternoon sessions; one at noon and the second at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 ($75 for VIP). Tickets and more information can be found here.

• And finally, mark you calendars for Rita's 19th Annual First Day of Spring Promotion on March 20th when you can enjoy a free regular size cup of Rita's Italian Ice from noon until 9 pm. There are eight locations here in the Triangle. Find the location closest to you here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 11, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  It appears that the "Tri" in Tribeca Tavern might have more meaning than originally thought. Fast on the heels of the news that Michael Dean's is being converted into the Triangle's second location of Tribeca Tavern (which, by the way, looks to be opening next week) we learned this week that there are plans to open a third location in May - this time in Chapel Hill. While the location hasn't been disclosed, there is speculation that it will be the former Applebee's location on East Franklin Street across from the Siena Hotel. We'll keep an eye on that and keep you updated.

• We told you about this weeks ago, but Fai Thai, a traditional Thai grill, is now open in the former Duck & Dumpling spot at 222 S. Blount Street in downtown Raleigh at Moore Square. Fai Thai features chef William D'Auvray (Fins; bu·ku) and Chef de Cuisine James Boyle (The Duck & Dumpling). The restaurant will have limited hours the first few days, so reservations are encouraged and you can view those hours here.  

• After some initial confusion over the fate of Cherry Bomb Grill in downtown Raleigh, it "reopened" last Friday as Brewmasters Bar & Grill with a new theme and menu. Brewmaster's is in the old Joe's Place location at the corner of West Martin and Dawson. Visit them here. 

• Tasu Asian Bistro, Sushi & Bar, which has a location in Brier Creek in Raleigh, has announced that they will be opening a second location in Cary in the old Bentely's location in Crossroads. No word yet on an open date. Thanks to Dan for that tip!

• If you didn't get enough "pizza news" last week, the N&O's Sue Stock gives us one more this week with the announcement that Hot Box Pizza will be opening its first North Carolina location at 2304 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh in April. Visit their site here. 

• And with warm weather on the way, that can only mean it is the season for ice cream and yogurt shops to start popping up. Such is the case this week, as the N&O's Sue Stock discovered. Here's a quick run-down. In Raleigh, Fresh Ice Cream opened at Five Points (next to Third Place and Hayes Barton Pharmacy). The Skinny Dip, a frozen yogurt bar, has opened at Raleigh's Quail Corners at Millbrook and Falls of Neuse roads. This is their second location in the Triangle - the first Triangle location is by Trader Joe's in Cary on Kildaire Farm Road. And finally, Yopop Frozen Yogurt is open in Crossroads Plaza near Jason's Deli.

• And over in Knightdale, Sue Stock is also reporting this morning that Yamato Japanese Restaurant, Sushi, Seafood and Steak House is now open at 7110 Kinghtdale Blvd.

• Last week we pointed you to Fuquay-Varina, and this week we're going to point you the other way and encourage you to head to Saxapahaw, in Alamance County west of Chapel Hill, where the owners of the Saxapahaw General Store have opened a second restaurant a few doors down called The Eddy. The N&O's Greg Cox has had very favorable things to say about both The Eddy and The General Store Cafe.

• And over in Durham, blogger Bull City Rising is reporting that the building at 102 Morris Street in downtown Durham's Five Points will be sold and the new owners are listing a bakery and a "gourmet pizzeria" as potential tenants. Obviously still very early in the process, but we'll keep an eye on it.

• In the "good news / bad news" category this week, we have learned that the Garner location of Ole Time BBQ has closed. That's the bad news. The good news is that the original location on Hillsborough Street is still alive and kickin' and serving up that good ol' North Carolina 'cue!

• Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? To celebrate their grand opening and introduce themselves to the Raleigh market, Jet's Pizza will give away FREE deep dish pizza slices (one per person) on Saturday, March 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at their newest store at 8365 Creedmoor Road south of Strickland Road.

• Starbucks' customers saw something new Tuesday when they sipped their coffee. The Seattle-based company rolled out its new words-free logo Tuesday on all its cups. Signs also changed at a handful of stores, and the new logo will show up on more storefronts in the future. This is in conjunction with their 40th anniversary this month.

• Speaking of Starbucks, stop by between 2 and 5 p.m. today and tomorrow (Friday & Saturday), and get a free selection of the new petite dessert menu when you buy a hand-crafted beverage.

• If you are missing your Sunday brunch at either Michael Deans or Bogarts, we've got good news for you. Starting this Sunday, The Red Room (same building as Bogart's) will begin offering Sunday Brunch. The menu will resemble the brunch menus from Bogart's and Michael Dean's.  

• Fullsteam's first-ever Southern Fried Brewery Tour is this Sunday. It appears as if the 4 p.m. tour and tasting is sold out, but a few tickets remain for the tour and dinner at 5 p.m. Get more information here.  

• Looking for something fun to do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Here's one that I will be at. Through the end of business on March 16, Big Boss Brewing Company (1249-A Wicker Drive, Raleigh, bigbossbrewing.com, 834-0045) will accept entries for a potato-carving contest at its taproom. Original seasonal or beer-inspired spuds are encouraged. The three best-dressed and most clever-cut potatoes will claim prizes at 7 p.m. on March 17 during Big Boss' "Who's Your Paddy?" event. The fun begins at 3 with music, beer, and food from a slew of food trucks, including OnlyBurger, Slippin Sliders, Ko Kyu, Klausie's and Giovanni's.

• The N&O's Andrea Weigl reported this week about a very rare opportunity over at Durham's Magnolia Grill. They will be offering a wine dinner at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 3 featuring wines from the St. Innocent Winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The owner/winemaker Mark Vlossak will be on hand to talk about the wines. The six-course meal and wine pairings, including some prized 2008 Pinot Noirs, will cost $95 plus tip and tax. Reservations are required, as well as a credit card deposit. To make a reservation, call Tammy at 286-3609 between 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

• Listen up beer lovers. It was just announced that the 2011 World Beer Festrival will make its annual trek to the area on Saturday, April 9th in Moore Square. There will be two afternoon sessions; one at noon and the second at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 ($75 for VIP). Tickets and more information can be found here.

• And finally, mark you calendars for Rita's 19th Annual First Day of Spring Promotion on March 20th when you can enjoy a free regular size cup of Rita's Italian Ice from noon until 9 pm. There are eight locations here in the Triangle. Find the location closest to you here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 4, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• The American Tobacco Campus in Durham will be home to an "intimate eatery" being introduced by the husband-wife team behind Durham's Revolution - Jim & Teresa Anile. L'Uva, which is Italian for "grape," will open in the old Café Zen space across from Tyler's Taproom in May. The Italian wine bar will offer lunch and dinner and will have a more casual atmosphere and lower price points than Revolution.

• Downtown Raleigh's much-anticipated PieBird, which will make and sell all natural pies, is having their informal open house this afternoon (Friday) from 6:30 - 8 p.m. They are located at 618 Person Street in the former Conti's Italia just down from the Krispy Kreme. Check them out here.

• This past Wednesday, we got another reason to head over to Fuquay-Varina. The Aviator Smokehouse barbecue restaurant opened in downtown Fuquay-Varina, across from the Aviator Brewing Company, the brewer's busy tap house. Here is Aviator Brewing Company's website.

• Bull City Burger & Brewery, which will boast an outdoor patio for 25 in addition to the seating for 90 inside, is now listing March 21st as its opening date. Burgers, beer and baseball in downtown Durham...doesn't get any better than that! Get more details here.

• The Mellow Mushroom in Cary, which we talked about several weeks ago, has announced that they will have a mid-June opening according to Sue Stock. Hold on Cary-ites, it won't be long now!

• The N&O's Sue Stock is reporting this morning that Marco's Pizza will open two more pizza joints next month. One is up in North Raleigh on Falls River Avenue off of Durant Road and the other location will be over on Davis Drive in Apex. Their original Triangle location is on Hillsborough Street. Check them out here.

• Stock also tells us that Jet's Pizza, which just opened its first Triangle location at 8365 Creedmoor Road in Raleigh, plans to open two additional locations. One at 6014 Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh and the other at 1253 NW Maynard Road in Cary. Those two locations hope to be open by year's end. Here is their site.

• Got a tip from one of our readers last week (thanks Nancy!) that the home-made ice cream shop Sunnie Sky's has opened in Angier. Complete with rocking chairs on the front porch, Nancy assures me that this is hands-down, the best ice cream in the Triangle. Might be worth a drive to Angier! Check them out here.

• We are getting confirmation this week that Raleigh is getting closer to landing its version of the extremely popular Tyler's Taproom. Word is that Tyler's is finalizing plans to open in downtown Raleigh in the same building as 18 Seaboard. Part of their space will include the former Tookie's Grill space. Tyler's has locations in Carrboro, Durham and Apex.

• Got word this week that the Schlotzsky's building over on Harrison Avenue in Cary that closed last year is being remodeled into a Zaxby's. This will be the Triangle's 6th Zaxby's.

• It appears as if Amedeo's North has closed. The restaurant's phone number is disconnected, their website is no longer operational, and a source confirmed they went by yesterday for lunch to find the doors locked. Sorry to see it go, but glad that Rick is back over at the original location that his father founded! Visit the original Amedeo's here.

• Last week saw the 10-year run of Bogart's come to an end. And for those already missing their infamous brownies, we've got good news. First, those brownies have been added to the menu at Tribeca Tavern. And secondly, if you want to make them yourself, you can find the recipe over at the News & Observer.

• Fans of Tuscan Blue will be glad to learn that they have started opening for brunch/lunch on weekends. More details on their site.

• We mentioned a couple of weeks ago that the hottest restaurant scene in the Triangle right now is Terminal 2 out at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Apparently we aren't the only ones that think that. Frommer's Travel Guides recently listed Terminal 2's 42nd Street Oyster Bar in its Top 10 best U.S. airport restaurants. Kudos to the hometown folks!

• Today is "Free FryDay" at Chick-fil-A restaurants. From 2-4 pm feel free to pop-in for your free fries when you say that you're there to try the new Heinz Dip & Squeeze ketchup pack. Get more details here.

• And speaking of Chick-fil-A, I've seen two mentions in the last week that the Triangle area locations are offering free breakfast (well, I think it is one of their chicken biscuits) on the first Tuesday of each month. Nothing official on the Chick-fil-A site, but you might want to inquire the next time you are in one of their stores.

• The N&O's Andrea Weigl has put together a great list of wine tasting and dinners that are offered across the Triangle. Visit her list here.

• If there is anything good that comes out of McDonald's, this might be it. Two former McDonald's executives recently announced plans to open a healthy restaurant chain concept called LYFE (Love Your Food Everyday) Kitchen, which will feature vegan, vegetarian, and healthy options in a quick-serve atmosphere. The chain has plans to expand to 250 restaurants throughout the United States, but nothing has been announced for the Triangle yet.

• Looking for a Mardi Gras party to hit? You might want to try Papa Mojo's Roadhouse 3rd Annual Mardi Gras party. Tickets for this sell-out event are $10 the day of, but you can guarantee your spot by purchasing VIP tickets in advance by going here.

• Mark you calendars for Rita's 19th Annual First Day of Spring Promotion on March 20th when you can enjoy a free regular size cup of Rita's Italian Ice from noon until 9 pm. There are eight locations here in the Triangle. Find the location closest to you here.

• Our "Tip of the Hat" this week goes to Lucky 32's executive chef Jay Pierce and his collard greens which are featured in the March issue of Southern Living. Congrats to Jay! Lucky 32 has a Triangle area location at 7307 Tryon Road in Cary.