Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 31, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news...that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler. 
  •  The much-anticipated newest member of the Eschelon Hospitality Group, Zinda, opens tonight in downtown Raleigh. The restaurant will also be open tomorrow night, before closing for the holiday weekend. It quickly returns opening for lunch and dinner on Tuesday, September 4th. Get all the details here.   
  • And up in North Raleigh on Falls of the Neuse Road (same shopping center as Chipotle and Tribeca Tavern), the TBJ is reporting that the combo concept of Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s opened this week. The Starbucks moved from across the street and now offers drive-thru service. The Jersey Mike’s location is the chain’s 23rd location here in the Triangle. 
  • Biggest food truck rodeo ever...enough said! This Sunday, September 2nd. Durham Central Park. 12:30 until 4:30 p.m. Nearly 50 trucks, carts, bikes and whatever else people are using these days. Lots to see and do...and eat! Get all the details on their Facebook page here.  
  • And one of the Triangle’s newest food trucks is now on the road and will be there this Sunday. Gus Megaloudis, known to Duke's students as The Greek Devil, is now mobile with a truck called Gussy’s which will feature Greek street food. Get all the details here.  
  • We’ve learned a little more this week about J&J’s Deli in Chapel Hill’s Timberlyne Shopping Center. Thanks to Kevin Trapani (who himself runs an awesome company called The Redwoods Group) we now know that a husband and wife team has purchased J&J’s Deli bringing with them over 20 years of running delis and restaurants in both NYC and Key West. Great to have a top-notch deli option back in North Chapel Hill!  
  • Thanks to a tip from reader Barbara Leutner we learned that The Yard House at North Hills is shooting for an October 14th opening. In addition to some very tasty grub, the restaurant will feature over 140 types of beer, featuring both imports as well as some of the best local breweries, and everything in between. This will mark North Carolina’s first location of Yard House. Get more details here.  
  • We heard this week that the South Durham Farmers' Market is celebrating its grand opening from 8-noon next Saturday, Sept. 8. The festivities include face painting for the children, a chance to get a photo on a tractor, an opportunity to win prizes and live music. The market is located at the Greenwood Commons Shopping Plaza at 5410 NC Hwy 55 in Durham. Get more information here.  
  • Duke’s campus paper, The Chronicle, reported this week that a campus fixture for the past 15 years, Pauly Dogs, will not return. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it has re-opened under the name JB’s Gourmet Dogs & More and will be operated by Dennis Lane and Eric Burchfield, the owners of Duke’s Loop Pizza Grill in the West Union Building.
  • The News & Observer is reporting this morning that the Hope Cafe, the coffee and sandwich shop, on Tryon Road in Raleigh, is closing on Sept. 3. The cafe, which had given bluegrass musicians and other entertainers a regular spot to entertain, was an outreach effort by the Hope Fellowship Church.
  • We also learned this week that Apex has lost another restaurant with the closing of Le Mussels Sports Bar & Grill. It was located on Creekside Landing Drive.
  • Tomorrow, September 1st, is the day for the NC Hops and Roots Fest. The event is a festival celebrating local craft breweries, vineyards, food, farms and music - all very worthy of celebrating! Check out all the details here. The event takes place at Shakori Hills in Chatham County.  
  • Also this Saturday, Neomonde Market & Café up on Strickland Road in North Raleigh will be hosting another of their live music nights from 6-9 p.m. featuring great music as well as dinner and drink specials. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.  
  • The Cookery will host the grand opening of their new event space - the Front Room - on Saturday, September 15th from noon until 3 p.m. The opening will serve as a fundraiser benefiting the DCRC’s emergency shelter and will feature cuisine from Rue Cler’s Aaron Benjamin as well as many of the food trucks that utilize The Cookery’s shared kitchen space (think Chirba Chirba Dumplings, Monuts Donuts, The Parlour, Pie Pushers, Sympathy for the Deli, and Triangle Raw Foods). There will also be wine and beer tastings featuring The Clever Vine, Bull City Burger and Brewery, Fullsteam, Lonerider Brewing Company, and Triangle Brewing Company. Congrats to Rochelle Johnson and Nick Hawthorne-Johnson.
  • Go ahead and mark your calendars for the 7th annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour which will be held on September 15 and 16. The public can visit 23 farms from Moncure to Lewisburg between 1-5 p.m. each day. The event happens rain or shine. The farm tour costs $25 per car in advance. Tickets can be purchased online here or at Harmony Farms store in Raleigh or Whole Foods stores throughout the Triangle. 
  • Once a year Raleigh goes to Greece for the weekend! Mark you calendars for September 14-16 and head on over to the NC State Fairgrounds Exposition Center for the 31st Annual Greek Festival of Raleigh. Enjoy food, pastries, live music, dancing and the marketplace. The event runs 5-10 on Friday, 11 until 10 pm on Saturday and 11 until 6 on Sunday. Get more details here.  
  • Make plans now for Bull City Burger & Brewery’s 2nd annual Octoberfest Street Party on Saturday, September 22nd from 4-11 pm. They are closing down Parrish Street in downtown Durham to host live music, food, beverages and family fun. Get all the details here. 
  • The Western Wake Farmers Market is again hosting their annual Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, October 6th. Anyone interested in entering can do so by simply showing up with your concoction by 9 am. The Western Wake Farmers Market is located at 1225 Morrisville Carpenter Road in Cary. Get more details here.
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Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 24, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news...that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler. 
  • Raleigh blog New Raleigh announced this week that the owners of Dos Taquitos will be teaming up with Hibernian owners to open a Mexican restaurant in the Creamery Building on Glenwood South. It will be called Dos Taquitos Xoco and will be in the space that was most recently The Diner and before that, Hard Times Cafe. We will keep an eye on it for an opening date.
  • Raleigh has a new Mediterranean dining option with the recent opening of Xenos Mediterranean Grill. Gyros, kebabs, salads and other fare inspired by Mediterranean street food can be found in the Six Forks Station shopping center adjacent to Kmart at the intersection of Six Forks and Strickland Road. Get more details here. 
  • We reported back in early March that J&J’s Deli in Chapel Hill’s Timberlyne Shopping Center had closed after a long run. We learned this week that a similar concept has opened in that location offering a similar fare to J&J’s Deli. Need to get by and check it out.
  • And then there were two. With the conversion of Durham’s Bear Rock Café into Fresno Café, there only remains two Bear Rock locations (the original location in Raleigh and the Morrisville location). Lisa Bence bought the Bear Rock location and converted it into her own concept featuring soups, sandwiches, breakfast and desserts all featuring local products and all made in-house. The café is located at 4015 University Drive.
  • Chapel Hill has a new place to get a really good turkey sandwich...and a glass of wine (I don't make this stuff up...) According to The Daily Tar Heel, TRU Deli & Wine opened last Friday at the corner of Henderson and Rosemary streets in downtown Chapel Hill. The concept is owned by Dwight DeBree and is a deli by day, and a wine bar by night. Prior to TRU, this space was most recently home to The Lodge Bar and Grill.
  • Durham’s Ninth Street Bakery is expanding...outward. They are in the final stages of completing an outdoor patio area which will also expand their hours and their offerings. We will keep you posted and let you know as soon as they announce a grand opening of the new space. Check out Ninth Street here.  
  • We told you about this last week, but Charley’s Grilled Subs opened last Saturday in the food court at the Streets at Southpoint mall. With more than 450 locations worldwide, the chain sells Philly steak sandwiches and other subs, cheese fries, lemonade and salads.
  • And staying out at Southpoint, and getting in our weekly yogurt requirement, a new self-serve frozen yogurt shop, Yolavie, is holding a ribbon-cutting today at 5 p.m. The shop is located in the outdoor portion of the mall between The Cheesecake Factory and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Get more details here.  
  • We were sad to learn this past Monday that the popular food truck, Will & Pop’s, was suspending operations effective immediately. We will certainly miss them, but they did leave the door open for a pending return to the streets. We will keep an eye on it for you.
  • We also got word this week from reader Katie Page that Vesuvio’s in North Raleigh has closed. It was located on Six Forks Road in the former Bear Rock / Atlanta Bread Company location. Vesuvio’s still operates a couple of restaurants in Roxboro.
  • My friend Lisa Reichle sent me an email recently to remind me of the NC Hops and Roots Fest coming up on September 1, 2012. The event is a festival celebrating local craft breweries, vineyards, food, farms and music. I think all those are worth celebrating! Check out all the details here. The event takes place at Shakori Hills in Chatham County and advance tickets must be purchased by tomorrow. 
  • And if you don’t get enough to eat on that Saturday, head on over to Durham Central Park for their next Food Truck Rodeo on Sunday, September 2 from 12:30 until 4:30 p.m. Keep up with all the details as they unfold on their Facebook page here. 
  • The Cookery will host the grand opening of their new event space - the Front Room - on Saturday, September 15th from noon until 3 p.m. The opening will serve as a fundraiser benefitting the DCRC’s emergency shelter and will feature cuisine from Rue Cler’s Aaron Benjamin as well as many of the food trucks that utilize The Cookery’s shared kitchen space (think Chirba Chirba Dumplings, Monuts Donuts, The Parlour, Pie Pushers, Sympathy for the Deli, and Triangle Raw Foods). There will also be wine and beer tastings featuring The Clever Vine, Bull City Burger and Brewery, Fullsteam, Lonerider Brewing Company, and Triangle Brewing Company. Congrats to Rochelle Johnson and Nick Hawthorne-Johnson.
  • Go ahead and mark your calendars for the 7th annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour which will be held on September 15 and 16. The public can visit 23 farms from Moncure to Lewisburg between 1-5 p.m. each day. The event happens rain or shine. The farm tour costs $25 per car in advance. Tickets can be purchased online here, or at the Harmony Farms store in Raleigh or Whole Foods stores throughout the Triangle.
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Friday, August 17, 2012

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 17, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news...that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler. 
  • It is finally here! The Pittsboro Roadhouse and General Store will swing open their doors today at noon for a ribbon cutting and will serve its first diners tonight beginning at 5 p.m. I got a sneak peek last week and the space is absolutely tremendous. Kudos again to Chef Greg Lewis and his team of employees, friends and volunteers that have made this all happen. Take a peek at their Facebook page here.
  • Speaking of sneak peeks, I ran into G. Patel earlier this week at The Oxford and he encouraged me to step next door to take a look at his newest concept Zinda which is now just weeks away from opening. Patel definitely has the “golden touch” and this place looks to be no different. We will stay in touch and let you know the opening date once it is announced. Patel owns Eschelon Hospitality which also operates Mura, Sono, The Oxford, Dapper Style House and Cameron Bar & Grill. Get a sneak peek yourself here.
  • Award-winning chef Michael Chuong, the former executive chef at An’s in Cary, has opened his own restaurant, Elements, in Chapel Hill’s East 54 in the former Archira location. He opened this past Wednesday and will feature modern and contemporary American dishes. Visit their website here.
  • And over in Durham, we told you earlier about two new restaurants coming into the new Westpoint at 751 development (think Aldi near the Streets at Southpoint). Thanks to the Durham Herald-Sun, we now know a little more. One of the two restaurants planned for the development is Bonefish Grill, which will open before year’s end. The other restaurant is an independent restaurant planned by David Sadeghi. All we know at this point is that it will focus on coffee and breakfast. Sadeghi also owns Town Hall Grill in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village as well as a restaurant in Maryland and is a partner in downtown Raleigh’s Bolt Bistro & Bar.
  • We’ve got an open date for Amy Tornquist’s newest venture - Hummingbird Bakery. They will have a grand opening from 5-7 p.m. on August 22nd. The bakery is located at 721 Broad Street. Tornquist also owns Watt's Grocery.
  • And speaking of grand openings, The Cookery, also in Durham, will host the grand opening of their new event space - the Front Room - on Saturday, September 15th from noon until 3 p.m. The opening will serve as a fundraiser benefiting the DCRC’s emergency shelter and will feature cuisine from Rue Cler’s Aaron Benjamin as well as many of the food trucks that utilize The Cookery’s shared kitchen space (think Chirba Chirba Dumplings, Monuts Donuts, The Parlour, Pie Pushers, Sympathy for the Deli, and Triangle Raw Foods). There will also be wine and beer tastings featuring The Clever Vine, Bull City Burger and Brewery, Fullsteam, Lonerider Brewing Company, and Triangle Brewing Company. Congrats to Rochelle Johnson and Nick Hawthorne-Johnson. Get all the details here.  
  • And speaking of food trucks, it looks like we’ve got another food truck going brick and mortar on us. The latest success story is the Bulkogi Korean BBQ truck, which will open their store tomorrow (Saturday) in Wake Forest at 927 Durham Road (which is the intersection of Durham Road & US 1/Capital Blvd.) near the Target. Best of luck to the Bulkogi team!
  • And if that is not enough cool food truck information, here is a very helpful guide for those that live/work in and around the NC State / Centennial Campus area. This link showcases the food truck schedule each week both on the main campus as well as the Centennial Campus.
  • Thanks to a tip from my buddy Chuck Hackney, Mar Y Sol is opening (and might have already opened) in the old Los Cazadores just off New Bern Ave./US 64 on Corporation Parkway in Raleigh. It will feature a mix of El Salvadorean and Mexican dishes, including many seafood dishes. This is the second location for Mar Y Sol which has its original location at 4020 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh.
  • On my way out to Pittsboro last week I noticed that there is movement on the Grill ‘n Go joint in the Wilsonville crossroads area near Lake Jordan on US 64. Chuck Hackney informed me that they are shooting for a September 10th opening and will feature fries, burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and fresh salads focusing on the boating community using Lake Jordan.
  • Over in Durham, I was passing through The Streets at Southpoint mall this past week and saw the signage up for Charley’s Philly Steaks that will join their food court line-up soon. We’ll keep an eye out for an opening date.
  • Yogurt, yogurt everywhere. The latest opening is Orange Leaf Yogurt at 4035 Lake Boone Trail across the street from Rex Hospital in the same complex as WhichWich Sandwiches. Get more details here.
  • And speaking of WhichWich, Durham is about to get the latest version of the “superior sandwich” joint. My buddy Ted Barringer (who owns the Lake Boone Trail location) is slated to open the new store toward the middle to end of next month at the intersection of 751 and Hwy. 54 in the same shopping center as the Harris Teeter. We will let you know once Ted has an exact date. Visit WhichWich here.  
  • Got word recently that the Chakras Indian restaurant out at 7841 Alexander Place in Brier Creek (Wal Mart side) has closed.
  • We also got word this week that Yucatan Cantina Mexican Restaurant and Bar, which was located at the intersection of Davis Drive and Morrisville Carpenter Road, has closed.
  • Make plans to dine in downtown Raleigh all next week as part of the 4th Annual Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week where restaurants will offer three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, depending on the venue (add $10 for beer and/or wine). Get a full listing of participating restaurants and all the details here. 
  • And we close with a great event for tomorrow. The Feed More Food and Brew event is this Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. in the Triangle Town Center commons. The event will feature live music, food from The Twisted Fork, American Meltdown, Cafe Prost, Chirba Chirba, Sarge's Cafe, Champp’s, and Moe's and wine and beer from Uncorked Wine Shop, Lonerider Brewery, Aviator Brewery and The Mash House. The event benefits the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. More details here.
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Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 10, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news...that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler. 
  • We’ve been watching this for just over a year now, but The Pit barbecue restaurant, a very popular barbecue joint in downtown Raleigh, is officially opening their second location adjacent to Fullsteam Brewery in downtown Durham at the corner of Rigsbee and Geer streets. Look for an opening in about 10 months. Owner Greg Hatem says a 2,000-square-foot rooftop patio with a view of the city will make it Hatem’s largest restaurant when it opens. Hatem also owns The Raleigh Times, The Morning Times, Sitti and Gravy, all in downtown Raleigh. Check them out here. 
  • Also in downtown Durham, Chef Matt Kelly opened his newest restaurant, Mateo Bar de Tapas, this past Wednesday. Mateo is in the old Book Exchange building at 109 W. Chapel Hill St. Kelly also owns Vin Rouge. Get all the details here.
  • And in downtown Pittsboro, we have an "official" opening date for the Pittsboro Roadhouse and General Store (formerly General Store Cafe). Chef Greg Lewis is telling us that barring any unforeseen hold ups, they'll swing open the doors to the newly renovated space and unveil their new menus on Friday, August 17th for dinner. Stop by and "Like" their new Facebook page.   
  • Over in Raleigh, the area’s first location of Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is expected to open by year’s end in the Seaboard Station development in downtown Raleigh. It will be in the portion currently being renovated directly behind Sunflowers Café. Bad Daddy’s will feature a patio out front. Also, a shop offering smoothies and coffee, called Blend & Grind, will open in the same building. Get more information on Bad Daddy's here and Blend & Grind here.  
  • Just when you thought Park West Village couldn’t possibly add any more restaurants, they have announced their “second phase” of dining options. Those restaurants in the works include what will be the 2nd Triangle location of Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, Chili's Grill & Bar, Chipotle, McAlister's Deli, Noodles & Company and The Wine Guy Wine Shop, a wine bar and bistro. Most of these are targeted to open in the fall of 2012. Park West Village is located at the intersection of Cary Parkway and Hwy. 54 in Morrisville. As always, we’ll keep you posted. 
  • According to the N&O and TBJ, Tomato Pie will open in early November in Raleigh’s Crabtree Valley Mall across from Panera Bread. Tomato Pie is owned by Payman Bazooband, who also owns the upscale Red Monkey Tavern (also in Crabtree) as well as Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse at Brier Creek.
  • Chevy’s Ale House opened last week in Apex at 1402 E. Williams Street. The family-friendly restaurant and sports bar offers a typical American fare. Get more details on their Facebook page here.  
  • According to the Chapel Hill Magazine, the latest version of Tobacco Road Sports Café will open by the end of September, just in time for football season. This location will “complete the Triangle” when it opens in Chapel Hill’s East 54 (in the former Streets Deli location). Tobacco Road has locations in Raleigh (Glenwood Avenue) and Durham (adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park).Get all the details here.
  • Somehow we missed this, but a new pizza joint has opened up in North Raleigh at 2221 New Hope Church Road called Pizza Buff. Check out all their details and menu here. Apparently they have an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring pizza, pasta salad and dessert for $5.99.
  • There is a food truck rodeo of sorts today (Friday) over in Carrboro from 5-10 p.m. The event is a benefit for The Peoples Channel and is also combined with a clothing swap. The combined food truck rodeo-clothes swap will be at The Station (201 E. Main St.) and will coincide with the 2nd Friday Artwalk. Look for food provided by Chirba Chirba, Local in Motion, The Parlour, Vimala’s Curryblossom Café and Will & Pops. Get all the details here. 
  • A shout out this week to one of my favorite “food related” ventures called LoMo Market. Imagine a mobile farmer’s market rolling into your place of business or even your neighborhood. It could happen, but you’ve got to make it happen. Visit their website to recommend your location for a possible stop. Get all the details here.
  • Some sad news coming out of Chapel Hill (no, it is not football related). The Daily Tar Heel is reporting that the latest attempt to revive The Rathskeller has failed and it is unlikely the Rat restaurant would ever move back into its old site, due to the high cost of repairs needed (estimated at between $800,000 and $1 million). That said, there still remains the possibility it could open in another location. But could it ever be the same in another location? We’ll watch it for you.
  • We are sad to report that after about 12 years in operation, Solomon’s Restaurant in North Raleigh has closed. But apparently owner Victor Khoury’s cuisine can now be found at the Saints and Scholars Pub at 909 Spring Forest Road. Check it out here.
  • One of our readers, Katie Page, informed us this week that Munchie’s Mexican Restaurant over on Durant Road in Raleigh has closed. Thanks Katie for the tip!
  • It appears as if the little Mexican restaurant La Salamandra has closed its doors at 2627 Hillsborough Road in Durham. That said, there is a rumor that they may be opening a location in Raleigh. We'll keep an eye on it for you.
  • And we close with a few anniversary celebrations. First up is the 37th anniversary of Linda’s over on Chapel Hill's Franklin Street. Their celebration is today (August 10) from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. featuring food and drink specials, live entertainment and a raffle for dinner for two by Chef Chris. Get details here. The 2nd is the 5th anniversary of the Carolina Brewery’s Pittsboro location. They’ll be hosting an Iron Chef-style burger competition. The winner will be announced at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Get details here. And finally, Fullsteam Brewery over in Durham will be celebrating their 2nd anniversary on Saturday with a full day of festivities including a food truck rodeo featuring five trucks. Get all the details here. Congratulations to all three establishments on these milestones.
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