Friday Fun Food Facts - September 7, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  I begin with a big shout out to my buddy Gregory Ng, the "frozen food master" at Freezer Burns, for hosting a 24-hour telethon for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina beginning tonight at 6 p.m. and running until 6 p.m. tomorrow. Visit the site to see all the excitement and opportunities for you to support a great cause. Thanks Greg for all you are doing to fight hunger right here in our own back yard.

• It is official, this past Wednesday downtown Raleigh swung open the doors to the much anticipated Bida Monda, a Laotian restaurant and bar. It is located at 222 South Blount Street, which you'll recognize as the former location of the Duck & Dumpling and then Fai Thai. Check out their website here.   

• Also in downtown Raleigh, Greg Hatem’s The Raleigh Times has expanded. The expansion into the former Brass Grill location has added 100 additional seats on both the first and second floors. Additional expansion calls for an enlarged kitchen, a roof-top patio that seats 30 and a pick-up window. Get all the details here.

• The Herald-Sun is reporting that chef Ricky Moore is opening a small seafood “joint” called Saltbox in Durham later this month. The “joint” will more likely resemble a “permanent” food truck stand, as there is no seating (outdoor seating is in the plans). It will be located 608 N. Mangum Street in the former Big Daddy’s Grill location.

• Also in downtown Durham, I stopped by Ninth Street Bakery last week and got an update on the outdoor patio that is in the works there. Owner Frank Ferrell will have the patio open in time for the Durham Arts Council’s Centerfest Arts Festival September 15th and 16th. Look for an expanded café menu and lots of outdoor events in the new space. Check them out here. 

• The News & Observer is reporting a couple of new restaurant openings this morning. Tarbouch, a new Greek and Middle Eastern restaurant, has opened at 5645 Creedmoor Rd., next to Harmony Farms in Raleigh. And Cappallo’s Pizza has opened at 2462 Walnut St., near the PetSmart. It is an Italian fast food restaurant.

• Thanks to reader Jason Klaitman, we learned this week that Camos Brothers Pizza has returned to Chapel Hill, this time on East Franklin Street in the strip mall tucked in behind Staples (in the former Quizno’s location). Excited to have Camos Brothers back in Chapel Hill. Check out their Facebook page here.

• And speaking of Chapel Hill, we learned this week that the third Triangle location of Tobacco Road Sports Café is shooting for an opening during the first week of October. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know as we get closer. Check them out here. 

• Raleigh has a new food truck according to the N&O. The North Raleigh location of Red, Hot & Blue rolled out a new set of wheels this week, initially serving lunch. Look for them to expand into dinner hours in October. Keep up with the truck on their Facebook page here. 

• Last week we reported that Le Mussell’s in Apex had closed. This week we are excited to let you know that the business was sold to Katherine Ward from The Corner Tavern & Grill in Cary. She will be opening up very soon, hopefully so as to not miss too many more football weekends! We will keep you posted.

• We also learned this week that there are a number of restaurants for sale for anyone interested in getting into the business. The Rose Garden is for sale in North Raleigh on Creedmoor Rd. (same shopping center as Dos Taquitos). Also, Klara’s Restaurant in downtown Cary is for sale, as they are set to open their new location in the former Frazier’s on Hillsborough St any day now. Drop me a note if you are interested.

• Over in Durham, Carolina Brewery will team up with Piedmont to offer a beer dinner on Friday September 14th. This is a great way to sample great food paired with great beer. The cost is $45 for 3 courses and 4 beers. They will also have other beer dinners with Fullsteam Brewery (Sept. 19th) and Foothills Brewery (Sept. 24th). Get more information on all their beer dinners on their website 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.

• And finally, you NC State fans (or just foodies in general) should mark your calendar for the Red & White Food & Beverage Festival on Thursday, November 1 from 6-10 p.m. It will be held at The State Club located on NC State's Centennial Campus. The cost is $25 for State Club members; $30 for Alumni Association members and $35 for Carolina and ECU fans, uh, I mean general admission. And use promotional code “trifoodguy” and they’ll knock $5 off your ticket!!  Get all the details and a full listing of restaurants and beverage companies here as well as order your tickets.