Friday Fun Food Facts - August 26, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  Steve Hunt, who owns The Big Easy in downtown Raleigh, has opened another restaurant over in Cary in the former Marty's All-American Grill and Sunset Grill location. Look for the same Cajun- and creole-inspired dishes as the downtown restaurant. Visit them online here. 

• According to the N&O's Andrea Weigl, Nikos Taverna, a Greek restaurant in Morrisville, has closed and will open in about a month as the Triangle's fourth La Rancherita. We'll keep you posted.  

• A couple of big openings this week over in Durham. First, the much anticipated L'Uva Enoteca opened this week in the American Tobacco Campus complex (across from Tyler's) and is the creation of Jim Anile, owner of Revolution in downtown Durham. Take a peek at their Facebook page here. 

• And The Food Factory at Devil's Bistro on Duke's campus opened this past Wednesday. If you were a fan of The Food Factory (which closed last month in downtown Cary and will re-open soon as a similar establishment), it is worth a drive to Durham. Very cool space/location. Check it out!  

• Big happenings in downtown Raleigh. Over on Hargett Street the spaces formerly occupied by Two T's and Blue Bar will soon become home to a "Hawaiin café" and a British pub. Nothing else much to report at this point (they are being pretty tight-lipped about it) other than there is a lot of renovation going on, including outdoor seating space.  Look for an October/November opening.

• Here's one I never thought I'd see in this area. Imagine a place where you can sit around eating chocolate, and enjoying a beer or glass of wine that you brought! Or as someone else described it, "a Willy Wanka Factory for adults!" That's right, it is coming in the form of Videri Chocolate Factory which will take over the former Ess Lounge in downtown Raleigh. Sounds marvelous! Should be open just in time for the holiday season - a great place to take out-of-town guests.

• Don't think there are enough dining options on Raleigh's Glenwood South? Sit tight because the latest, Blue Mango, is under construction and on its way. It is located in the 222 condominium building and will serve up Indian cuisine from Chef Sita Khosla. Look for it to open this fall.

• A friend asked me the other day about the opening of the Mellow Mushroom over in Cary at the corner of High House and Cary Parkway. It appears as if they now have an "end of September" opening date. Stay tuned as we continue to watch this one. 

• With growth comes pain, I guess the old saying goes. And so it is as Raleigh's Hillsborough Street continues to "grow up" with plans announced this week that a new hotel/retail complex will sprout up across from NC State's bell tower. With that comes news that Sadlack's, a Raleigh institution, will close. No word yet on whether they will relocate. We'll keep an eye on it.

• In an interesting turn of events, the Carino's Italian Restaurant on Fayetteville Road near The Streets at Southpoint in Durham has closed. And now the 6-year-old building is scheduled to be demolished to make way for two retail shops. Apparently building ownership changed hands and the new owners wanted the change to happen, but apparently Carino's did not. But that said, there is still a Carino's in Brier Creek in Raleigh and we are awaiting news to see if they will relocate the Durham location.

• Over in Chapel Hill, right on the Chapel Hill/Carrboro line (Chapelboro as some refer to it) on Rosemary Street, brown paper adorns the windows of The Fuse, which has closed. Signs in the window indicate that the Standard Bar & Grill is coming soon. We'll keep an eye on it.

• The Great Food Truck Race is on again and there are a handful of Triangle area trucks competing for "most popular" in hopes of securing the $100,000 prize. Local trucks trying to become "America's Favorite" include: Captain Poncho's Tacos, Klausie's Pizza, Pie Pushers, OnlyBurger, Blue Sky Dining, KoKyu, Valentino's, Olde North State BBQ and Slippin' Sliders. Vote daily and vote often. Voting ends September 12. 

• Here's a fun event coming up if you are a "beer and beef" fan! Durham's Bull City Burger and Brewery is reviving the old New York beefsteak tradition with its Beefsteak Octoberfest. It will be from 4 to midnight on Saturday, Sept. 17 (strangely enough, not in October). There will be two seatings; one at 4 p.m. and another at 6:30 p.m. The restaurant will not serve burgers on this night and there will be no vegetarian options. The menu includes an assortment of beef, lamb, pork, offal and sausage provided by Farmhand Foods, which specializes in local-raised meat. The $45 ticket also gets you two beers and unlimited fries, bread, celery and radishes. Tickets cost $45 for adults and $20 for a child. Tickets are limited and only available online here. The event will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Durham.

• Listen up Paula Deen fans, the N&O's Andrea Weigl has the skinny on her book signing in Raleigh on October 14th. Check out the details here. 

• There are a couple of things you need to do to get ready for this year's TerraVITA food & wine event. First, mark your calendar. The event will be held in Chapel Hill's Southern Village on Saturday, September 24th. You can get more information here. Second, you need to purchase your tickets. Here is where you can purchase tickets. TerraVITA brings together biodynamic and organically-grown wines and microbrews with some of the very best North Carolina chefs that are committed to using locally-grown organic ingredients!  

• The 6th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour will be held September 17-18, 2011 from 1-5 p.m. and will be the biggest Eastern Triangle Farm Tour to date. Co-sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Whole Foods Market, the tour features 25 sustainable farms located across the Eastern Triangle.  Advance tickets are $25 per carload or cycle group.  Tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday and can be used to visit all of the farms on the tour. Day-of tickets are $30 or $10 per farm. Info and tickets. 

• And finally, the Angus Barn is hosting another of their complimentary wine tastings this Sunday at 3:30 pm with Certified Sommelier Henk Schuitemaker and his staff. No reservations required and wine cellar tours are available. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!