Friday Fun Food Facts - November 18, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Dean Ogan and Rocky Top Hospitality are at it again. It was announced this week that Rocky Top would open their 6th Triangle-area restaurant concept in January of next year in the former Stonewood Grill location over in Cary near the intersection of Cary Parkway and Highway 54. Rockwell's American Grill will mesh the modern day American grill with the comfort of old school diners and delis. We'll let you know a firm open date once we have it. In the meantime, visit them on Facebook here.  

• It is nice to have great friends with great memories. Such is the case with my 'old' buddy Gordon Brown who reminded me of Mandolin's "any day now" opening at the corner of Fairview Road and Oberlin. As we reported back in September, their website still lists this month for their opening, and this week's Independent Weekly suggests it will be sometime around Thanksgiving. Good luck to Sean Fowler, also a Raleigh native like Gordon and myself, who will bring his experience at the Fearrington House to deliver contemporary Southern food to Raleigh. You can keep an eye on their opening announcement at their website here.       

• And for those playing at home, here is an updated list of occupants of the space that will soon be Mandolin -  Johnson's Drug Store, The Bulldog, The Raven, Maccini's, Riptide's, EVOO, Mangia Bistro and Eat Kitchen & Bar, Bellini...and now, Mandolin. 

• Today is the day! The World of Beer will open in North Hills (directly across from Harris Teeter on the ground level of the CapTrust building) at noon (well, it is 5 o'clock somewhere). And if you are wondering if they will have your beer...did I mention 50 drafts and 500 bottled beers!?! Check their site out here or their Facebook page. And I think it is just coincidence, but happy birthday to Mindy!     

• JD's Tavern is opening this weekend in the old Xios Greek restaurant space in Apex at 800 W. Williams Street. They will hold a VIP event on Saturday, November 19th (must have reservations) and will open to the public on Monday, November 21st. Get more information on their website here or their Facebook page here.   

• This Saturday is the last Saturday Market at Rebus Works for the season - and this is one not to miss (Facebook Page). It opens as usual at 9, but will remain open until 4:30. All the "regular" local vendors will be on hand, but check out the food truck lineup - Old North State BBQ, Sausage Wagon, Chirba Chirba, Chicken-N-Que, Klausie's, Slippin Sliders and Triangle Raw Foodists as well as Fullsteam and Aviator Brewery. Spend your whole day on Saturday in downtown Raleigh with the Christmas Parade, the Saturday Market and the re-opening of Pullen Park.

• Speaking of Pullen Park, when it re-opens this Saturday, it will feature a very cool café - Pullen Place Café which will open at 10 a.m. Pullen Place sits in the same place as the park's former concession stand, but that is the only similarity. Holly Taylor and her partners, Steve Mangano and Zely & Ritz chef/owner Sarig Agasi plan to offer fresh, seasonal, local foods at affordable prices. Check out their website here or here on their Facebook page.     

• And a shout out to Andy Siouville who is lobbying hard to become Triangle Food Guy's Western Wake County reporter...Andy shared with me this week that 1750 Original, which was at the corner of Tryon Road and Cary Parkway (behind Chilli's and next to Office Suites Plus), has closed. And from what Andy is hearing, look for an Irish Pub to give that spot a try next. 

• The Raleigh Wine Shop, located at 126 Glenwood Avenue, is about to host their first in-store food & wine event on Tuesday, December 6th at 7:15 p.m. The $30 event will pair wines of central Italy and Tuscany with food prepared by Chef Robin Bodwin. Space is limited, so visit their site now for more details and to make your reservation. 

• If you are looking for yet another reason to stop by Firehouse Subs, here it is. The Raleigh (in Brier Creek) and Garner (next to Lowe's Hardware) locations now feature the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. The "Freestyles" are the ultimate beverage experience that give you over 100 beverage choices in one sleek touchscreen.

• Jibarra Modern Mexican in downtown Raleigh this week announced that new executive chef Oscar Diaz has developed and released his fall-winter menu after spending the last few months tweaking and refining it. Meet the new chef and browse their new menu on their website or visit them on Facebook here. Jibarra is in the renovated Depot Building in downtown Raleigh (327 W. Davie Street)

• The Heart of Carolina Food Drive for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina kicks off today and runs through December. It is a community-wide food and funds drive to help stock the Food Bank shelves for the coming winter months. ABC 11 Eyewitness News is the lead sponsor.  Get more information here.

• Acme Restaurant in Carrboro will hold a Bordeaux Dinner this Sunday, November 20th at 6:30. A once in a lifetime chance to taste jaw-dropping red Bordeaux from the illustrious 2001 and 2005 vintages. We're talking fancy. And delicious. Reservations are required by phone. It will sell out. Price is $85 per person. Call 919-929-2263.

• Still scrambling around for some last minute Thanksgiving recipes? What if you could get your grubby little hands on recipes from Andrea Reusing (Lantern), Bill Smith (Crook's Corner) and Colin Bedford (The Fearrington House Restaurant)? Well you can, thanks to the folks over at Chapel Hill Magazine. Check out those recipes here. 

• Don't feel like cooking on Turkey Day? No worries. The News &Observer has put together a great list of restaurants that will be open to handle the cooking (and cleaning) for you.  Check it out here.   

• But if you feel like cooking, but run out of energy and great ideas for dessert, don't fret. The Twisted Fork Restaurant & Bakery will provide customers free pumpkin pies with each whole dessert purchased from the bakery for the Thanksgiving holiday season. All dessert orders must be placed by Monday. Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. And did I mention, Twisted Fork was rated the best dessert in Raleigh by CitySearch voters!?! Check them out here.  

• And speaking of desserts and baked goods, I provide you this link just to see if I can get your mouth watering. It is a link to Durham's Guglhupf Bakery and their holiday offerings. Guglhupf is now offering a tempting array of breads, cakes, tortes and desserts - all available for pre-order from now until Monday, November 21 at 4pm. Please, when clicking this link, do not have your mouth directly over your keyboard. You have been warned. 

• The N&O also reminded us of a great holiday activity when you have a house full of people - that you want out of your house for a few hours (and so you don't have to feed them!). Sign everyone up for one of the walking tours of great local restaurants through Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours. They have tours locally in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill/Carrboro and Hillsborough. Take a peek now and make your holidays a little bit more enjoyable.

• Want to do something a little bit different this Thanksgiving meal? And keep it local? Then be sure to take some time off from work on Tuesday, November 22 when each of the five local farmers' markets (Carrboro Farmers' Market, Chapel Hill Farmers' Market, Durham Farmers' Market, Eno River Farmers' Market in Hillsborough and the Western Wake Farmers' Market in Cary) will host a special pre-Thanksgiving market featuring locally grown produce, artisan foods, cheeses, meats, eggs and seasonal flowers for your holiday celebrations. Visit the website for Triangle Farmers Market to get ideas and recipes for special dishes you can prepare as well as each market's hours for this event.

• Speaking of Thanksgiving and keeping it local, why not turn to Raleigh's Q Shack to help you with your turkey and/or meal this year. The Q Shack is offering locally raised, all-natural fresh turkeys that feed up to 20 people for just $44.95! You can also order your entire Thanksgiving meal - it simply doesn't get any easier, or better, than that. Check out more details here. 

• And finally, I close with something I think is pretty cool. Raleigh City Farm is a group that is in the process of bringing rural farming to the city core of Raleigh by turning empty lots into produce-producing plots. If you think this is as cool as I do, check out their efforts here. And to make it even cooler, there are holding a Food Truck fundraiser on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 26th. The event will be in the 200 block of E. Franklin Street in downtown Raleigh from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Only Burger, Chirba Chirba and Klausie's are the trucks confirmed at this point.
  
  
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  I truly have so much to be thankful for. We all do. Thanks for all your support this year as I launched the Triangle's only locally-owned web-based catering service - http://www.trianglefoodguy.com (shameless plug!). And next Friday morning, I'll be hanging out with family thinking about all those things I have to be thankful - primarily an amazing wife and two of the coolest kids you'll ever meet. So, all that to say, I am very thankful...and, oh yeah, no Friday Fun Food Facts next week!!!