Friday Fun Food Facts - July 22, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

The Triangle appears to be going more international this week with several announcements "around the globe."

• Downtown Raleigh is getting more international flare with the recent opening of Babylon which opened on West Lane Street in a former yarn mill. Samad Hatchby opened Babylon two weeks ago and serves food from his homeland, Morocco, and southern Europe. Visit them online here and to get detailed directions. 

• Mantra Indian Cuisine & Bar, which will be a fine-dining Indian option in Raleigh's Glenwood South district, is set to open the second week in August at 116 N. West Street in the space most recently occupied by Vintage Bar & Grill. They will be open for lunch and dinner. Get more information here. 

• According to the Carpe Diem website, Salamandra re-opened earlier this summer on Hillsborough Rd. in Durham (2627 Hillsborough Road to be exact), just next door to their former location. If you're looking for authentic, fresh and inexpensive Mexican cuisine, you'll want to add this to your list. 

• And completing the international "theme," Laziz Biryani Corner has opened at its new location at 3281 Avent Ferry Road, Suite 117. LBC features Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Visit them online here . 

• If you've got a sweet tooth, listen up - we've got a couple of items of interest. First, the owners of The Cupcake Bar, a delivery cupcake business founded in 2008 and based in Cary, will be opening a retail space in the Five Points area in downtown Durham. Sisters Katie & Anna will begin construction on their brick and mortar location at 102 Morris Street in September. In the meantime, you can continue to get your cupcakes at Coffee & Crepes in Cary's Crossroads or at Tin Roof Teas in Raleigh's Cameron Village. 

• And we're also hearing (via Andrea Weigl at the N&O and Bull City Rising) that Daisy Cakes, an extremely popular Durham pastry truck, will be opening a storefront location later this fall in downtown Durham. The business will be located at 401-A Foster Street, right next door to the Bull City Arts Collaborative. And don't worry, they'll continue to operate their truck, both at the store and at special events.  

• If you've been to the Moe's at the corner of Harrison Avenue and Weston Parkway in Cary, you know it is a little limited on seating. Not anymore. That location is currently expanding into the former Sprint location next door and will increase it's seating from about 60 seats to well over 150 and will also have a private room for parties and events. Welcome to (a bigger) Moe's! 

• And speaking of renovations and additional seating, the small parking area that was out in front of Zely & Ritz, Sushi Blues and Taiphoon Bistro on Glenwood South has been torn out and is being replaced with a very large outdoor seating area. Very cool! 

• In a quick update for you Mellow Mushroom fanatics, the newest location in Cary is getting closer and closer to reality. The latest update estimates an end of August, first of September opening.  

• Guess I've been under a rock for this one, but Serena, a Sicilian-inspired restaurant in the heart of RTP (Miami Blvd. next to Randy's), is under new ownership. Stop by and say hello to Giuseppe and Kelly.  

• Anyone want to buy a Mexican restaurant? Los Potrillos Mexican Restaurant in Chapel Hill (aka Los Po's) near the intersection of East Franklin and Estes Drive, has an "Operating Restaurant For Sale" sign outside their restaurant. The sign on the door also says that they are closed for vacation and encourages folks to visit their other location at 220 W. Rosemary Street. We'll keep an eye on it. 

• Looking for somewhere to dine next Wednsday (July 27th) night? Head on over to Durham for two special dinners. First, Guglhupf is offering a farm-to-table dinner featuring products from Four Leaf Farm. The five-course meal with wine pairings will cost $45 plus tax and tip. And Dos Perros is offering a five course-meal paired with Durham's Fullsteam Brewery beers. The dinner costs $40 plus tax and tip.  

• Mark your calendars for the next variation of Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week which will be Aug. 22-28. Almost 30 restaurants have signed up to offer three-course prix fixe meals for $20-$30 per person. Some restaurants will offer three-course beer or wine pairings for an additional $10. For more information, go to their website . 

• Where can you find 60 beers, 40 bourbons and tons of barbecue? At the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival being held at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on August 5th and 6th, of course. The event features events on both Friday and Saturday (and some of them have already sold out). Visit their website for additional information and tickets.

• Piedmont Restaurant is also hosting a Farmer Wine Dinner with Wine Authorities at 7 pm on Thursday, July 28th. The dinner will feature wines made by wineries that are more farm than winery. These producers are focused on the agricultural aspect of the wine world. Make your reservations now by calling 919.683.1213 or visit their site here. 

• Due to a huge response to their dinner on July 27th, Blu Seafood and Bar on Hillsborough Road in Durham will extend their Lobster Night an extra night to  July 28! If you are interested in attending, or need more information, visit their site.