Friday Fun Food Facts - June 24, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Good news Durhamites. The infamous Bread & Kabob that used to be at 1013 W. Main Street just beyond the Brightleaf District across from the Shell station, has re-opened. Check them out!

• We're getting some sneak peaks and hints about Ashley Christensen's (of Poole's Diner) new Wilmington Street establishments in downtown Raleigh. This week the signage for the first of three went up - Beasley's Chicken & Honey is now painted on the side of the building and is expected to open this summer. The name obviously gives us some indication that it will feature Christensen's extremely popular honey-crusted chicken.

• After Beasley's, it is anticipated that Chuck's will open, and that will be followed by the downstairs bar. Chuck's, as the name suggests, will be a burger joint.

• Amante Gourmet Pizza has a new location in Cary! It opened this past week at Cary Park Town Center at 10110 Green Level Church Road. This newest location has a full bar and the same great food you've come to love at Amante's. This marks Amante's sixth Triangle location.

• And speaking of Amante, they relocated their North Raleigh store and it has now re-opened at 6325 Falls of Neuse Road in the Sutton Square Shopping Center (think Fresh Market, Performance Bicycles and PetSmart).

• And according to the News & Observer, just down the street from Amante Gourmet Pizza, MachuPicchu, a Peruvian restaurant, has opened at 4500 Falls of Neuse Road. That is the shopping center directly behind Carolina Ale House and Pei Wei near the intersection with Falls of Neuse & Old Wake Forest Road.

• And out a little ways in Sanford, you can now "Eat More Chicken" thanks to the opening of the latest Chick-Fil-A located at 3224 N.C. 87 South. The store held its grand opening yesterday.

• Got an email from an observant reader (thanks Jackie!) who noticed yesterday that the Penang on West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill's Courtyard complex was closed and that the sign was gone.  

• And not too far away over in Carrboro, according to a sign in the window, it appears as if Johnny's of Carrboro has closed after a four year run. Johnny's, as you'll recall, was a frequent host of the very popular Food Truck Rodeo's, in addition to being a community gathering spot.

• And according to Johanna Kramer (aka @DurhamFoodie) you better hurry on over if you want to enjoy Simply Thai & Sushi Bar one more time. Simply Thai, which is located in the shopping center at the intersection of Hwy. 54 & 55 in Durham, is closing next week.

• Blu Seafood and Bar in Durham has an interesting theme for its next monthly wine dinner: Up in Smoke. That means they will be serving smoked seafoods, smoked salts and more. On July 13, you will get four courses for $45 plus wine pairings chosen by the folks at Hope Valley Bottle Shop. That will be followed by their annual Lobster night on July 27. The more people who make reservations, the more lobsters they order, the lower the price. For a reservation, call 286-9777 or visit their website.   

• The Vinnie's Steakhouse in Raleigh is hosting a six-course wine dinner where diners will build their own Bordeaux blend during the meal. Plus they will have a chance to have their blend judged for prizes. The July 29 event costs $100. For a reservation, call 847-7319 or visit their website. 

• This Sunday, June 26th at 6 pm, Bull City Burger and Brewery will host a special Dinners a l' Art event - Burgers, Brews & Bluegrass - to support the Durham Arts Council! $40 per person includes a burger, fries, 2 freshly brewed beers, great music and a great cause of supporting the arts! Event starts at 6 pm. Grab those tickets before they're gone!

• And finally, a big congratulations and "Tip of the Hat" to Capital Club 16 and their celebration of their one-year anniversary! And to celebrate, they will be having an all-day party (starting at 4 p.m.) this Saturday (June 25) with a cask of Foothills beer, spiked fresh watermelon punch, dark beer roasted suckling pig and Berlin street sausages served outside throughout the day. As well, there will be a strongman krug holding competition and a watermelon seed-spitting contest. Get more details here.