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.