Friday Fun Food Facts - April 19, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Just in time for my birthday this past Wednesday (yes, I'm still accepting belated birthday wishes), the much anticipated OC Bar & Grill in Raleigh swung open their doors. The OC is co-owned by Ryan Reid and Ryan Faircloth. Get all the details here on this very cool new concept over in the Cameron Village area.  

Wake County Restaurant News 

• According to New Raleigh, Quality Grocery in historic Oakwood (which recently received major renovations) has been sold and will reopen later this Spring with a concept that will feature a restaurant, grocery and front patio dining. Quality Grocery is located at the corner of Lane Street and Linden Avenue and is the oldest running grocery store in Wake County. We'll continue to keep an eye on it and unveil details as we get them. 

• The News and Observer reported this week that veteran restaurateur and Vietnamese chef Quan Tran has opened Pho Super 9 near Triangle Town Center mall in the old Hibachi Xpress space in Plantation Point Shopping Center. The six-page menu is extensive to say the least. Get a look inside the restaurant and more details on their Facebook page here.

• We got the official word this week from a very reliable source that the second Triangle location of Firewurst will be opening next week in Brier Creek across from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the former San Gennaro's location. Their original store is over in Cary in the Shoppes of Kildaire. Get all the details here.

• The News and Observer also reported this week that things got a little sweeter over in Morrisville with the opening of Batterz Up over on Chapel Hill Road in the old Morrisville Café building. Owner/baker Abby Broadway has given the space a complete makeover with a cheery coat of pink paint and display cases full of sweet temptations. She specializes in cupcakes, but will also offer morning pastries and coffees from Red Rooster Coffee Roaster in Wake Forest. Get all the details here.

• Got word from my buddy David  Sadeghi of My Farina Hospitality Group that Bolt Bistro in downtown Raleigh is now serving up a delicious Sunday morning brunch. Stop by after church between 11 and 2. David also tipped me off to the fact that his newest concept over near Streets at Southpoint (Westpoint at 751) will be called Town Hall Burger and Beer and they are shooting for a June opening. We'll provide more details as we get closer.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• The Brightleaf Square District in Durham is getting closer to the anticipated opening of Rose's Meat Market and Sweet Shop. And you can help to see it come to fruition by supporting their Kickstarter campaign or by attending their Kickstarter party on April 28th. Get all the details here.

• WRAL announced this week that Steel String Craft Brewery will officially open its doors in Carrboro on May 10th and 11th with grand opening celebrations, but you can check them out starting next week. They are having a soft opening from the middle of next week through May 1. They will be operating with limited hours 5-10 p.m. Purchase tickets to the grand opening celebrations that will feature free food, live music and, of course, lots of beer. Get all the details here.

• But with that opening, comes news from Chapel Hill Magazine that Carrboro is losing one of their own to Durham. Miel Bon Bons, a bakery that sells specialty cakes and chocolates, will relocate to a space next to Nana's in June. But chef-owner Bonnie Lau says despite the move, she is working out arrangements with local coffee shops to carry her goods in Carrboro and surrounding areas. Get all the details here. 

• The Herald-Sun is reporting that an eatery called Sharky Eat & 8 has opened up in place of the Durham Pizza Restaurant at 4707 Hillsborough Road in Durham. Owned by Zack Chahine, the establishment serves pizza, Italian food, cheeseburgers, and Philly cheese steaks.

• Perhaps inspired by the fabulous outdoor dining space at downtown Chapel Hill's Mellow Mushroom, next door neighbor Cholanad is close to opening their new outdoor patio. We'll keep an eye on it for the official "opening" of their new space. Check them out here. 

Closings   

• Saw a note on a Yelp message board that Java Jive of Cary on Harrison Avenue is closing its doors on April 30th. Bummed to learn of this, but the one on Kildaire Farm Road will remain open.  

• Over in Chapel Hill, it appears as if another pizza joint has closed their doors. Locked doors, lights out and a disconnected phone lead us to believe that Tedesco's Italian Restaurant Pizzeria has closed their East Franklin Street location. Thanks to Jason Klaitman for that heads up.   

Food Trucks 

• The second food truck rodeo at Fairview Garden Center in Raleigh is just around the corner. It will be held on April 20 and followed by a third on 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.

• If you like food trucks and beer (stupid question, right?), mark your calendar for April 27 (3 - 9 p.m.) and plan on being in downtown Raleigh's city plaza for Brewgaloo - an event featuring 24 local craft beers, 12 food trucks (including Klausie's Pizza, Cafe' Prost, Baguettaboutit, Big Al's & Chirba Chirba, Lumpy's Ice Cream, Hibachi Xpress, Only Burger, American Meltdown, Sweet Stacey Cakes and more) and eight bands . Get all the details here.

• If you are a faithful follower of the area's food trucks, you'll definitely want to put May 5th on your calendar and head on over to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on Falls of the Neuse Road at 5 p.m. The mini-food truck rally will feature American Meltdown, Captain Poncho's Tacos, Chick-N-Que, Klausie's Pizzza and Sweet Traaditions as well as live music for their Sing-o-de Mayo event. Get all the details on their Facebook page 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.

• And if you need any more reasons to make the first Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo on May 12th, here are 5 more reasons - the event will be the debut for 5 new food trucks - Baton Rouge Cuisine, RedEye Barbeque, Barone Meatball Food Truck, D' Burritos, and Red Hot and Blue Food Truck. Get a full list of trucks here.

Events

• The Pit's 5th Annual 'Cuegrass Festival returns to the warehouse district of downtown Raleigh this Saturday, April 20 from noon to 6 p.m., with a jam-packed day full of great 'cue, local brews and toe-tappin' bluegrass music! Get all the details here. 

• If you know me, you know that two of my passions are food and soccer. Those two worlds collide this weekend with the Railhawk's newest pre-game festival called Latin Fest this Saturday (April 20th) at 5 p.m. The event will feature live music, beer and margarita sampling and of course great food. Tickets start at $10. Get all the details here.  

• The Wolfpack Club is having their Third Annual BBQ Bowl at Carter-Finley
  Stadium on Saturday, April 20. The Wolfpack Club will host a weekend of activities that will culminate with a North Carolina Pork Council sanctioned cook-off and celebrity judging prior to the NC State Kay Yow Spring Football Game. Register your team, pre-order plates and get all the 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 this Saturday, 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 Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market will kick off its 4th season in downtown Raleigh's City Plaza on Wednesday, April 24 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) with a pig pickin' featuring authentic North Carolina barbecue from The Pit. Get all the details here. 

• Sunrise Wines will be hosting a Spanish-inspired outdoor wine dinner at The Matthews House in Cary on Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will feature four courses with traditional Spanish foods, including paella and flan, paired with a variety of imported wines. There are currently 16 seats available for the dinner at $75 each. Reservations may be made by calling (919) 447-1944.

• Thanks to a tip from David McCreary, author of Lunchboy Says blog, I learned about a culinary event called Savor being put on by the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce on April 27th from 4 to 7 p.m. that will feature at least 18 food vendors, two local breweries, and at least one winery. Get all tickets and all the details here. 

• Or, if South America is more your style, Johanna Kramer tweeted about an Argentinian Dinner being held at Apex's Little Hen Restaurant also on April 25th. The dinner features guest chef Pablo Ranea and costs $125 per person. 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.

• My good friend Lisa Englert turned me onto an upcoming event some of you may be interested in - the kick-off of the 4th Annual Herbfest weekend on Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. by welcoming food and garden writers, Debbie Moose and Carol Stein. They will lead a discussion about how to cook what you grow and grow what you like to eat.  Get all the details here.

• Cinco de Mayo is a trumped up American holiday, but if it means eating more food, we're all on board. But it also marks the 5th anniversary of Chubby's Tacos which is definitely worth celebrating. Stop by any of their 5 Triangle stores May 3-5 for fun, food and festivities. 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.

• 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 Thoughts

• Our friends over at The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina need your help to secure a $45,000 grant from Walmart to provide funding for five of their Kids Cafe locations. If you're so inclined, please give them a much-needed vote here. You can vote once a day from now until April 30th. Thanks!