Friday Fun Food Facts - March 22, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  We are getting down to the wire and it is time to cast your vote. And as you can see, we’re not bashful about asking for your vote for Best Local Blog. If you have a moment, please take an opportunity to give us a nod in that category - it is very much appreciated. Voting ends soon, so vote early...and often.
    
   

Wake County Restaurant News 

• A huge tip of the hat goes out to renowned Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen (Poole’s Diner, Beasley’s, Chuck’s and Fox Liquor Bar and the soon to re-open and be renamed, Wilmoore Cafe) who has been named one of five finalists for the James Beard Foundation's award for "Best Chef in the Southeast." This is a huge honor for Christensen. I know who is getting my vote! (not that I get to vote, but...). See all her concepts here.

• A big move for Cary’s Hotpoint Deli is now complete according to the N&O’s Greg Cox. They have moved just around the corner to the former Waffle House building on Walnut Street - 1718 Walnut Street. You’ll be glad to know all your favorites survived the move. Check them out here.

• And somewhat related, Greg Cox is also reporting that Steve Jones and Sharon Rhue have opened Black Cat Café (former Hot Point Café) at 4209 Lassiter Mill Road in the North Hills development. The move from Hot Point to Black Cat reflects their transition to a menu that keeps the old favorites, but adds more vegetarian options, gluten-free options and an emphasis on local produce. Get all the details here.

• Raleigh’s Crystal Palace re-opened this past week as Capital Buffet and is now serving up a very diverse buffet that features low country, New Orleans and classic southern cuisine. In addition to the daily buffet, they will soon be adding a Sunday brunch. Get all the details here.

• We told you last week that the old Steak 'n Shake in Wake Forest was being converted into a new concept. Thanks to a tip from reader Ryan Harrison, we learned that it will become a new concept called Sports Corner. No word yet on an open date.

• Triangle Business Journal’s Amanda Jones Hoyle is reporting that two new restaurant options are opening soon in Triangle Town Center’s food court - Charley’s Steakery and Little Tokyo. No word yet on an opening date for either.

• A tip this week from one of my favorite sources (who has to remain anonymous from time to time) revealed that downtown Raleigh’s Oakwood Café is for sale. Not sure what the timeline is, but if you are interested, here is the Craigslist posting.
   

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• According to the Herald Sun, Seth Gross, owner of downtown Durham’s Bull City Burger and Brewery, is planning a second restaurant called Pompieri Pizza at 102 City Hall Plaza (that’s the old fire house next to Dos Perros). Not much going on on their website yet. 

• Ownership changes are underway at Durham’s Reu Cler according to the N&O’s Andrea Weigl. It was originally founded by Chris Stinnett and John Vandergrift (who also own Pop's in Durham and started Pop's Back Door). With the news that Vandergrift is moving to Texas, they are selling Reu Cler to Vandergrift’s older brother, Nathan Vandergrift, and Wes Rountree, partners in Cave Taureau, a wine store in downtown Durham. Stinnet will move over to focus solely on Pop’s.

• The Herald-Sun's Laura Oleniacz noted this week that The Saucy Crab has opened on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard in the former location of The Fish House. Under the same ownership (Charles Tirada who also owns Sushi Blues and Shaba Shabu in Raleigh), this concept brings a west coast flair to Durham. Get more details here. 

Closings  

• We got word this week that Kildare’s on West Franklin Street closed just days before St. Patrick’s Day. Apparently the nearly two year construction of the new development at 140 W. Franklin Street (which opens next month) cut into too much of their foot traffic and parking. Sorry to see them go.

Food Trucks 

• We got word this week from the folks over at WRAL that popular baker Chez Moi is launching a food truck (ok, really it is a cake truck) this Saturday! Am I dreaming? Nope! It will be at Full Steam in Durham this Saturday, March 23rd beginning at 5:30 p.m. Beer and cake? I really must be dreaming. Look for rum, vodka, bourbon and tequila cakes along with some of their cakes offered as ice cream sandwiches. Get more details here. 

• The first food truck rodeo at Fairview Garden Center in Raleigh is just around the corner.  The first will be held on Saturday, March 30, followed by two more on April 20 and May 11. Each event will feature 4-5 food trucks. Fairview is located at 8224 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh. Get all the details here. 

• Can you say Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo? Can you say four dates? Can you envision food trucks lined up the length of 3 football fields down Fayetteville Street? Mark your calendars for May 12th, June 9th, August 11th and October 13th. On those dates, they’ll start lining them up at the State Capital on Fayetteville Street (single file) and stretch out...forever! And, with electricity provided, no generators! Get all the details here. 

Events

• Do a little good and enjoy a sub - all in one day! Mark your calendar for March 27th when all Triangle locations of Jersey Mike’s will donate 100% of the day’s sales to the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research. Find a location and get all the details here.

• The folks over at Raleigh’s Q Shack and Big Boss Brewing have teamed up for an event that is no joke. On April Fools Day (April 1st) they will host a Beer Dinner featuring seven beers and a four-course dinner at Big Boss Brewing. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Get all the details here.

• You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream...and even better, free ice cream! That’s right, April 9th is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s. Mark your calendar now and plan a visit to your nearest location in Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill.

• The good people over at Guglhuph are hosting another of their extremely popular Winemaker Dinners. This one is on April 11th and features Annegret Reh-Gartner of Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt. Additional information can be found here. This will sell-out, so act now.

• Spring is in the air, which means it is getting closer to one of my favorite events of the year - the 18th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour. Get ready to load up the car with your family and/or all your friends and spend the weekend touring our local farms. Mark your calendar now for April 27th and 28th. Get all the details here. 

• Hold the date for the annual Wake Tech Culinary Arts Showcase which will be held this year on April 30th from 4-7 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. Get all the initial details here. 

• Thanks to a tip in the Herald-Sun, we learned that Durham will have its first Louisiana seafood festival when the Bayou Festival Tour comes to town on April 20. It will be held at from noon to 8 p.m. at the CCB Plaza downtown. The festival is slated to include seafood, beer and beer samples. And it will return again, to Raleigh, on October 5th. Get all the details here.

• The annual event that celebrates locally brewed craft beer, Brewgaloo, will take place this year on April 27th on downtown Raleigh City Plaza. The event will feature local breweries and food trucks (what else could a person want?). Get all the details on their Faceook page here.

• The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce recently announced a food and arts festival that will be held along Town Hall Drive on May 18th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Called East Meets West, the event will feature Morrisville-area restaurants, music, performances and a variety of visual arts. Get it on your calendar and get all the details here.

• The 2013 version of Farm to Fork will take place on Sunday, June 9th. The annual picnic celebrates local food and local farms. Get all the details here. 

Final Thought

• Brace yourself, there will be NO Friday Fun Food Facts next week. Happy Easter everyone! See you in April!

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 15, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Each year the Independent Weekly publishes a "Best of the Triangle" listing of everything you can imagine. It truly is a great resource. That said, if you like what you read here, I would be humbled if you would take a moment to vote for us for Best Local Blog in the Triangle (enter Triangle Food Guy). Also, while you are there, you could also vote us Best Person To Follow on Twitter, and if you use us for your catering, Best Caterer. Thanks in advance for your time.
    
   

Wake County Restaurant News 

• You heard it here first last week, but we’ve got a few more details we can now share with you regarding the new dining option coming into downtown Raleigh’s Marbles Kids Museum. The new dining concept will be called Pogo and is the latest concept to be rolled out by Tom Meyer, who also owns The Q Shack in Raleigh, as well as Greens (Chapel Hill) and Sprout Café (Durham). Get more details here. Look for them to open some time in June.

• This past Wednesday saw the opening of Lime Fresh Mexican Grill in Morrisville’s Park West Village development. The restaurant also announced that it will open a Chapel Hill location in the newly constructed 140 West Franklin Street development on April 10th. Get all the details here. 

• We got word this week that there is a Moe’s Southwest Grill coming to Apex. It will be going in at Haddon Hall Commons, next to Sweet Spoons, in the same spot where Mambo Italiano was. No word yet on an open date, but we’ll keep an eye on it. 

• Saw an “Open Now” sign for Carolina Wing Company which took over the Buffalo’s Café location in Stonehenge Shopping Center in Raleigh.

• Up in Wake Forest, thanks to a tip from reader Joe Roney and confirmed by Triangle Explorer John Huisman, we learned that the old Chicago pizza joint that was in front of the Wake Forest Walmart is being turned into sports pub that will be called My Place. No indication as of yet as to an open date.

• And both John and Joe also noticed that in the same shopping center the former Stake and Shake building is undergoing major structural renovations for what appears to be another restaurant, but no indications yet of what it will be. We’ll ask John & Joe to keep an eye on that. Thanks guys!

• The folks over at Larry's Beans are having another Comparative Coffee Cupping Event at their bean plant in Raleigh on Thursday March 21st from 6:30-8pm. This looks to be a smaller event than last time (limited to 25 people) featuring coffee from Bolivia roasted at 6 different roast degrees and compared side by side. The registration ($10) includes pizza from the Klausie's pizza truck. Thanks to John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, for this tip. Get more information here and register here.

• Fork & Barrel executive chef Chris Harris informed me this week that they have brought on Miguel Cuevas who was the former kitchen manager/chef at Gonza Taco y Tequila. Mark your calendar for every Tuesday as they take their Taco Tuesday to a whole new level. Get all the details here.

• And if you are over in Cary this weekend, don’t forget that Dean’s Seafood Grill & Bar begins their Sunday brunch service this weekend. Stop by and enjoy a bite to eat. Get all the details here. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Thanks to a tip from our friends over at Ninth Street Watch, we learned that the Shops at Erwin Mill developer (i.e. new Harris Teeter) will include a Tijuana Flats. They had previously announced a Jimmy Johns and a Subway, according to site plans. 

• We got a little more detail this week on the development going in next to Patterson Place and across from New Hope Commons (real close to 15-501 and 40) thanks to the Herald-Sun. The food joints there will include a PDQ, a Chipotle Mexican Grill, Breugger’s Bagels and the next location for Denny’s. We’ll continue to watch all of this as it comes out of the ground.

• Thanks to an anonymous tip on our blog, we learned that it appears as if the folks behind Extravagant Fare Catering are planning to open a restaurant called Bull City Diner at 3314 Guess Road in Durham that will serve southern-style breakfast all day (well, until 2 pm). No word yet on an open date, but you can see their menu here and visit the Extravagant Fare site here. 

• Northgate Mall got another addition to their food court this week with the opening of Micky’s Chicken and Fish. It is owned by Sadiq Kassamali who also owns Northgate’s CinnaMonster. The establishment features farm-raised chicken and sustainable seafood options cooked daily. Check them out here. 

• Over in Chapel Hill, we learned this week that the corner spot of the Harris Teeter in Meadowmont, which used to house Bean Traders, will open on March 31 as Starbucks. This marks the 6 millionth location of Starbucks (ok, that is an exaggeration, but I didn’t feel like looking it up).

• According to the Herald-Sun, Pelican’s SnoBalls, which serves shaved ice in 100 different flavors, opened their first location in Durham last May on Roxboro Street, and have plans to open their second location on April 1 at 606 Fayetteville Street. Find out more about Pelican's SnoBalls here.

• And if that is not enough yummy goodness coming out of Durham, the brick and mortar location of The Parlour is just weeks away from opening according to the Herald-Sun. Co-owner Yani Mazuz says the location, which previously housed the production kitchen for Locopops, will be at 117 Market Street. Their truck is also back out on the streets after taking a winter hiatus. Keep up with everything here.

Closings  

• None to report - yea!

Food Trucks 

• And looking ahead a little, Durham Foodie Johanna Kramer turned us onto the news that the Fairview Garden Center in Raleigh will host a series of Food Truck Rodeos called "Flora and Food Trucks Series".  The first will be held on Saturday, March 30, followed by two more on April 20 and May 11. Each event will feature 4-5 food trucks. Fairview is located at 8224 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh. Get all the details here.  

Events

• The downtown Raleigh location of the Hibernian Pub is not back yet, but they will be hosting a St. Paddy's Day Block Party (on North Street) on March 16th featuring food trucks (we’ve heard Chirba Chirba Dumpling, Baguettaboutit and American Meltdown), cold beer and entertainment. Get all the details here.

• The folks over at Raleigh's Q Shack and Big Boss Brewing have teamed up for an event that is no joke. On April Fools Day (April 1st) they will host a Beer Dinner featuring seven beers and a four-course dinner at Big Boss Brewing. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Get all the details here.

• Spring is in the air, which means it is getting closer to one of my favorite events of the year - the 18th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour. Get ready to load up the car with your family and/or all your friends and spend the weekend touring our local farms. Mark your calendar now for April 27th and 28th. Get all the details here. 

• Hold the date for the annual Wake Tech Culinary Arts Showcase which will be held this year on April 30th from 4-7 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. Get all the initial details here. 

• Thanks to a tip in the Herald-Sun, we learned that Durham will have its first Louisiana seafood festival when the Bayou Festival Tour comes to town on April 20. It will be held at from noon to 8 p.m. at the CCB Plaza downtown. The festival is slated to include seafood, beer and beer samples. And it will return again, to Raleigh, on October 5th. Get all the details here.

• The annual event that celebrates locally brewed craft beer, Brewgaloo, will take place this year on April 27th on downtown Raleigh City Plaza. The event will feature local breweries and food trucks (what else could a person want?). Get all the details on their Faceook page here.

• The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce recently announced a food and arts festival that will be held along Town Hall Drive on May 18th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Called East Meets West, the event will feature Morrisville-area restaurants, music, performances and a variety of visual arts. Get it on your calendar and get all the details here.

• The 2013 version of Farm to Fork will take place on Sunday, June 9th. The annual picnic celebrates local food and local farms. Get all the details here. 

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 8, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Each year the Independent Weekly publishes a "Best of the Triangle" listing of everything you can imagine. It truly is a great resource. That said, if you like what you read here, I would be humbled if you would take a moment to vote for us for Best Local Blog in the Triangle (enter Triangle Food Guy). Also, while you are there, you could also vote us Best Person To Follow on Twitter, and if you use us for your catering, Best Caterer. Thanks in advance for your time.
    
   

Wake County Restaurant News 

• Yesterday, North Raleigh got a new dining and watering hole with the opening of Hibernian Pub, North Raleigh on Falls of the Neuse Road. Check them out on Facebook here.  Check out their menu here.

• Changes are afoot at downtown Raleigh's Marbles Museum where food is concerned. Roly Poly has anchored the dining spot adjacent to the IMAX theater for the past few years, but they have closed and will reopen in another downtown location. What's coming in hasn't been unveiled yet, but talking to several sources, it is going to be fun and exciting and diverse with a focus on local sourcing. I can't disclose much more at this point, but we'll let you know as soon as it is official! Look for the new concept to open sometime in June.

• And speaking of changes, known as Crystal Palace for the past sixteen years on Raleigh's Capital Boulevard, they will close their doors this Sunday with plans to re-open on March 18th as Capital Buffet. A lot of your favorite dishes will remain, but look for a much more diverse menu that better reflects their new chef. Stay tuned for grand re-opening details. Check them out here.

• Raleigh Brewing Company will hold their grand opening celebration this Saturday, March 9th, beginning at 5 p.m. They are located at 3709 Neil Street in Raleigh and will be open every day beginning at 5 p.m. Get all the grand opening details here.

• Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is gearing up for two more openings in the Triangle. The next opening will be its Morrisville location in the Park West Village development and will open next Wednesday, March 13th. Not long after that, a Chapel Hill location will open at the newly constructed 140 West Franklin Street development and is scheduled to open on April 10th. Get all the details here.

• Thanks to a tip from Twitter follower Joseph Wells, we learned that Jasmin Mediterranean has opened in the former Quizono's location at the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest roads. This marks their 4th Triangle area location.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Lindsay Moriarty opened the brick and mortar location of Monuts Donuts this past Tuesday. Located at 110 East Parrish St. in Durham, the shop's goodies will be available daily from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. In addition to donuts, you can also enjoy fresh bagels, English muffins and eggs cooked to order. Here's a great article in Durham Magazine. 

• This weekend will see the opening of the newest concept to be introduced by Giorgios Bakatsias. Kipos, a Greek taverna, will open on March 10th on Chapel Hill's West Franklin Street. Chapel Hill Magazine has a great write up on it here.

Closings  

• Chapel Hill took a beating this past week with the closing of two prominent fixtures in the community. The social media outlets lit up this past week with the sudden announcement that Franklin Street institution, Pepper's Pizza, was closing immediately. Around since the late 80's, it is no more. Thanks to Kim Knorr who was the first to tip me off about that. 

• And if that wasn't bad enough, we got word that the 501 Diner, adjacent to Eastgate Shopping Center, had also closed their doors this past week. Very bummed to see both of these Chapel Hill icons go. Support your local shops folks!

• Thanks to a tip from John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) we learned that Tortillas Mexican Grill in Raleigh's Wakefield, next to Sergio's Pizza, has closed. Their Facebook page said they are heading back south to warmer weather. They just opened last October.     

Food Trucks 

• This weekend means daylight saving time (Sunday at 2 a.m.) and the weather is looking perfect for...food trucks! Raleigh will get the spotlight on Saturday and Durham on Sunday. 

• The Raleigh rodeo will be held Saturday at Rebus Works (301 Kinsey St.) and will feature Gouge Wrestling. Trucks on tap include CJ's Street Food, Gussy's Greek Food, Chick-n-Que, Captain Poncho's and LocoPops. The rodeo starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. This event is family-friendly. 

• And on Sunday, the Durham rodeo will feature more than 53 trucks at Durham Central Park. If you haven't been to the Durham rodeos before, you are in for a treat - lots of great trucks and a good family outing on a Sunday afternoon. 

• And looking ahead a little, Durham Foodie Johanna Kramer turned us onto the news that the Fairview Garden Center in Raleigh will host a series of Food Truck Rodeos called "Flora and Food Trucks Series".  The first will be held on Saturday, March 30, followed by two more on April 20 and May 11. Each event will feature 4-5 food trucks. Fairview is located at 8224 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh. Get all the details here.  

Events

• Looking for something to do this weekend now that spring weather is hopefully here to stay? How about helping a Raleigh institution celebrate 75 years? Did I mention it is Clyde Cooper's 75th Anniversary Celebration? Or tons of barbecue? Or a beer truck? Or that it benefits the SPCA of Wake County? Get all the details here.

• Thanks to the creative folks over at Ninth Street Bakery, they will be hosting Pi(e) Day on March 14 (get it? 3.14...Clever I say, very clever). Anyway, it is an amateur pie contest with a bunch of other stuff going on. Get all the details here. 

• The downtown Raleigh location of the Hibernian Pub is not back yet, but they will be hosting a St. Paddy's Day Block Party (on North Street) on March 16th featuring food trucks, cold beer and entertainment. Get all the details here.

• The folks over at Raleigh's Q Shack and Big Boss Brewing have teamed up for an event that is no joke. On April Fools Day (April 1st) they will host a Beer Dinner featuring seven beers and a four-course dinner at Big Boss Brewing. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Get all the details here.

• Spring is in the air, which means it is getting closer to one of my favorite events of the year - the 18th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour. Get ready to load up the car with your family and/or all your friends and spend the weekend touring our local farms. Mark your calendar now for April 27th and 28th. Get all the details here. 

• Hold the date for the annual Wake Tech Culinary Arts Showcase which will be held this year on April 30th from 4-7 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. Get all the initial details here. 

• Thanks to a tip in the Herald-Sun, we learned that Durham will have its first Louisiana seafood festival when the Bayou Festival Tour comes to town on April 20. It will be held at from noon to 8 p.m. at the CCB Plaza downtown. The festival is slated to include seafood, beer and beer samples. And it will return again, to Raleigh, on October 5th. Get all the details here.

• The annual event that celebrates locally brewed craft beer, Brewgaloo, will take place this year on April 27th on downtown Raleigh City Plaza. The event will feature local breweries and food trucks (what else could a person want?). Get all the details on their Faceook page here.

• The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce recently announced a food and arts festival that will be held along Town Hall Drive on May 18th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Called East Meets West, the event will feature Morrisville-area restaurants, music, performances and a variety of visual arts. Get it on your calendar and get all the details here.

• The 2013 version of Farm to Fork will take place on Sunday, June 9th. The annual picnic celebrates local food and local farms. Get all the details here. 

Friday Fun Food Facts - March 1, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Each year the Independent Weekly publishes a "Best of the Triangle" listing of everything you can imagine. It truly is a great resource. That said, if you like what you read here, I would be humbled if you would take a moment to vote for us for Best Local Blog in the Triangle (enter Triangle Food Guy). Also, while you are there, you could also vote us Best Person To Follow on Twitter, and if you use us for your catering, Best Caterer. Thanks in advance for your time.
    
   

Wake County Restaurant News 

• Today is a big day for Kim Hunter, and for all of Raleigh for that matter, as Raleigh’s Seaboard Station welcomes the opening of Kimbap. The restaurant features Korean-inspired comfort food, including dumplings, rolls and soups. Check it out soon, you’ll be glad you did. More details here on her Facebook page.

• The pizza scene in Raleigh is going to get a little bit more competitive with the announcement this week that Randy’s Pizza & Subs is working toward opening their newest location in Raleigh’s Lake Boone Shopping Center. They are looking at an April 1 opening. Check them out on Facebook here. 

• Klara's, which moved into a second location over on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh (former Frazier’s location), has sold their Cary location to Brian Fitzgerald, a CIA trained chef from New York. Fitzgerald will be opening up Academy Street Bistro in April. Thanks to Michael DePersia of National Restaurant Properties for that tip.

• Michael also turned me onto the fact that Taste (inside the belt line off of Dixie Trail across from Crowley's) has been sold but that the new owner, Ryan Riek, will keep things mostly the same. He will, however, introduce tapas and the name will change slightly to Taste, American Tapas.

• We got a tip this week from my buddy Tim Moore that The OC Bar & Grill in Raleigh’s Oberlin Court near Cameron Village has announced an open date of March 13th, just in time for March Madness! This sports bar will be worth a visit, not just for sports, but for a very hearty menu as well. Get all the details here.

• Thanks to a tip from Twitter follower Kevin G., we got word this week that Elevation Burger is moving into the old Wolf Camera location in Raleigh’s Brier Creek. Don’t have an open date at this point, but check them out here.

• And speaking of Brier Creek, Twitter follower Robert Williams noticed this week that Firewurst is well on their way to opening their second Triangle location across from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the former San Gennaro’s location. No word yet on an open date. Their original store is over in Cary in the Shoppes of Kildaire.

• We got word this week that the newly opened Dean’s Seafood Grill & Bar over in Cary is getting ready to open for Sunday brunch beginning March 17th. Get all the details here. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Things are about to get more “mellow” in Chapel Hill with the opening of the Mellow Mushroom next Monday, March 4th. The Mellow will make its return to “The Hill” in the former Ham’s location on West Franklin Street and will boast an amazingly redone outdoor patio and the largest mural in the chain. This will mark the Triangle’s fourth location. Check out Mellow Mushroom here.

• We got a tip this week from Chapel Hill Magazine that Kipos, a Greek Taverna on Chapel Hill’s West Franklin Street, will open on March 10th. It is the latest concept from legendary restauranteur Giorgios Bakatsias. Chapel Hill Magazine has a great write up on it here. 

• Over in Durham, thanks to a tip from my Twitter buddy @Burgeoningbaker we leaned that the Asian fusion bistro & bar Sake Bomb is now open. It is located on University Drive in the former Eastern Lights location and we hear the new interior is pretty impressive. Give it a look here.     

Closings  

• We just got word that Cupcake Mayhem, a pickup and delivery cupcakery in Raleigh, has closed. Sorry to see them go, but wish them the best in their next venture. 

• We also got word this week from John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) that
  Spinners Grill in Wakefield has closed. They posted their closing on their Facebook page. 

• And we saw on a Yelp message board this week that The Fish House over off of 15-501 Business in Durham has closed. Word is that a west coast concept called The Saucy Crab will be moving into that building. No word yet on a timeline. Not much up on their Facebook page yet.

Events 

• And with the closing of Cupcake Mayhem, perhaps you should take up eating pie. And thanks to the creative folks over at Ninth Street Bakery, they will be hosting Pi(e) Day on March 14 (get it? 3.14...Clever I say, very clever). Anyway, it is an amateur pie contest with a bunch of other stuff going on. Get all the details here.  Get all the details here 

• Spring is in the air, which means it is getting closer to one of my favorite events of the year - the 18th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour. Get ready to load up the car with your family and/or all your friends and spend the weekend touring our local farms. Mark your calendar now for April 27th and 28th. Get all the details here.  

• Rise Biscuits & Donuts is hosting a Pop Up Chicken Dinner March 5th and 6th from 5pm-8pm with 20% of sales going to benefit SEEDS in Durham. You get: 1/2 fried chicken with Romesco Sauce, Mash Potatoes with Gravy, Sweet Potato Biscuit & Choice of Donut (pick one): Chocolate Cake, Blueberry Cake, Cinnamon Sugar Cake all for $9.95. Get all the details here. 

• The downtown Raleigh location of the Hibernian Pub is not back yet, but they will be hosting a St. Paddy’s Day Block Party (on North Street) featuring food trucks, cold beer and entertainment. Get all the details here. 

• The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce recently announced a food and arts festival that will be held along Town Hall Drive on May 18th from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Called East Meets West, the event will feature Morrisville-area restaurants, music, performances and a variety of visual arts. Get it on your calendar and get all the details here. 

•  Durham Foodie Johanna Kramer turned us onto the news that the Fairview Garden Center in Raleigh will host a series of Food Truck Rodeos called "Flora and Food Trucks Series".  The first will be held on Saturday, March 30, followed by two more on April 20 and May 11. Each event will feature 4-5 food trucks. Fairview is located at 8224 Holly Springs Road in Raleigh. Get all the details here.

• The seventh annual Empty Bowls event to benefit Urban Ministries of Durham will be held on Thursday, March 7th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Purchase your tickets here.

• Thanks to a tip in the Herald-Sun, we learned that Durham will have its first Louisiana seafood festival when the Bayou Festival Tour comes to town on April 20. It will be held from noon to 8 p.m. at the CCB Plaza downtown. The festival is slated to include seafood, beer and beer samples. And it will return again, to Raleigh, on October 5th. Get all the details here. 

• Hold the date for the annual Wake Tech Culinary Arts Showcase which will be held this year on April 30th from 4-7 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. Get all the initial details here.

• If you are a restaurateur looking for a great cause to get behind, look no further than this September’s WWTA Charity Tennis Classic to benefit Hospice of Wake County. They are looking for donations for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and beer!). If you are interested, they are looking to have all donations wrapped up by the end of April. Get more information here.  

Final Thoughts

• It is magic when a Hurricanes win lines up perfectly with the release of Friday Fun Food Facts, but when that is the case...you win! Head on over to Solas Coffee & Café TODAY with the sports page from the N&O or your ticket stub from last night’s game, and score yourself some free hot minis! Way to go Canes! All the details here.

• And a couple of shout-outs to two great Triangle eateries. First, a happy one year anniversary to Holly Spring’s Little Hen Restaurant. If ever there was a reason to go to Holly Springs, this is top of the list. Also, a happy 5th birthday to Chapel Hill’s (and now Raleigh’s too) Sugarland Bakery. Visit Little Hen here and Sugarland here. 

Pending Openings

We Continue To Keep Our Eyes On: 

Raleigh Brewing Company has announced a March 9th grand opening;

The Cowfish (yes, burgers and sushi) will join the ever-growing lineup of fantastic restaurants in North Hills. Look for a spring opening; Al’s Diner in Pittsboro is expanding with plans to open Al’s Lunchbox directly across from the diner. Look for a mid-March opening; Wilmington’s extremely successful fondue restaurant, The Little Dipper, is getting close to a late-March opening in Durham’s Brightleaf Square; Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q is planning a north Raleigh restaurant in the Poyner Place shopping center near Triangle Town Center mall; Carolina Ale House will open on Glenwood South in early 2014; We also continue to watch for details on the opening of the North Raleigh location of Hibernian Pub (literally, any day now) as well as the return of the downtown Raleigh location as it is rebuilt after their fire; Denny’s location in the Hope Valley Commons shopping center in Durham is set to open in April. A second Durham Denny’s will open near the intersection of 15-501 and I-40; We continue to wait for the “official” word on Justin Rakes and Scott Martin’s Salted Pig over in Durham; Hwy. 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries (formerly Andy’s) is heading to North Raleigh and will be located in Falls Village; We await the re-opening of Gregoria's Kitchen over in Durham after their fire last Durham. Still no word on a date; Dave & Buster's is heading this way to Cary Towne Center; Brixx Pizza will open this spring in Cameron Village’s newest development; Cafe de los Muertos will open this summer in the Hue in downtown Raleigh; Lawrence Coffee Bar coming to the Jones-Foy house in downtown Cary on Academy Street; Trali Irish Pub & Restaurant will be opening a second location in Morrisville in March, in the location that used to house Yucatan Cantina; Waffle House on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill was originally looking at a February opening, so it should be opening any day now; Barberito's, a southwestern grill and cantina, will open in early March in Cary’s Waverly Place (with a Raleigh location not too far behind); Taqueria del Sol is on the clock to open their 2nd location in the Triangle, with this one coming to Durham; Blend and Grind, a coffee, smoothie and juice bar which will be located in downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station; Char-Grill in Clayton (August opening); PDQ (chicken tenders, salads & sandwiches) is slated to open their Wake Forest location in late March, followed by a Cary location in May; Carolina Wing Company is taking over the Buffalo’s Café location in Stonehenge Shopping Center in Raleigh; Keeping an eye out for Austin’s Chuy's which is coming to North Hills in Raleigh. Chuy's is a fun and funky fresh Mexican themed restaurant; Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar will take over the Rockfish space at The Streets at Southpoint; Java Burger and Bar concept that is on tap for the Westpoint at 751 development off N.C. 751 near The Streets at Southpoint; A new fast, casual Indian dining option coming to RTP called Curry Point Express. It is going into the strip mall at the corner of S. Miami & Hwy 54 (across Miami from Serena); Downtown Raleigh’s Wilmoore Café will re-open in early March under a new name, with a new menu and expanded hours; Look for Greg Hatem’s The Pit to open in downtown Durham this summer (in the same building as Fullsteam and Motorco).