Friday Fun Food Facts - May 24, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  We’ve been busy adding new restaurants to our lineup here at Triangle Food Guy for your next office lunch...and we’ve got even more on the way. Mix up your catering with some new options including: Top This! (burgers and sandwiches); Donovan's Dish (our newest caterer) and Capital Buffet (from the folks at Crystal Palace). Be on the lookout for a couple more additions in the coming weeks including Lubrano’s (Italian) and several others.  

Wake County Restaurant News 

•  Just got word that the Triangle’s second location of PDQ will open to the general public on Sunday, June 2nd at 10:30 a.m. in Wake Forest. PDQ is a fast casual restaurant specializing in chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches, fresh cut fries and milkshakes. The address is 11690 Northpark Drive. Get all the details here.  

• Got a tweet this week that the Fuhgeddaboudit Pizza in Cary will become Camos Brothers Pizza. The store is located at 3450 Kildaire Farm Road. The store is closed right now for renovations, but will open back up shortly. We’ll keep an eye on it. They also have a location in North Raleigh. Get more details here.

• Got word this week from my buddy David McCreary (author of Lunch Boy Says blog) that Sip Wine & Coffee Bistro in Holly Springs is scheduled to open June 1 at Holly Springs Crossing in the space formerly occupied by Java Divine. The address is 128 Bass Lake Road. Check them out here. 

• Got a tweet this week from the owners of Trali Irish Pub (with a location in Brier Creek) that their second location in Morrisville will open in mid-June. It will be located in the former Yucatan Cantina location at the intersection of Davis Drive and Morrisville Carpenter Road. Keep up with the latest here. 

• A little bird told me this week some exciting news about Lynnwood Grill in Raleigh. Word is they are going to open a brewery soon called Lynnwood Brewing Concern. We will keep an eye on it for you. Lynnwood Grill is located at 4821 Grove Barton Road (next to Raleigh’s Grand Theatre). Check them out here.

• Downtown Cary’s Academy Street Bistro contacted us this week to let us know that they would open for dinner on May 28th. It is in the old Klara’s location at 200 S. Academy Street. Here is their Facebook page. 
     

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

•  Drove by the former Tedesco’s location on East Franklin Street and noticed extensive renovations going on. As to what it will become? A Yelp message board posting seemed to suggest that it will become a "mixed" casual Korean concept. We will continue to keep an eye on it.  

• On that same drive, I noticed that the Waffle House on East Franklin Street is getting very close to an opening. The front wall is down and there is a bevy of activity going on. The 24-hour breakfast stop is located at 129 E. Franklin Street in the former YoFrutti location. Don’t know about you, but my loyalty remains with Ye Olde Waffle Shop!

• My friends over at Ninth Street Watch tipped us off to the fact that Dynamik Duo Desserts Bakery has opened in the location of what was previously the Carolina Cake Co. in the University Center shopping center. It’s located off West Main Street near the intersection with Hillsborough Road. They offer cakes, pies, cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, cake pops and other items. They will celebrate their grand opening on June 1st from 10 until 4. Get all the details here. 

• Got word this week from David Sadeghi (owner of Town Hall Grille in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village, and Bolt in downton Raleigh) that his latest concept at Westpoint at 751 in Durham (near the Streets of Southpoint) will be called Town Hall Burger & Beer and is looking at a late June opening. 

• And a couple of bits of great news from our friends over at The Picnic Basket, a caterer located over in Durham. Last month they opened a café in Smith Warehouse on Duke’s east campus. The other big news is that they will move their entire catering operation from Durham into the former Meat House location (and before that Applebee’s) in Chapel Hill. The location will not be open to the public (strictly catering) but they will have a sampling room for you to try some of their fare. Check them out here.

Closings   

• Got word from a Yelp message board that the MaggieMoo’s in Cary has closed. However, the location in Brier Creek remains open.

• Over in Raleigh’s Lafayette Village, Village Market / Antonio’s Gourmet Market has closed their doors. But the email announcement did allude to the fact that Antonio is pursuing a new venture. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• Got word from WRAL that the Carolina Smokehouse Grill on Capital Boulevard in Wake Forest has closed their doors. 

• And we learned this week that Hillsborough Street’s Hot Box Pizza has decided to close. This location was the chain’s only location outside of Indiana. Good people, sorry to see them close.  

Food Trucks 

• Here's a food truck rodeo for animal lovers...Food Waggin', a food truck rodeo to benefit the SPCA of Wake County. It will be held on Saturday, June 1st from 1 - 5 pm. Bring your friends (two-legged and four-legged), and enjoy good eats and the company of fellow animal lovers. Enjoy fare from local Triangle food trucks, live music and a children’s play area. Confirmed food trucks include: Chirba Chirba Dumpling, Klausie's Pizza, Captain Ponchos Tacos, Chick-N-Que and Porchetta. Each participating food truck will donate 10% of their sales to the SPCA, and Wilkinson Supply Company will match their donations dollar for dollar! Get more details here.

• One down and three to go. The first of four Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos is in the books and the feedback was generally very strong. In fact, they’ve already announced that the truck count will climb from 42 to somewhere in the mid 50s for the next one on June 9th. That is when they will again 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.  

• Here’s a food truck to get behind. Christian Thompson, aka the Hog Father, is in the process of launching Pork In The Road food truck. He’s holding an event this Sunday at 7 p.m., and has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his dream. Help out if you can!

• If you run so you can eat, here is the event for you. The Bull City Race Fest & Food Truck Rodeo. Set for October 20th, over 700 runners have already signed up. They'll have a half-marathon, a five-mile run and a 1-miler. But the best part, they are all followed by a Food Truck Rodeo, Beer Garden, Kids Zone Experience and tons of fun. Register today. 

Events 

• Just a little heads up that Triangle Restaurant Week is scheduled for June 3-9, 2013. Get more details here.

• Krispy Kreme is giving away one free doughnut of any type per customer on June 7 in recognition of National Doughnut Day. No purchase is necessary, but you have to get ’em while supplies last. Krispy Kreme has 5 locations here in the Triangle. Find the one closest to you 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.

• Looks like there is a new “restaurant touring” concept coming to our market called DishCrawl. Kind of like a pub crawl, but for food. In one night, you’ll get to sample food from 4 different restaurants. Cost is $45 per person. Get all the details here.

• The Western Wake Farmers’ Market will host a Farm-to-Fork dinner on Thursday, June 13th at the Umstead Hotel & Spa. The evening will feature a multi-course dinner prepared by Chef Scott Crawford using all locally-grown ingredients from the farmers at Western Wake. Even the farmers themselves will be at the dinner. That’s cool! Tickets are $100 and include beer (Full Steam) and wine (Sip). Get your tickets today.

Food Bank Corner 

• The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is launching their Stop Summer Hunger Campaign this week and the big kickoff is next Saturday, June 1.  If you’d like to support the effort by walking, here is additional information.  

Final Thoughts

• Here’s a cool little resource for you. If you find yourself out in RTP looking for a place to dine, look no further than this nifty little listing of all the eating establishments in and right around RTP.