Friday Fun Food Facts - March 30, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• George Bakatsias' newest concept - City Kitchen - is set to open this Sunday, April 1st (no joke) in the former Spice Street location in University Mall in Chapel Hill. Keep up with all of George's restaurants here. 

• This past Monday the doors (finally) opened at Hurricane Grill & Wings in Cary in the Shoppes of Kildaire (Trader Joe's and Staples). Stop in then to check out North Carolina's first edition of this concept. More details here.

• Food trucks keep getting cooler and cooler. And this latest concept, which will launch on May 2, is truly unique. Called LoMo Market, envision a book mobile concept in which customers will walk through a 'mini-mobile farmers market' where they will have local meat, fish, eggs, dairy, produce, flowers, and grab-and-go items for the convenience factors. Go to their website to get more information and to “lobby” to get the LoMo Market to come close to you! Best of luck to Guenevere!

• Cary continues to churn out new restaurants, with the latest being E.J.’s Soul Food opening at 140 E. Chatham Street in the heart of downtown. I was unable to locate a website for the restaurant, but we’ll continue to monitor it. Thanks to the N&O for the tip.

• Thanks to our friends over at Chapel Hill Magazine, we learned last week that the Town Hall Grill in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village is under new ownership. David Sadeghi and Travis Grant took over a little over a month ago. Check out their website here or their Facebook page here.   

• And over in Durham, in the Woodcroft Shopping Center, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt had their grand opening celebration this past week. Get more details on Menchie’s here. 

• We also got word this week, thanks to my buddy Keri, that Roly Poly in Preston’s Corner in Cary is for sale. Looking into this a little more, we understand the owners are simply selling the lease, and it is likely that a new concept will be coming into that space. We’ll keep an eye on it for you.

• We are exactly a month away from the opening of Travinia Italian Kitchen in Morrisville. The restaurant is located in the sprawling Park West Village at the corner of Cary Parkway and Chapel Hill Road. You can keep up with them via Facebook here or their regular website here.    

• It also appears as if Pittsboro is not far from getting a new restaurant that will continue the area’s shift toward more and more “farm to table” concepts. Chef Brendan Fox of Fig Tree Farms will be opening a restaurant in the Chatham Mills property (same complex as the co-op grocery store Chatham Marketplace). We’ll keep an eye on it for you.

• Speaking of local, ‘tis the season to start hitting up the local farmers’ markets again and I can’t wait. And with the unusually warm weather we have been enjoying, strawberries are coming in earlier than usual. So be sure to check out your favorite market here to see what new things they are offering this spring (earlier hours, guest chefs, Easter egg hunts, etc.) 

• Think you are pretty good with the pig? Well, here is your chance to shine - the first ever Carolina Pork Experiment - an amateur cook-off pitting North Carolina’s finest, most committed, and passionate home chefs against one another. The Carolina Pork Experiment will be held at Motorco (723 Rigsbee Avenue, Durham) on Sunday April 15th from noon - 3 pm. Anyone can compete. All you have to do is sign up through their website. Tickets are $10 and include a Brooklyn Brewery Beer. The grand prize winner gets a trip to Brooklyn, NY courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery to compete in the National Championship! 

• Chipotle Mexican Grill is rolling out an Earth Day promotion that will net you a free meal on Earth Day on April 22nd. So here’s the deal - purchase one of their recycled lunch bags ($18) and you’ll receive a code for a free burrito, bowl, salad or taco. The only catch is that you must purchase the bag prior to April 14. Check out all the details here.  

• And we close this edition with an interesting food tid-bit about America’s favorite past-time - baseball. In reading up on the latest food trends this week I ran across a two-foot long hot dog with one pound of meat being offered this season at the Texas Ranger’s ballpark. The cost? A mere $26! A bit pricey, but perhaps you could feed the entire family! I guess everything in Texas is bigger! So, should you find yourself at a Rangers’ game, don’t forget your hat, your baseball glove and a fork...lift! Perhaps our Durham Bulls or Carolina Mudcats will pick up this item. Read more here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 23, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Over in Durham, Tom Meyer's latest concept is now open at the Museum of Life & Science in Durham. Called Sprout Café, Meyer's latest effort presents a very different menu than his popular Q Shack location in Raleigh's North Hills complex. The menu features sandwiches, wraps, paninis, burgers and of course, a plate of good ol' Q! Check out their full menu, including breakfast, here.

• And speaking of museums, the latest concept out of the Rocky Top Hospitality Group is just under a month away. They will operate The Daily Planet Café when the new wing of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences opens on April 20th. We haven't seen a menu yet, but do know there will be sidewalk seating at what is sure to be one of the major draws for downtown Raleigh. We will keep you posted.

• And speaking of Rocky Top Hospitality, we learned this week that the space formerly occupied by The Red Room on Glenwood South is currently being remodeled and will open in about two months. We can't tell you just yet what the new space will yield, but we'll keep you posted.

• We got word last night that The Original Flying Burrito, slated to open in the former Lynwood Grill location in Raleigh, is shooting for an opening around April 2nd. We'll continue to keep an eye on it or you. At this point they are just waiting on the inspector and permits. Keep up with them on Facebook here. 

• We also got word this week on an official open date for George Bakatsias' newest concept - City Kitchen. It will open on April 1st (no joke) in the former Spice Street location in University Mall in Chapel Hill. I'm fortunate enough to be heading to a preview event there next week and will keep you posted! Keep up with all of George's restaurants here. 

• In Raleigh, Sola Coffee Cafe has opened in Greystone Village at Sawmill and Lead Mine roads. It holds a grand opening celebration this Saturday (March 24), starting at 2 pm, with free samples of coffees, smoothies and doughnuts.  Get more information here.  

• Also on Saturday (March 24), the Hibachi China Buffet will open in the former Golden Corral location at 2909 Millbrook Road, near the intersection with Capital Boulevard in Raleigh. This is Triangle's third location with the others being at 111 Shannon Oaks in Cary and 3720 Mayfair St. in Durham.

• And not to be forgotten (how could you), Lumpy's Ice Cream holds their official grand opening this Saturday (March 24) with an official ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Best of luck to Buck Buchanan. Get all the details on their site here.  

• This Sunday (March 25), It's a Grind Coffee House returns to Cary. Opening day specials will feature 50% off all made-to-order drinks and brewed coffee. It's a Grind is located at the intersection of High House Road and Davis Drive in Cary.  Get more information here.  

• Back over in Durham things got a bit greener a few weeks ago as Doolin's Irish Pub opened in the former Green Tango/Greyson's Café location on Shannon Road (same building as G2B). Not much on their website yet, but here it is anyway. And from what we understand, there is the potential to open one more restaurant in that same building. Let us know if you are interested!

• And if starting a restaurant from scratch seems a bit daunting, we learned this week that Francesca's Dessert Caffe on Ninth Street is for sale. If you are at all interested, please contact my buddy Mike at 919.460.0100.

• And over in Wake Forest this week, The Fire Pit BBQ Smokehouse opened this past Tuesday in the Gateway Commons shopping center. Thanks to William, owner of Shorty's Famous Hot Dogs, for this tip. Get more information on Fire Pit here.  

• I was in Chapel Hill's Southern Village this week and saw that a new Tutti Frutti is opening there in the village circle just a few doors down from Pazzo! (Please don't tell my kids!) The only other Triangle area location is over on Shannon Road in Durham. More information here.  

• Speaking of sweet goodies, thanks to a tip from Nancy we learned that Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream opened earlier this month out in Angier. They are located on Highway 55 South. Get more details here. 

• Thanks to a tip this week from my friends over at Cranky Diners, we got word that the breakfast, brunch and lunch concept Another Broken Egg Cafe will be opening up two Triangle area locations. The first will be on Erwin Road in Durham near Duke Hospital and the second will be on Market Center Drive in Morrisville. No word yet on a time frame, but we'll keep you posted. Get more details on the concept here.

- - - - - -

• Here are a few upcoming wine and beer dinners across the Triangle: 

• Join chef Martin Sreshta of Martin's Curry Rice for a beer dinner on March 26th at his store in Morrisville. The dinner will feature four of Rogue's "grow-your-own" certified line of beers. The dinner will feature dishes inspired by Martin's recent visit to India. Email or call 919-380-7799 to make your reservation. More details on his Facebook page here. 

• Raleigh's Capital Club 16 is doing special dinners on the last Sunday of each month. The next one is 7 pm March 25 featuring Foothills Brewing, Heritage Farms and Videri Chocolate Factory. The three-course meal with hors d'oeuvres and beer pairings costs $45 per person. See the menu and all the details online here. 

• Big Boss is teaming up with Best Cheese for an evening of food and beer pairings (featuring 10 different Big Boss beers) on the evening of Wednesday, April 11th. The cost is $21 and includes a Big Boss sampling glass, food samples and beer samples. Get more details here. 

• Jujube restaurant in Chapel Hill is offering a four-course dinner with wine pairings  from the Paul Hobbs Winery. It will be 7 pm on March 28. Go here for the menu. Call 960-0555 for a reservation. It costs $57.50. 

• Weathervane, the restaurant at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, is offering a five-course dinner featuring wines from Gil Family Estates at 7 pm Wednesday, March 28. Get details and menu here. It costs $70. To make a reservation, call 929-9466. 

• Pazzo! in Chapel Hill is offering a five-course dinner with wine pairings from Ferraton winery in France's Rhone Valley. All the wines being served scored 90 points or more by the Wine Spectator. The dinner is 7 pm Wednesday, March 28. It costs $95. Call 929-9984 for a reservation. For more information about the restaurant, go here. 

- - - - -

• And with the warm weather returning, it means all the area farmers' markets are getting back into full swing. NCSU has put together a very comprehensive list (with links to websites) of area farmers' markets. Check it out here.

• And speaking of marking your calendars, Larry's Beans is hosting another one of their tours in April. Trust me, this will fill up...and fast. So jump on it if you want to enjoy this "behind the scenes" opportunity. The one in April is scheduled for Saturday, April 14th at 11:30. While there, you'll enjoy lots of treats and coffee, live music and Big Boss beer. Check out the event on Facebook here. 
  
  
• And speaking of great, local farmers, we close with an announcement about one of my favorite events of the year. The dates for the 17th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour are Saturday and Sunday, April 28 & 29 from 1-5 pm each day. This is a great way to get up close and personal with a wide variety of local farms. Mark your calendars now and get more information here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 16, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Triangle Food Guy is proud to welcome the newest member to our line-up - Yucatan Cantina Catering. Spice up your next lunch meeting with some great Mexican buffets from Yucatan. View their entire catering menu here.

• We got some great news out of Cary this week. It's a Grind Coffee House will be reopening their doors on Sunday, March 25th. Opening day specials will feature 50% off all made-to-order drinks and brewed coffee. It's a Grind is located at the intersection of High House Road and Davis Drive in Cary. Get more information here. 

• According to the N&O, Krispy Krunchy Chicken has opened at Northgate Mall in Durham. It's owned and operated by Mohamed Saleh, who recently opened Jake's Wayback Burgers at both Northgate and Tanger Outlets in Mebane. The restaurant offers chicken wings and Cajun-inspired sides such as red beans and rice, and jambalaya. Check them out here.

• And speaking of burgers, Village Burgers has opened in Chapel Hill's University Mall. Village is the latest concept to be introduced by George Bakatsias who also operates Spice Street in the same mall. Spice Street is closing this month to make way for Bakatsias' newest concept, City Kitchen. View Village Burgers' menu here.

• We got word this week that the former Rex's Chicken in Wakefield is becoming Tejano's Grill serving up Tex Mex. And we just got word that it is already open. Give them a try!

• Also in the N&O, a new restaurant has opened at 700 E. Williams St. in Apex called Yamato. It is owned by Van Chi Yueh and Amado Callejas and will serve Japanese steak and seafood and will have a sushi bar. Get more information on their Facebook page here.

• We are just over a week away from the grand opening celebration of Lumpy's Ice Cream which is located at 306 E. Wait Avenue in downtown Wake Forest. Get more details here on their grand opening! 

• Speaking of cold treats, thanks to John, aka  Triangle Explorer, we now know that North Raleigh has a new frozen yogurt place called Yogo World in Falls River Shopping Center.

• And speaking of another opening, we are now just days away from the opening of Sola Coffee Cafe in North Raleigh. It is located on Leadmine Road in the same shopping center as Sawmill Taproom. Sola hit a slight snag this week, but is looking to open next week. Get more information here on their Facebook page.

• Oops! Last week we told you that Hurricane Grill & Wings opened in Cary in the Shoppes of Kildaire (Trader Joe's and Staples). Well, they haven't opened yet. In fact, they just announced that they're opening day will be March 26th. Stop in then to check out North Carolina's first edition of this concept. More details here.

• It is not too late to make plans to attend the 27th annual Toast to the Triangle being held this Sunday night (March 18) from 6-8:30 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. This is truly a "who's who" list of participating restaurants, bakeries and chefs coming together for a great cause - the Tammy Lynn Center. Tickets are $100. Get more information here.

• It is also not too late to take advantage of the offerings at Z Pizza as part of Gluten Free Month. This month, buy one 10" gluten-free pizza and get the second one half-off. Visit any of the three Triangle locations of Z Pizza. Visit their site here for more information.

• Jibarra Modern Mexican & Tequilla Bar is hosting a Saison-a-Thon Beer Dinner on Wednesday, March 21st at 7 p.m. The dinner will feature 5 Saison-style beers and a four-course meal for $55. Reserve your spot by clicking here, or by calling 919-755-0556.

• Just back from their recent culinary tour in Austria, Guglhupf Bakery & Café is hosting an Austrian Wine Dinner on March 21st at 7 pm. Executive Chef Dave Alworth and manager Cam Davis will host a dinner and wine pairing created from all they learned on their recent trip. Seating is limited. Reservations can be made online here or by calling 919-401-2600.

• Also in Durham, Blu Seafood and Bar is hosting a benefit dinner on March 22, to support 4-year old Preston Winslow's fight against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Tickets are $100 per person and 60 percent of all proceeds will go to the Winslow family. To learn more about Preston's cause, click here. Reservations are required. For more information, call 286-9777. Get menus and more information here. 

• Join chef Martin Sreshta of Martin's Curry Rice for a beer dinner on March 26th at his store in Morrisville. The dinner will feature four of Rogue's "grow-your-own" certified line of beers. The dinner will feature dishes inspired by Martin's recent visit to India. Email or call 919-380-7799 to make your reservation. More details on his Facebook page here.  

• Raleigh's Capital Club 16 is doing special dinners on the last Sunday of each month. The next one is 7 pm March 25 featuring Foothills Brewing, Heritage Farms and Videri Chocolate Factory. The three-course meal with hors d'oeuvres and beer pairings costs $45 per person. See the menu and all the details online here. 

• And speaking of marking your calendars, Larry's Beans is hosting another one of their tours in April. Trust me, this will fill up...and fast. So jump on it if you want to enjoy this "behind the scenes" opportunity. The one in April is scheduled for Saturday, April 14th at 11:30. While there, you'll enjoy lots of treats and coffee, live music and Big Boss beer. Check out the event on Facebook here. 

• And finally, we end with a cool community initiative called Raleigh City Farm, which is transforming an unexpected downtown space into beautiful and nourishing farmland. As part of that effort, they are in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000 in "seed" money. If you'd like to support them, or just to learn more about it, visit them here. 

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 9, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  Now you can get the extremely popular Lumpy's Ice Cream at a place other than various special events around the Triangle. After 11 years, Buck Buchanan has opened a "brick and mortar" location at 306 E. Wait Avenue in downtown Wake Forest. The shop opened last Saturday, and will hold their grand opening celebration on March 24. Check out their website here. 
  
  
• Kemp's Seafood House on Highway 70 between Raleigh is transitioning through some changes. The first is their recent decision to eliminate their lunch-time service - opting just for dinner service (nightly 5-9 p.m.). And the second is that they are looking to sell their current location and move to a smaller space in the immediate vicinity. We'll keep an eye on it. In the meantime, enjoy a delicious seafood dinner here. 
  
  
• Thanks to Andrea Weigl at the N&O I learned about a new Korean French restaurant called KoMo KoMo. It is located in Cary in the Maynard Crossing Shopping Center at 1305 NW Maynard Road. The restaurant is the work of husband-and-wife team, chef Jae Lee and El Ryoo. Get more information on their website here.  

• And in that same shopping center, there is a new Italian restaurant called Paisan's. Paisan is an endearing Italian term meaning friends. Get more information on Paisan's here. 

• Also in Cary, in the heart of downtown, a new wine bar opened at the end of last year called Unwine'd Wine Bar. Unwine'd is the end result of Scott Higginbotham's desire to bring a nice wine bar with jazz music to the area. It is located in the Olde Cary Commons building at the corner of Harrison Avenue and West Chatham Street. They serve about 80 wines by the glass, beer and a tapas menu. Get more information here.  

• Or if you're looking for a new place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year, Cary has you covered in that category as well. According to the N&O, Mahoney's Irish Pub opened this week at the corner of Tryon Road and Cary Parkway. Get all the details here.  

• And before we "leave" Cary, back in January, we told you about Cary getting North Carolina's first Hurricane Grill & Wings. Well, it opened this week in the Shoppes of Kildaire (same shopping center as Staples and Trader Joe's). Check them out here.  
   

• Out in Holly Springs, Little Hen, a farm-to-table restaurant, opened their doors on March 2nd and is in full swing now. And from what we hear, it is well worth the drive. They are located at 5160 Sunset Lake Road. Get all the details here on their website. Also, here is a great write-up in Cary Magazine.  
  
  
• We told you a couple of months ago that Chapel Hill's Flying Burrito had closed and was moving to Raleigh. Then we told you they were opening in the former Lynwood Grill spot by the Raleigh Grand Cinema. Now we are happy to report that they are just weeks away from opening in that location. Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted. Here is a link to their Facebook page and their website.   

• We discovered this week that a North Chapel Hill fixture has closed their doors. J&J's Deli in the Timberlyne Shopping Center closed their doors about two weeks ago. No word yet on a possible replacement.
  
  
• If you ever thought this food truck craze was just a phase we were going through, you better check the current count. According to a list put together by the N&O, the number of food trucks, carts and even bikes in the Triangle has swelled to over 40! Check it out here. They've got links to their sites and Twitter handles.  
  
  
• And speaking of a crazy number of food trucks, if you want to see nearly all of them in one spot, here is your chance...this weekend! It is here! Durham's Central Park is hosting another of their wildly successful Food Truck Rodeos this Sunday (March 11) from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. This will be the largest assembly of food trucks...ever. I can't even list them all - let's just say the current count is at 29 and growing! And if you are truly a food truck junkie, you'll want to go ahead and mark your calendar for the other upcoming Food Truck Rodeos at Durham's Central Park - June 17, August 19, October 28 and December 31! Get all the details here.  

• Raleigh's Capital Club 16 is doing special dinners on the last Sunday of each month. The next one is 7 pm March 25 featuring Foothills Brewing, Heritage Farms and Videri Chocolate Factory. The three-course meal with hors d'oeuvres and beer pairings costs $45 per person. See the menu and all the details online here.  

• And over in Durham at 2002 Hillsborough Road (corner of 9th Street and Hillsborough), Blu Seafood and Bar is hosting two dinners in March. First enjoy a shellfish wine dinner on Wednesday March 14 as Chef Tim Lyons and his team will serve a four-course meal inspired by shellfish. Each dish will be paired with wine from Hope Valley Bottle Shop. Tickets are $45. The second, on March 22, is a benefit dinner to support 4-year old Preston Winslow's fight against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Tickets are $100 per person and 60 percent of all proceeds will go to the Winslow family. To learn more about Preston's cause, click here. Reservations are required for both dinners. For more information, call 286-9777. Get menus and more information here. 

• If you are a fan of Quizno's and a fan of saving a couple of dollars, here is the link for you - a $2 off coupon at Quizno's for any $10 purchase. Use it before it expires on March 14.

• And we close with a "goodbye" to a Triangle restaurant legend. This week we lost an icon with the passing of Jimmy Chris, the owner of Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe in downtown Chapel Hill. Ye Olde will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year.

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 2, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Spice Street in Chapel Hill's University Mall, one of 10 restaurants run by Giorgios Bakastais' restaurant group, will close in mid-March and will be replaced by Bakastais' newest concept - City Kitchen. It will feature "familiar American brasserie fare with locally grown ingredients in a sophisticated, urbane setting." The restaurant will close for renovations in mid-March and re-open in early April. Check out all of Bakastais' restaurants here.

• The much anticipated Blue Mango Indian restaurant opened last week in Raleigh's Glenwood South District. It is located at 222 Glenwood Avenue in the same building as Tobacco Road Sports Café, Dunkin' Donuts and Bruegger's Bagels. Give them a visit here. 

• And in case you were under a rock, the nation's first "double decker" Chick-fil-A opened this week over in Raleigh's Cameron Village. If you are a fan of Chick-fil-A, this one is worth a visit simply because it is one-of-a-kind. Check them out online here.

• Driving down Hillsborough Street this week I noticed that another location of Jasmin Mediterranean Restaurant is opening in the old Wonder Bread Factory across from Meredith College. They should be open in the new location within the next week. Their other locations are at 2430 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh and at 1624 Walnut Stree in Cary. Visit them online here.

• Yard House Restaurants, which has dozens of locations across the country, will open its first North Carolina location later this summer in the Captrust Tower at North Hills. The restaurant offers a large selection of draft beers, American cuisine and an emphasis on classic rock music. Take a peek at them here.

• One of the hottest burger concepts in the country is coming to the Triangle - and specifically the Arboretum at Westin in Cary. BurgerFi, will be serving up locally sourced and natural burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings and natural cane soft drinks and frozen custard. Get more information on BurgerFi here.

• After 18 years as a Chapel Hill staple on East Franklin Street, Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta will soon become Tomato Jake's Pizzeria. The transition will not cause any closure in the restaurant. Look for the transition to be complete by August and the return of the students. The Village Pizza & Pasta location on 15-501 South (just outside of Chapel Hill) was unaffected in the sale. Read the full article in the Daily Tar Heel here.

• Put this on your calendar now! Durham's Central Park is hosting another of their wildly successful Food Truck Rodeos on Sunday March 11 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. This will be the largest assembly of food trucks...ever. I can't even list them all - let's just say the current count is at 29 and growing! And if you are truly a food truck junkie, you'll want to go ahead and mark your calendar for the other upcoming Food Truck Rodeos at Durham's Central Park - June 17, August 19, October 28 and December 31! Get all the details here.

• And speaking of food trucks, if you secretly desire to have your own truck, I read this week on the Carpe Durham site that there is one for sale! For $30k you could own the truck/bus formerly known as The Grilled Cheese Truck. Get all the details here.

• According to The Chapel Hill Weekly, He's Not Here is officially under new ownership as of noon yesterday. Former UNC football player and longtime patron, Matt Mehok and business partner Bennett Roberts are the new owners. But don't expect too many changes, as they have a deep appreciation for its history. However, expect the things that need to be improved, to be improved. 

• Last week we told you that Durham is going to soon get another coffee shop brought to you by the folks behind Bike Coffee Durham and Cocoa Cinnamon. We confirmed this week that it will be located at the corner of Geer and Foster Streets in Durham. We'll continue to watch this.

• Andy's Burgers Shakes & Fries, which has 14 locations scattered around the Triangle, has changed its name to Highway 55 as of last week. Expect to see new signs at the chain's 100 restaurants in the state by the end of the summer. Learn more about Andy's/Highway 55 here.

• Hot Box Pizza, with a location on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, has introduced their limited time (through May 31) "Spring Pizza." The pizza is described as a "nacho-y, melt-in-your-mouth, journey to the center of deliciousness!" Check out Hot Box Pizza here.

• Piedmont Restaurant has a few spaces open for next week's Fullsteam Beer Dinner. If you want to attend, call 919.683.1213 to reserve your spot! But if you miss it, don't fret as they just announced that they will be hosting a wine dinner with Matteo Correggia Wines on Thursday, March 15. Again, call 919.683.1213 to reserve your spot. The cost is $55. Get more details here.    

• Speaking of wine dinners, Fraziers in Raleigh is cranking back up their wine dinners and will have their first on March 6th at 6:30. They have teamed up with the Raleigh Wine Shop and will feature Italian wines (5 wines total) combined with four-plus courses. The cost is $55 (plus tax & gratuity). Call 919.828.6699 to reserve your spot or visit them online here.

• The World Beer Festival returns to downtown Raleigh's Moore Square on April 14th. Tickets for the festival go on sale March 5 to the general public. 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 after-party at Fullsteam is free.

• And yesterday's 80-degree weather has me thinking about ice cream and I have great news! The Maple View Farm ice cream location in downtown Carrboro has re-opened directly across from Weaver Street Market. You can now enjoy 12 flavors as well as organic frozen yogurt. Get more information on Maple View Farm ice cream here.