Friday Fun Food Facts - April 26, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

• The big news this week is that The Little Dipper “Fondue on Main” has opened on Main Street in Durham at Brightleaf Square. Founded in Wilmington, this second location made its debut on April 18th. They are open for dinner daily except for Mondays. Get more details here.

Wake County Restaurant News 

• Got a tip from my friend Julie Liddle (who, by the way, can print up really cool Koozies for all your summer events) that Big Apple Bagels is coming to Falls River Towne Center. We don’t have an open date yet, but the site says, “Coming Soon.” We’ll ask Julie to keep an eye on it for us. Check out Big Apple Bagels here.

• According to the Triangle Business Journal, the owner of Serena, a Sicilian inspired gastropub in RTP, has taken over the former Cozumel and Al Dente restaurant spaces that closed last August on Creedmoor Road in north Raleigh at Stonehenge Market shopping center. The new restaurant is expected to open within the next month. We’ll keep an eye on it. In the meantime, check out Serena here.

• Perhaps I’m the last to learn of this, but a reader turned us onto the fact that Jimmy V’s Italian Restaurant is opening in the Sheraton Hotel downtown Raleigh at some point in the near future. All we know at this point is that they are hiring. More details to follow.

• Got word this week from reader Paul Hetzel that there is a new bakery that just opened in the Bently Ridge shopping complex on Edwards Mill Rd. (diagonally across from Char-Grill and Olde Raleigh) called the Groovy Duck. Feeling groovy? Check it out here. 

• Morrisville is getting sweeter and sweeter with the news that another cupcake shop is about to open called Goodybox Cupcakes. It will be in the Food Lion plaza near the intersection of Chapel Hill Rd. and Cary Parkway. Check them out here. 

• Thanks to a tip from David McCreary, author of Lunchboy Says blog, Corbett's Burgers & Soda Bar will open soon in Cary at 126 Kilmayne Drive near Big Lots. The restaurant will serve fresh burgers ground daily plus all-beef hotdogs, milkshakes, seasoned fries and more than 200 varieties of glass-bottled sodas. For more details, visit them here. 

• The News & Observer reported this morning that Charleys Philly Steaks is opening in the food court at Triangle Town Center toward the middle of next month. The steak and chicken restaurant will replace Steak Escape.

• The News & Observer is also reporting that Village Deli & Grill is opening its fourth location this summer over on Lake Boone Trail in Raleigh and will replace the Barking Cow Pub at Lake Boone Shopping Center. Look for a late June / early July opening. Get more information on Village Deli & Grill here.  

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• The Daily Tar Heel reported this week that the huge Hampton Inn & Suites complex slated to open in July on Main Street in downtown Carrboro (300 East Main) will boast three restaurant concepts when it opens. The Charlotte-based Hickory Tavern Restaurant Group is planning to open Hickory Tavern, a restaurant and sports bar that already has 14 locations across the Carolinas. This will be the Triangle’s first location. Get a sneek peak here.

• Also at 300 East Main, Raleigh restaurant operator Ken Yowell is planning to open two more restaurant concepts. Yowell is co-owner of the Calavera Empanadas & Tequila Bar. East Main Meatball Company will be one of the concepts he opens and the second will be focused on a menu of hand-made empanadas and an extensive tequila bar, much like Calavera. We’ll keep an eye on this as we get closer to an opening date.

• The Herald Sun reported this week that the ownership at the Rudino’s location in RTP has changed. It will remain a Rudino’s until June 1 and then it will become a sports bar called Rookie's Sports Park.

• The Daily Tar Heel reported this week that renovations have begun in the space that originally housed The Rathskeller in Franklin Street’s Amber Alley. Unfortunately, limitations of the space will prevent the installation of a full-service kitchen, and it remains unclear at this point what will occupy the space once renovations are complete. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• And a huge shout out to the good folks at Sutton’s in Chapel Hill which celebrated their 90th birthday this week!

Closings   

• We got the sad news this week from Chef Chris Harris, that the Fork & Barrel on Falls of the Neuse Road in Raleigh is closing its doors on April 30th. Folks, I’ll say it again, please shop local! I'll be watching carefully to see where Chef Harris lands.

• Got word from The Herald Sun that the location of Rudino’s in Durham near the intersection of Hwy. 54 and Fayetteville Street (Southpoint Crossing Shopping Center) has closed after a 13 year run. 

Food Trucks 

• The crazy folks putting on the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo are doing one more Flash Mob Food Truck Rodeo TONIGHT (April 26th)! It is from 6 to 9 p.m. at Histroric Boylan Heights / Rebusworks (301 Kinsey Street). This is in anticipation of the big event coming up on May 12th (see below). Check it out tonight!   

• If you like food trucks and beer (stupid question, right?), head out this weekend (April 27 from 3 - 9 p.m.) to 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. https://www.facebook.com/groups/25673705565/

• The final food truck rodeo at Fairview Garden Center in Raleigh is on May 11. It 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 

• 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 on their Facebook event page.

• Spring is in the air, and one of my favorite events is here - the 18th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour. Load up the car this weekend with your family and/or all your friends and spend the weekend touring our local farms. The tour is both Saturday and Sunday. Get all the details here.

• The annual Wake Tech Culinary Arts Showcase is next Tuesday, April 30th from 4-7 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. Get all the 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!