Friday Fun Food Facts - November 2, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Triangle Food Guy’s Holiday Promotion is up and running between now and December 21st. Over 35 people will win gift cards just in time for the holiday season including a $250 gift card to Target! Get all the details here.   

• We got a tweet this week that the Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is now open in Raleigh’s Brier Creek. This marks the 2nd Triangle location (the first was on Ninth Street in Durham), and a third is on the way for Morrisville’s Park West Village. Get more information on Lime Fresh here. 

• Thanks to a tip from the folks over at Ninth Street Blog, we learned that Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is moving from its current location to the building that previously housed Specs Eye Care next to the Wells Fargo branch. Look for the move to take place in the next 3 to 6 months.  

• The Herald-Sun is reporting that the new eatery that will replace Mad Burrito in Northgate’s food court is a Mexican vendor called Baja Shack. They are looking to open this month.

• One of our readers, Rebecca Calhoun, gave us the heads up this week that PDQ is shooting for a November 11th opening of their newest store on Falls of the Neuse Road over in Raleigh. Follow them on Facebook here. 

• Thanks to the sharp eyes of Kim over at TriangleLocalista, she noticed that the sign had gone up on the new building on Page Road in RTP for Page Road Grill. PRG is the newest concept under the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group umbrella (think 411 West, Spanky’s, 518 West, Mez, Squid’s). It was noted on their Facebook page that they are looking at a mid to late November opening. We’ll keep you posted. 

• For all the Neal’s Deli fans over in Carrboro, we got word this week that they are extending their hours from now through the holidays to include a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Bring on the grits!

• We got an anonymous comment on our blog last week that the Chipotle location at the Streets at Southpoint (across from Panera Bread) was opening on or about October 30th. As of this writing, we can’t confirm it, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

• Not to get all political on you, but Sugarland Bakery in both Chapel Hill and Raleigh will be giving away free cupcakes to anyone wearing an “I Voted” sticker. Please limit yourself to one cupcake per voter - we don’t want any cupcake fraud...Check out Sugarland here.

• The Q Shack is doing it again this year - their annual Farm To Table Turkeys and Dinners for Thanksgiving. Through The Q Shack you can order locally raised, all natural fresh turkeys that feed up to 20 people, or you can order entire meals with sides and desserts. They've got you covered. Get all the details and place your orders here.

• For you food truck junkies that loved and miss Will & Pops (which ceased operations back in August), we have good news for you. At the time we told you they left the “door open” for a possible return. Well, this week on Facebook they noted that they would be back better than ever next summer! Stay tuned.

• Do you love Bull City Burger & Brewery over in Durham? I mean, really love Bull City Burger? Would you get a tattoo to prove it? If you do, you’ll earn a 26% discount for life! Small print: tattoo designs need to be pre-approved by Bull City Burger. They’ll even put a picture of your tattoo up on their wall. Who’s in?

• This weekend is the last chance to take your taste buds on a tour around the globe right here at North Hills in Raleigh. Called Taste of North Hills, 11 restaurants will offer 3 courses at prices ranging from $15 to $30 per person. Get all the details and a complete list of restaurants here.

• The 2nd annual Pig Wars Barbecue Cook-off is tonight (November 2nd) at 5 p.m. at City Market in downtown Raleigh. Whole-hog cookers will compete for the title of Grand Champion! BBQ sandwiches from the grill of your choice for $5, $10 for pints. All proceeds to Easter Seals UCP. Get more information on City Market here.

• Tomorrow night (November 3rd) the popular Live Music Night returns to Neomonde Café & Market up on Srickland Road in North Raleigh from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy original rock music by Listen, a local Raleigh band, as well as a sampling of their Mediterranean wine selection. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• Coming up next weekend is the Lucy Daniels Center foodie event called Expressions. This event will be hosted by The Umstead Hotel and Spa on November 9, 2012 and will feature the Umstead’s executive chef Scott Crawford, pastry chef Daniel Benjamin, and two guest chefs. Visit them here or call 919-677-1400 to learn more.

• Thanks to a tip from John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, Larry's Beans is offering a coffee cupping event on November 10th from 1-3 p.m. Get a real insight into quality coffee and also sample Larry’s Beans new cold brew iced coffee. The event takes place at 1507 Gavin Street in Raleigh and will only set you back $5. Get more information and tickets here.

• If you are dining out in the Chapel Hill or Carrboro area on November 13th, take a look at the list of over 50 restaurants that will be participating in the InterFaith Council’s RSVVP event where 10 percent of your bill will be donated to fighting hunger. Get the full list of participating restaurants here.

• Urban Ministries of Wake County is holding their annual Stone Soup event on Wednesday, November 14th at two different locations (a lunch location and a dinner location). There is no charge to attend (but donations are accepted) and you’ll enjoy homemade soup, bread and desserts from celebrity chefs. Get all the details here. 

• And finally, if you’ve been in any retail store lately, you know it is not too early to start getting in the “holiday” mood. An event that will certainly do that is the 10th annual Gingerbread Benefit that will be held on Thursday, November 29th at The Umstead Hotel in Cary. Get your tickets and all the details here.