Friday Fun Food Facts - June 22, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  According to the Triangle Business Journal, WhichWich is again flexing its muscle and popularity with the upcoming opening of its 4th Triangle area location in Raleigh's Cameron Village. WhichWich will open this summer in the former Quizno's location located next to the ABC store. 

• Also in Cameron Village, the Triangle Business Journal is reporting that Uncle Fatty's, which closed recently, will be replaced by a new restaurant concept called Sushi Gami which will serve a combination of sushi and burgers. They plan to open late this summer. 

• And a bit of bad news for those Mellow Mushroom lovers anxiously awaiting the restaurant's return to Chapel Hill...You are going to have to wait a little bit longer. Four more months, according to an article in The Daily Tar Heel. An unanticipated sewer line that runs directly under the outdoor patio is in need of relocation. Assuming there are no other delays, look for an opening toward the end of this year.

• Thanks to another tip from my buddy John, aka Triangle Explorer (you really need to subscribe to his blog), it looks like the old house that was home to The Well on Main Street in downtown Wake Forest, will become The Fig Café & Wine Bar very soon. We don't have an exact date, but we'll (I mean, John) will keep an eye on it for you.

• According to the N&O, the modern-day "gold rush", which appears to be opening a yogurt shop in the Triangle, continues. Over in Durham, Graffiti Frozen Yogurt has opened in the Hope Valley Commons Shopping Center at the corner of 751 and Hwy. 54. Also, Orange Leaf is in the process of opening three more Triangle locations in Raleigh on Lake Boone Trail, in Cary on Wrenn Drive and in Holly Springs on New Hill Road.

• Hibernian Pub has a new executive chef in Dan Yeager. Yeager comes to the Triangle via Chicago, San Antonio and Las Vegas, albeit he is originally from North Carolina. Look for slight changes that will maintain the core menu, but add local ingredients and adding an eclectic twist to the classics. Hibernian has two locations here in the Triangle. Get all the details here. 

• And speaking of beer, if you dig craft breweries do we have good news for you. Well, actually, the N&O's Andrea Weigl has great news for you. She's put together a list of seven (yes, seven) new craft breweries that are in the works and rolling toward opening here in the Triangle. Check it out here. Thanks Andrea!  

• If cooking yourself is your thing, you've got to check out the new summer cooking school calendar that was just released by Southern Season over in Chapel Hill's University Mall. Lots of talented chefs offering some really cool classes. Get all the details here. 

• And then there was one. We are sad to report that the Triangle lost another location of Schlotzsky's this week with the closing of the location out near the airport. My best to father and son team, Walt and Chad Dunn. The sole remaining location of Schlotzsky's is on Hwy. 64 in Apex.

• And in downtown Raleigh's Glenwood South district, Cantina South, which just opened in July of 2011, has closed. However, a visit to their site suggests that it will re-open later this summer under new ownership. We will keep an eye on it for you.

• We also pass along from my buddy Dana McCall with GoGoRaleigh, that the Salsarita's Fresh Cantina in Cary's Crossroads, has closed.

• If you smell a little pig cooking going on this weekend, follow your nose on over to downtown Apex today and tomorrow (most of the events are on Saturday) as the Apex Sunrise Rotary hosts a KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society) sanctioned BBQ festival called Peak City Pig Fest! The contest will pit cook teams from all over the country against each other for $15,000 in prize money. Get all the details here.

• The Chapel Hill Farmer's Market will hold its Fresh Chef Competition this Saturday that will feature five chosen contestants who will be given a protein, $20 to spend at the market, and 30 minutes to prepare their items - with the cooking to begin at 10 a.m. The judges will announce the winner at 11:30 a.m. An article in The Chapel Hill Magazine has all the details.   

• And speaking of Chapel Hill, the folks over at The Weathervane in Chapel Hill's Southern Season are kicking off a summer event called Tuesdays on the Patio which features a local band, goodies from the Chapel Hill Farmers' Market, signature cocktail specials and NC beers. The event is scheduled every Tuesday through the summer from 5:30 to 9. Get all the details here. 

• Winston's Grille in North Raleigh will be hosting a wine dinner next Thursday, June 28th at 6:30 featuring the wines of Wild Horse Winery & Vineyard. The four-course meal with wine pairings will set you back about $50 with proceeds going to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Check out the menu on Facebook here. Call 919.790.0700 for reservations. 

• The folks over at Chatham Hill Winery will be hosting a food truck rodeo on Friday, June 29th from 4-9 pm at their location at 3800 Gateway Centre Drive in Morrisville. Confirmed trucks are American Meltdown, Chick-N-Que, Klausie's Pizza, Dang Good Dogs, Chirba Chirba, Ole North State BBQ and Baguettaboutit. Get all the details and updates here. 

• While we are on the topic of food trucks, the 2nd annual Food Truck Mash Up will take place on Saturday, July 14th at Motorco Music Hall beginning at 2:00 p.m. If you'll recall, this event has each truck "mashing up" ingredients with the other trucks present. And this year, they will feature two sessions - 3-6 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $30 each. Get all the details here. 

• Also on July 14 from 11 am until 9 pm, enjoy everything French as the folks over at Lafayette Village in North Raleigh celebrate Bastille Day with food, entertainment and activities for the whole family. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• Can we interest you in dinner and a show? That is what is on tap for the next Dine With The Chef event being put on by Triangle Food Tours. On July 12 beginning at 5:30 you'll enjoy a special, prix-fixe dinner at Posta Tuscan Grille plus a ticket to Hot Summer Nights musical comedy "Dames at Sea." The $60 tickets, which include the dinner, tax, gratuities and the show, must be purchased by July 5. Get all the details here. 

• Raleigh's own Ashley Christensen of Poole's Diner (among others) will host and head up a "who's who" of chefs from across the country to benefit Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger. Other local celebrity chefs include Anthony Guerra of Bella Mia in Cary and Andrea Reusing of the Lantern in Chapel Hill. The event will take place at 6 pm on July 23rd. Diners can pay $3k for a table of 10, $1k for a table of four or $175 for an individual reservation. Purchase tickets here.

• Kudos this week goes to the Carolina Ale House that recently held an "Eat to Defeat Cancer" event which raised a total of $8,230 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of NC. I love it when I see local restaurants doing so much good for the community!