Friday Fun Food Facts - February 24, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• We begin with big congratulations to five stars of the Triangle's food and beverage scene who were honored this week as semifinalists for 2012 James Beard Awards. They are: Magnolia Grill for Outstanding Restaurant; Sean Lily Wilson, owner of Fullsteam Brewery for Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional; and Scott Howell, owner of Nana's in Durham, Ashley Christensen of Poole's Diner in Raleigh, and Aaron Vandemark of Panciuto in Hillsborough all for Best Chef/Southeast. Many congrats to all the local semi-finalists. Finalists will be announced March 19.

• So we've got more details this week on Tom Meyer's newest venture over in Durham at the Museum of Life & Science. We now know that it will be called Sprout Café and will feature an extremely popular South American "fresh garden sandwich" known as a Chacarero. The café will also offer barbecue, a variety of fresh deli sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs and vegetarian and gluten free offerings. There are also discussions to operate a "working garden" adjacent to the café that literally "exhibits" food that will be served in the cafe. Look for a mid-March opening of Sprout Café.  

• Over in Raleigh, the New Raleigh blog is reporting this week that Market Restaurant and Escazu Chocolates will be moving to E. Franklin Street (corner of Person Street), adjacent to the future home of Raleigh City Farm. In addition, Market will be adding on a 4,000-square-foot grocery store into the building. The posting also suggests that Yellow Dog Bread Company, a coffee shop, and a few more businesses will be moving to the block as well. Certainly great news for downtown Raleigh, and the Mordecai area in particular. Read the full article here. 

• And just on the heels of the recent opening of Respite Coffee & Café over in Durham, we got word this week from Carpe Durham that Durham is going to soon get another coffee shop brought to you by the folks behind Bike Coffee Durham and Cocoa Cinnamon. They will very shortly announce a location and start a kickstarter campaign to help. We'll keep an eye on it.   

• Also over in Durham, and while we are on the subject of tasty beverages, Carpe Durham posted this week that Ninth Street is getting a new juice bar and café called Full Lotus. It will be a full service juice and smoothie bar that also offers organic, local, raw, and vegan foods on and off site. Get more details here.    

• There have been a number of great additions to the Triangle that have opened their doors in recent months that would be worth adding to your list of new places to try. The first is Cholanad Restaurant & Bar which opened in November in the former Cyprus on the Hill location on West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. It is a contemporary, Southern Indian concept. Check them out here. 

• Staying in Chapel Hill, another great addition is Tracy's New York Deli on Elliott Road. Tracy, and husband Scott, have met great success in their first few months of being open. If you are looking for an authentic New York-style deli, this is well worth a visit, or two, or three...Check them out here.

• And finally over in Raleigh, take your taste buds to South America and the fantastic wines and cuisine of Argentina at VinosFinos y Picada located in the Lafayette Village Shopping Center. Check them out here.     

• Speaking of traveling, if your travels take you out through RDU, the N&O reported this morning that there are a few more options for your palette. Starbucks and Red Star Lounge have opened in Raleigh-Durham International Airport's Terminal A. The two are next to each other near Gate A24. Red Star Lounge offers lunch and dinner fare, as well as domestic and international beers, wine and spirits.   

• If you haven't been to Joel Lane's Public House located in the Glenwood South district of Raleigh, now might be the time. We learned this week that they have a new chef - Carlos Burgos. The menu is the same, but he is doing a lot to revamp specials and the usual menu items. Get more details here.    

• After only a few months open, the Rex's Chicken in Wakefield Crossing has closed. But with that bad news comes news of a new establishment right next door. Sergio's Pizza has opened next door in the former Hot Dogs & More location. According to my buddy John, aka Triangle Explorer, it looks like your traditional pizzeria with orders placed at a counter and open booth seating.    

• Listen up food truck junkies, the first weekend in March, Chirba Chirba and Pie Pushers will join the folks at Coon Rock Farm, near Hillsborough, to serve up a locally-sourced lunch of dumplings and pizza using meat, produce and eggs from the farm. On Saturday, March 3 the trucks will be in Durham in front of Motorco and on Sunday, March 4 they will park at Cliff's Meat Market in Carrboro. Get more details here.   

• And speaking of food trucks, there is a new kid "almost" on the block. American Meltdown will become the latest food truck on the Triangle scene with an official "rolling" date of March 11 (but with a few special appearances before that). The truck will be serving gourmet melts & grilled cheese sandwiches from the truck they affectionately call 'The Big Cheese.' Get more details on their website here or their Facebook page here.      

• While the extremely popular Italian Wine Lunch happening today at Zely & Ritz is sold out, don't fear as there will be another one on Friday, March 16th (details to come). The cost is just $15. And if you can't wait that long, they've got a Big Boss Beer Dinner on Thursday, March 1st for just $49. Check out the details here.    

• The World Beer Festival returns to downtown Raleigh's Moore Square on April 14th. Tickets for the festival go on sale next Mondy, Feb. 27 for All About Beer subscribers and to the general public on March 5. Get your tickets here. The festival has two four-hour sessions (noon- 4 pm and 6-10 pm) Admission to a single session is $40 in advance and $50 on the day of the event, if available. VIP tickets are $75 per session and include a World Beer Festival commemorative glass, an upscale food buffet (hot catered meal), a private hospitality area, a separate entrance, private restrooms, a gift bag, and extra special beers not available at the brewers' tables.

• Looks like that won't be Raleigh's only "beer" event in April. This one is called Brewgaloo and will feature local craft beer, local food trucks and live music. The event takes place on April 28th in downtown Raleigh's City Plaza. No cover charge, but at the event you can either purchase a 3 oz. tasting for 1 beer buck, or a pint for 5 beer bucks. And right now through March 20th you can purchase $25 in beer bucks for just $20. Check out their Facebook page for details! Or the Shop Local Raleigh website here.   

• Here's a big-time "foodie" event that just keeps getting bigger - the Urban Ministries of Durham Empty Bowls fundraiser. This year's event will be held March 8, from 5:30 to 8 pm at the Armory. The eleven restaurants participating this year will include: Guglhupf, Revolution, L'Uva, Papa Mojo's, Thrills from the Grill, Watts Grocery, Blu Seafood, Whole Foods, Toast, Saladelia Café, and Mad Hatter Café and Bakeshop. This year's event will be complemented by a 'food truck afterparty' at Fullsteam and will feature the following trucks: Pie Pushers, Will & Pops, The Parlour, Chirba Chirba, Klausie's Pizza, Only Burger, and Farmhand Foods Sausage Wagon. Trucks will be ready to serve starting at 7:30 pm and each truck is creating a special dish for the evening that will fit in a bowl.  All of the trucks are donating 10% of their proceeds that night to the event. Tickets for the Armory event are $30 for soup with a pottery bowl to take home or $15 for just soup. The afterparty at Fullsteam is free. Get all the details here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - February 17, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• I'm trying not to drool on my keyboard as I type this, but thanks to the good folks over at Downtown Durham, Inc. we got word this week that Lilly's Pizza (in Raleigh's Five Points area) is planning to open a second location in the old Pop's space, adjacent to Morgan Imports, in downtown Durham. If you have never ventured over to try a pie at Lilly's, you are in for a real treat. Put it on your list!

• And if that is not enough great news for the Brightleaf shopping district, just this week the much anticipated Respite Café & Coffee Bar opened at 115 N. Duke Street. The café's faire will be sourced as much as possible from local vendors and features Carrboro Coffee Roasters coffee and a wide variety of loose-leaf teas. Stop in and pay them a visit or visit them online here.

• The N&O reported this week that the Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham is about to flex its dining muscle with a number of additions to its line-up. First, Chipotle Mexican Grill will move into the Mitchell's Hair Styling location in the lower level. Also, Frozia, a frozen yogurt shop, will move into space being constructed in the lower-level Sears wing. And finally, Charley's Grilled Subs (which used to have a shop on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh) will join the food court serving up made-to-order subs.

• Also over in Durham, there is a new Mexican eatery called El Coyote just two miles from Hwy. 70 on Hwy 98 at 3801 Wake Forest Road. The initial reviews are that it is well worth the visit. Check them out on Facebook here. 

• And before we "leave" Durham, an update to a post in last week's blog - Tom Meyer, the owner of The Q Shack at North Hills in Raleigh, is on the verge of introducing a new concept in the café at the Museum of Life & Science (he hasn't even announced the concept's name yet!). He is currently in a temporary location in the main building offering a light lunch fare, but will take over the café on the museum campus. Expect a diverse menu that will go well beyond barbecue. It will feature local favorites like Locopops, Neomonde and others as well as a menu that is extremely diverse. Many of the offerings will be locally sourced as well as items actually grown on site. Stay tuned, as we know anything Tom does is nothing but good!

• Over in Raleigh, the Ballymor Irish Pub, which closed right around the first of the year over at 909 Spring Forest Road in Raleigh, has reopened as Saints and Scholars Irish Pub. It appears as if the only major change is ownership, as chef Sean Mullen, who hails from Roscommon, Ireland, remains at the helm serving up authentic Irish food. Check them out on Facebook here (they've got a coupon for a free appetizer!).  or on their regular website here. 

• Good news for wing lovers in West Raleigh and Cary. Wild Wing Café will open on March 9th in the former Jack Astor's location on Walnut Street (in the BJ's shopping center). This will be the restaurant's second area location, as the first is at Brier Creek. Check them out here.  

• Also in Cary, thanks to a tip from my friend Theresa Elek, we got word this week that Gigi's Cupcakes, located in Waverly Place, opened their doors last Friday. This marks the third Triangle-area location for Gigi's. Visit them online here. 

• Got a tweet from Carole this week that Sola Coffee, an independent, locally owned coffee shop in the tradition of the European coffee bar culture, is getting set to open in North Raleigh on Lead Mine Road next to the Sawmill Tap Room. Not much on their website yet, but here it is. 

• And just when you thought Guglhupf couldn't get any better, we get news this week that executive chef Dave Alworth and restaurant manager Cam Davis, will be leaving for a 'culinary fact-finding trip' to Austria in late February. They'll be in Austria for about 10 days, visiting some great wineries and exploring all things culinary. Can't wait to see what they bring back!

• According to the N&O's Andrea Weigl, Steven Devereaux Greene has been named executive chef of An restaurant in Cary. Greene has spent the last several years working at Herons, the restaurant at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary. Still no word on where Michael Chuong, the original executive chef at An, will end up. We'll keep an eye on that.

• And in surprising news, after only a four-month run, the Sir Pizza in Morrisville has closed. The store was located at the intersection of Davis Drive and McCrimmon Parkway.

• We've got a couple of new food trucks on the scene in the Triangle - Hibachi Xpress and Martin's Curry Rice. On Twitter, find Hibachi Xpress here and Martin's Curry Rice here  or on Facebook here and here.  

• The World Beer Festival returns to downtown Raleigh's Moore Square on April 14th. Tickets for the festival go on sale Feb. 27 for All About Beer subscribers and to the general public on March 5. Get your tickets here. The festival has two four-hour sessions (noon- 4 pm and 6-10 pm) Admission to a single session is $40 in advance and $50 on the day of the event, if available. VIP tickets are $75 per session and include a World Beer Festival commemorative glass, an upscale food buffet (hot catered meal), a private hospitality area, a separate entrance, private restrooms, a gift bag, and extra special beers not available at the brewers' tables. 

• Here's a big-time "foodie" event that just keeps getting bigger - the Urban Ministries of Durham Empty Bowls fundraiser. This year's event will be held March 8, from 5:30 to 8 pm at the Armory. The eleven restaurants participating this year will include: Guglhupf, Revolution, L'Uva, Papa Mojo's, Thrills from the Grill, Watts Grocery, Blu Seafood, Whole Foods, Toast, Saladelia Café, and Mad Hatter Café and Bakeshop. This year's event will be complemented by a 'food truck afterparty' at Fullsteam and will feature the following trucks: Pie Pushers, Will & Pops, The Parlour, Chirba Chirba, Klausie's Pizza, Only Burger, and Farmhand Foods Sausage Wagon. Trucks will be ready to serve starting at 7:30 pm and each truck is creating a special dish for the evening that will fit in a bowl.  All of the trucks are donating 10% of their proceeds that night to the event. Tickets for the Armory event are $30 for soup with a pottery bowl to take home or $15 for just soup. The afterparty at Fullsteam is free. Get all the details here.  

• And this is pretty cool. The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) announced this week that Chris Moutos, a server at Taverna Agora Greek Restaurant & Bar, was named the 2012 Restaurant Employee of Year. It was Moutos' service outside of the restaurant that made NCRLA board members take notice. He serves as chair of the City of Raleigh Human Relations Commission, editor & account manager of The Raleigh Downtowner Magazine and is a member of the steering committee for the Youth Leadership Academy of Wake County. I'd say that guy stays pretty busy! Congrats to Chris.

Friday Fun Food Facts - February 10, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• So here's some big news...Tom Meyer, the owner of The Q Shack at North Hills in Raleigh, is on the verge of introducing a new concept in the café at the Museum of Life & Science. He is currently in a temporary location in the main building offering a light lunch fare, but will take over the café on the museum campus. Expect a diverse menu that will go well beyond barbecue. It will feature local favorites like Locopops, Neomonde and others as well as a menu that is extremely diverse. Many of the offerings will be  locally sourced as well as items actually grown on site. Stay tuned.

• Also over in Durham, the much anticipated Buffalo Wild Wings is now open across from the Streets at Southpoint on Fayetteville Road. This is the third Triangle location for Buffalo Wild Wings - with locations in Garner and Knightdale. Also of note, their webiste lists Morrisville as "Opening Soon" - we'll keep an eye on it. 

• The News & Observer's Andrea Weigl reported this week that Taste, a new American-style tapas restaurant, opened in the former GAKS teahouse location just off Dixie Trail on Medlin Drive in Raleigh. Check them out here. 

• Weigl also reported this week that Empire Eats, the local restaurant group that owns The Raleigh Times Bar, Gravy, Sitti and The Pit, is buying the former Hideaway BBQ location on Capital Boulevard. Greg Hatem plans to use the space to operate his catering kitchen, which opens up anticipation of what will become of the former Duck & Dumpling restaurant on Moore Square in downtown Raleigh (which has been operating as his catering kitchen). We will keep an eye on it.

• Brian and Beth Sloss will host a grand opening celebration of Menchie's, a self-serve frozen yogurt shop, at Waverly Place in Cary on Saturday. This store follows on the heels of the Raleigh location which opened back in December. And this won't be the last. There is one in the works over in Durham at Woodcroft Shopping Center. This Saturday there will be free yogurt from 11 am to 2 pm, as well as free T-shirts for the first 50 children and gift bags for the first 50 customers in line. Visit their Facebook page or their regular site here. 

•  The TGI Fridays at the Beaver Creek Commons Shopping Center in Apex has closed. The restaurant was located at 1140 Beaver Creek Commons Dr. It will be interesting to see who goes into that space. But don't fret if you are a TGIF fan, there are still 4 other Triangle area locations.

• Looking for a unique place to take your Valentine next Tuesday? Why not the Carrboro's Farmers Market? From 5:30 to 9:30 pm the market is hosting a "lovely" food truck rodeo with a portion of the proceeds going to Table and they'll be accepting nonperishable food donations for the Inter-Faith Council for Social Services. The trucks that will be on hand include: Baguettaboutit, Cocoa Cinnamon, Chirba Chirba, Parlez-Vous Crepe and Monuts Donuts.

• Looking to make your Valentine's dining plans in Durham (and why not?), then look no further than a great guide put together by the folks over at Carpe Durham. 

• And speaking of Valentines, if you don't have plans yet for Valentine's Day, Taste Carolina has you covered. They will be holding two food tours that will include dinner, drinks, dessert and chocolate boxes! The tours will take place on February 14th from 5:15 until 8 p.m. in both Raleigh and Durham. Here are some of the restaurants that you'll be visiting on this tour - Raleigh: 18 Seaboard, Market, Escazu, Piebird, Tyler's Taproom, Calavera, Sitti, Chuck's, Beasley's, Jibarra, C Grace, Foundation, Draft, Natty Greene's, Raleigh Wine Shop. Durham: Revolution, L'Uva, Tyler's Taproom, Toast, Bull City Burger & Brewery, Piedmont, Dos Perros, Beyu. 

• Raleigh's Mandolin Restaurant is hosting their first wine dinner on February 22nd. The dinner will feature world renowned wine importer Peter Weygandt and the cost is $140 per person + tax & gratuity. Space is limited, so call 919.322.0368 or email them here or visit them on Facebook here. 

• Does the thought of regionally inspired foods paired with NC wines appeal to you? Then you'll want to mark your calendar for February 22nd at the Washington Duke Inn (the Fairview Dining Room) where Chef Jason Cunningham will do just that with Murphy Moore of Shelton Vineyards. The dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and costs $55 per person, plus tax and gratuity ($10 less for members). Seating is limited and reservations can be made by calling 919.493.6699.

• Congratulations are in order for the Carolina Inn and its Carolina Crossroads Restaurant for having been awarded AAA's prestigious 2012 Four Diamond ratings. It marks the 15th consecutive hotel honor and 10th straight restaurant recognition. Kudos to both the restaurant and the hotel.

• Now this is interesting. Thanks to John, aka Triangle Explorer, who saw this on Craig's List. If you've ever thought of owning your own wine bar, here is a pretty good opportunity. Apparently the Niche Wine Lounge in Holly Springs is for sale. Get more details here from the Craig's List ad and visit their website here.

• And we close again with another goody to add to your calendar. As part of National Pancake Day IHOP will host its seventh annual National Pancake Day free pancake giveaway on Tuesday, February 28th from 7 - 10 a.m. at restaurants nationwide. Each guest can enjoy a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes and make an optional contribution to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities. Get the details here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - February 3, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  Every year the N&O's Greg Cox puts together his "Best Restaurants of the Year" list. It is kind of like the Oscars for foodies throughout the Triangle. He also announces his "Restaurant of the Year" as part of this list. It truly is a remarkable list of restaurants and fun to scroll through. I won't steal any of Greg's thunder with his list, so you'll have to check it out here. Well done.

• There is no rest for the folks over at Rocky Top Hospitality. Fast on the heels of the huge opening of Rockwell's over in Cary, they announced this week that they are now operating the cafe located on the 4th floor of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. And if that is not enough, as part of the adjoining Nature Research Center, which will open April 20th, Rocky Top will also operate their cafe which will have sidewalk tables. And it is possible that this concept will open prior to the Center's opening. Anyone want to "try" and guess what concept Rocky Top will introduce there?   

• And speaking of downtown Raleigh, according to the N&O's Andrea Weigl, Oro Restaurant and Lounge, a new tapas restaurant, should open this spring at the corner of Martin and Wilmington streets on the ground floor of the RBC Plaza. Read Andrea's article here. Visit Oro's website here.     

• For those that loved the Flying Burrito over in Chapel Hill, we have good news for you. We have confirmed that they will re-open over in Raleigh in the former location of Lynwood Grill at 4821 Grove Barton Rd - adjacent to the Raleigh Grande movie theatre. No word yet on an open date, but we'll keep you posted.    

• Over in Carrboro, the former Johnny's in Carrboro has reopened as Johnny's Gone Fishing, and they are returning to their roots as a gathering spot in this "edition" of Johnny's. While they officially opened back in December, it wasn't until January that they started to hit full stride. Johnny's Gone Fishing is again becoming a social hub and gathering spot. Check in with them on their Facebook page here. 

• Also, next door in Chapel Hill, the Daily Tar Heel has updated us on a couple of restaurant tidbits. Front Porch Bar & Grill closed its Franklin Street doors on Wednesday, but it won't be gone for long. According to initial information, they will be simply moving the establishment from 143 E. Franklin Street to a retail strip or mall location almost immediately. Town permitting is the only hold up at this point. We'll keep an eye on it.   

• And the Daily Tar Heel has confirmed that after a seven-year hiatus, the Mellow Mushroom is in fact making a return to Chapel Hill - this time in the former Ham's location (something we reported a couple of weeks ago). The Chapel Hill location is co-owned by Karen Halsey, who is also a co-owner of the Raleigh location. They hope to be open by the time the students return in the fall.    

• Full Street Wings Cafe, a wings catering concept, will hold its its official launch on February 8th from 12-2 p.m. at The Cotton Room at 807 E. Main Street in Durham's Golden Belt. Get more details on the event here.  

• Over in Raleigh, according to the News & Observer, Baskin-Robbins is re-opening its store in Cameron Village. To celebrate, they are hosting a grand re-opening from noon to 4 p.m.  this Saturday (February 4). Be sure to stop by.   

• And speaking of grand openings, Weinberg's The Delicatessen will be holding their grand opening celebration February 10, 11 & 12 over in Raleigh. Weinberg's is located in the Northridge Shopping Center at 6016 Falls of the Neuse Road. Get all the grand opening details here.   

• Got word this week that Captain Poncho's Tacos of Carrboro is selling their food truck business. That's the bad news. The good news is that they will continue to operate their Tienda Don Poncho over on Mt. Carmel Church Road in Chapel Hill. Visit their Facebook page here.    

• Following our posting last week about the pending opening of Camos Brothers Pizza in Chapel Hill, one of our readers informed us that Camos Brothers Pizza also opened another location on Capital Blvd, next to Best Buy & Triangle Town Center. The address is 6087 Capital Blvd. Check them out on Facebook here.

• In the "rumor of the week" file, we'll go ahead and throw this one out there because we think it has legs, but we'll keep an eye on it for you. This week's rumor is that there will be a Bonefish Grill opening close to The Streets at Southpoint in Durham. It will be located in the same shopping center as the new Aldi grocery store. We'll continue to watch this. Bonefish already has locations in Cary and Raleigh. Check them out here.    

• A congratulations goes out to the folks at Carolina Brewery as they celebrate their 17th year in business. Sadly, I'm old enough to remember their opening on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. And they operate a second location in Pittsboro. The will be celebrating all next week beginning on Sunday with a slew of events including the release of a limited edition Anniversary Ale on Tuesday. The best detail of all the celebrations is in the Chapel Hill Magazine blog here.     

• Food trucks are about to start rolling into Chapel Hill...providing they follow a few rules (its Chapel Hill, right?). Anyway, the N&O has the latest on the newest Triangle community to open its streets to the food truck craze. Read the article here.

• As  a follow-up to keep the rumors flowing around the pending return of Chip Smith (formerly with Bonne Soiree), we have an update. Approached at his cooking class last Sunday about his return to the area, one of my Twitter friends, Matthew, inquired and found out that there is a "partnership" possibly forming with Celebrity Dairy where Chip has been returning to do special dinners. We will continue to watch during this 'dating phase.' Stay tuned.    

• If you are looking for a place to grab lunch today while supporting a good cause, you might want to trek over to our friends in downtown Durham's Ninth Street Bakery. They will be hosting their first 10% day of the year to benefit Earth Share of North Carolina. To find out more information on Earth Share, visit their Facebook page here. To find out more on Ninth Street Bakery, visit them here.  

• Looking to make your Valentine's dining plans in Durham (and why not?), then look no futher than a great guide put together by the folks over at Carpe Durham. 

• And speaking of Valentines, if you don't have plans yet for Valentine's Day, Taste Carolina has you covered. They will be holding two food tours that will include dinner, drinks, dessert and chocolate boxes! The tours will take place on February 14th from 5:15 until 8 p.m. in both Raleigh and Durham. Here are some of the restaurants that you'll be visiting on this tour - Raleigh: 18 Seaboard, Market, Escazu, Piebird, Tyler's Taproom, Calavera, Sitti, Chuck's, Beasley's, Jibarra, C Grace, Foundation, Draft, Natty Greene's, Raleigh Wine Shop. Durham: Revolution, L'Uva, Tyler's Taproom, Toast, Bull City Burger & Brewery, Piedmont, Dos Perros, Beyu. Sign-up and get more information here.

• Raleigh's Mandolin Restaurant is hosting their first wine dinner on February 22nd. The dinner will feature world renowned wine importer Peter Weygandt and the cost is $140 per person + tax & gratuity. Space is limited, so call 919.322.0368 or email them. Get more information here.  

• Cafe Helios, located in the Glenwood South District in Raleigh, will host a brunch titled Blend on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 10 am. Chef Justin Johnson will prepare a five-course brunch, including crab and sweet corn chowder, and roasted heirloom beets with Raleigh's Videri brand chocolate served with homemade ricotta and micro greens. Five Counter Culture coffees will be brewed using five methods (they'll go into detail on each method and be available to answer any questions). Tickets to Helios' Blend brunch are $30 and available at the restaurant.

• If you or someone you love requires a gluten-free diet, you might want to sign up for this. Lucky 32 in Cary will be hosting a Gluten Free Cooking Class (over lunch) on Saturday, February 4 from 11 to 1. You'll learn 5 great recipes that you'd never know are gluten free. He'll also talk about good ways to convert existing recipes to gluten-free alternatives. And in addition to lunch and a cocktail, you'll receive souvenir recipe cards and chances at give away door prizes. The cost is $39 per person (includes tax and gratuity). For reservations, please call Lara Yerges at Lucky 32 in Cary at 919.233.1632 or email her.  Get more information here.  

• Mark your calendar for an event that will feature seven local star chefs from renowned restaurants that will compete for the title and bragging rights of Shrimp and Grits Champion in the inaugural Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chefs' Throwdown on Saturday, February 25 from 1-4 pm at The Carolina Inn. The competing chefs (as of now) feature Jeremy Blankenship, chef at Tyler's Tap Room; Trey Cleveland, executive chef of Top of the Hill; Adam Cobb, executive chef of Glasshalfull; Bret Jennings, executive chef and owner of Elaine's on Franklin; Vimala Rajendran, executive chef and owner of Vimala's Curry Blossom Cafe; Jimmy Reale, executive chef of Carolina Crossroads Restaurant and Bar; and Adam Rose, executive chef of Il Palio.Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased online here.

• And we close with another goody to add to your calendar. As part of National Pancake Day IHOP will host its seventh annual National Pancake Day free pancake giveaway on Tuesday, February 28th from 7 - 10 a.m. at restaurants nationwide. Each guest can enjoy a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes and make an optional contribution to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities. Learn more here.   

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Two Big Announcements

I want to pause for a second and thank all of my clients and all of my readers. My business - Triangle Food Guy - celebrates its one year anniversary tomorrow - February 4. It was one year ago that I launched this crazy business and it has been amazing. I have some of the most loyal clients that make it a blast to work with every day. I love all of you! Thanks!

And, this blog has become a beast of its own and is off the charts as far as readership. And to be honest, there is not any reason everyone in the entire Triangle shouldn't be reading this blog. To that end, we are "officially" giving it its own identity and name - Friday Fun Food Facts. Thanks to Seamus, Jeff and the team over at Liaison Design Group (who do all my work) we've created the following logo that you'll see starting next week. Thanks to all my readers and followers both on this blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. Thanks for all your support!