Friday Fun Food Facts - August 16, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Downtown Raleigh’s The Rockford, is new...and expanded...and the same (thank goodness!). After closing in early July for much needed renovations, the popular downtown destination opened again last week with a larger kitchen and other improvements, but also holding onto what folks love so much about “The Rock.” Check them out here. 

Wake County Restaurant News 

• It was announced last week that Ashley Christensen’s newest venture and the much-anticipated Joule Coffee (which is in the former Wilmoore Café spot at 223 S. Wilmington Street) will swing open their doors on August 28th. Check out all of Ashley's restaurants here.

• Both New Raleigh and Triangle Explorer turned me onto the fact that a new bakery is just days away from opening in downtown Raleigh. It looks like Yellow Dog Bakery (to be located at 219 E. Franklin Street) will be churning out handmade artisan breads and southern influenced pastries. There was a hint on Facebook that they may be opening around August 19th. We’ll keep an eye on it, but check them out here.    

• The town of Cary got a jolt of good news last week with the announcement that the town-owned Jones House will become a joint effort of Sweet T “a cupcakery” and Muddy Dog Roasting Company. The joint effort will be called The Jones House and will be a combination bakery, restaurant and coffee bar. Look for it to possibly open by year’s end.  

• And if that is not enough coffee for Caryites, thanks to a tip from John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer), we got word that Cary is getting a new coffee shop at the end of this month called Grounds which will be located in the creative coworking and studio space called Gather located at 111 W. Chatham Street. It looks like the grand opening will be August 30th, but we’ll continue to keep an eye on it. In the meantime, keep up with them on Facebook here.   

• Also in Cary, we got word this week from Ray Dorry that Dorry’s Downtown will begin serving up pizza, calzones, strombolis, beer and other pizzeria favorites starting this afternoon (Friday)! Stop by Dorry’s and check out the new offerings! 

• North Carolina is getting its first location of Elevation Burger this Saturday when it opens across from Caribou Coffee in Raleigh’s Brier Creek shopping center. The burger joint serves fries, shakes and organic, grass-fed, free-range beef (as well as a vegetarian and vegan option). Check it out here.  

• Saw this week on a Yelp message board that the Firebirds over in the Park West Village Shopping Center in Morrisville has opened. With locations already in Raleigh and Durham, this marks the Triangle’s third location. Get all the details here. 

• The fourth Triangle location of Village Deli and Grill, located in the Lake Boone shopping center in the former Barking Cow location, is now open according to an August 14th posting on their website. Get more details here. 

• New Raleigh reported last week that the former Ruben’s Downtown location (100 N. Person Street) will become a taqueria. While still a rumor, it seems to be pretty solid. We’ll keep up with this as it unfolds. 

• Got confirmation that the former Mare / Vino location in Morrisville’s Grace Park will become Cucina di Milano and will be run by successful Raleigh restaurateur Vincent Barresi, owner of Vincent’s in North Raleigh. Barresi hopes to open by mid-August. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• Got word from David McCreary (author of Lunch Boys Says) that Patrick Jane's Gourmet Pizza Bar will be opening in September at The Shoppes of Kildaire in Cary. Get a sneak peek at them here.  

• Olive Garden, the chain restaurant known for its salads, breadsticks, soups and pastas, has opened in Holly Springs at 107 Grand Hill Place in Holly Springs Towne Center. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Giorgios Bakatsias has done it again. Tucked away in the Chapel Hill courtyard behind Kipos Greek Taverna (also owned by Bakatsias), Giorgios introduces the Triangle to his fascination with Greek street food with the opening of Kalamaki. Check out the take-out only (although there are plenty of outdoor tables in the courtyard) establishment here.

• According to the N&O, Tijuana Flats is opening its fourth Triangle location on Monday on Durham’s Ninth Street (specifically 703 Ninth St.). The Tex-Mex restaurant offers a made-to-order menu and a hot sauce bar. Check them out here.

Closings     

• The first is a closing, and a reopening. After a nine-year run, Zely & Ritz on Glenwood South in downtown Raleigh is closing. That is the bad news. The good news is that they sold the restaurant to Steve Day, a former banquet chef at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary. He plans to open Plates by early October.

• The second is a closing and a reopening as well. We learned this week that jibarra, a Mexican restaurant on Davie Street in downtown Raleigh, will have one last week (next week) of operation, before they close with plans to reopen in September with a new concept dedicated to their father, Jose. We’ll keep an eye on it, but get out to Jibarra next week! Check them out here.

• We learned this morning in the News & Observer that Durham’s Honey’s Restaurant and Catering, known for its 24-hour breakfast and country-cooking, will shut down Sunday after serving the Bull City for more than 50 years.

• And over in Raleigh we learned (and confirmed by Triangle Explorer) that Falls Tap Room has closed their doors.

Food Trucks 

• The N.C.Therapeutic Riding Center in Mebane is hosting a Rockin’ Horse Round-Up on Aug. 22. The event features live music, Carolina Brewery beer and several food trucks, including Only Burger, Chirba Chirba Dumpling, Local Yogurt on the Go and Mac-Ur-Roni starts at 5 p.m. and goes until dark. The event costs $10, and guests are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Children ages 12 and younger are free. To buy tickets, go here.

• If you’ve been looking for an event that combines Shakespeare with food trucks (I know you have!), we’ve got just the event(s) for you. You’ll want to head on over to the next performance of “As You Like It” with Bare Theatre at Raleigh Little Theatre on August 23rd, 24th, 29th or 30th. Just prior to the shows (beginning at 6:30 pm) they will have two food trucks each night. Get all the details here. 

• Got a reminder from my friends over at Pie Pushers that the next Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo will be held on Sunday, September 1st from 12:30 until 4:30 p.m. Mark your calendars now and get all the details here.

• 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 

• Tickets are on sale now for TerraVITA Food & Wine Event scheduled for October 10-12, 2013 over in Chapel Hill. This is one of the Triangle’s “can’t miss” food events. Get your tickets today here. And get more information on the event here.

• The second annual Raleigh/Durham Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event will be held at the Durham Convention Center this Saturday August 17 from 10am-4pm. The event is open to the community, and caters to those who avoid multiple allergens, such as gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, grains, etc.  Admission is $10 per adult; kids 13 and under are free. Get all the details here.

• In the midst of tomato season, Pittsboro Roadhouse & General Store is hosting an Heirloom Tomato Dinner with Deep Chatham Gardens next week on August 20th at 6:30 p.m. The five-course meal is $25 per person plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 919.541.2432. Get more details here.

• Well this is strange. Watts Grocery’s Amy Tornquist, Walking Fish Cooperative and Community-Supported Fishery are hosting a dinner devoted to eating an array of sustainably harvested strange seafood from the North Carolina coast. The five-course meal will begin at 7 pm on September 9th at Watts Grocery. The cost is $70 per person ($100 with wine pairings) with proceeds benefiting Saltwater Connections, a project of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island. To make a reservation, call 919-416-5040.

• The fifth annual Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week will happen next week - August 19-25th. Plan your outings for next week now! And get reservations! You know the drill by now, but in case you forgot or are new to this event, restaurants feature 3 course prix-fixe dinners for $20 or $30 all week. It is a great chance to check out some new restaurants, or visit your old favorite! Check out their new site here for all the details.

• Here is an event you probably want to get on your calendar - the Wide Open Bluegrass festival September 27 & 28 at Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater. In addition to the amazing music line-up (with Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickel) there is a massive two-day street festival which will be highlighted by the North Carolina Whole Hog Barbecue State Championship. Get all the details here.

• Thanks to a tip from the News & Observer, we learned that the World Beer Festival returns to Durham on Oct. 5 in a new location: the old Durham Athletic Park. Tickets went on sale this past Thursday for All About Beer magazine subscribers who get the coveted first chance to get VIP passes that typically sell out in the pre-sale days. Tickets go on sale to the general public July 24 at 10 a.m. The event will feature two sessions: an afternoon tasting from noon to 4 p.m. and an evening tasting 6-10 p.m. General admission is $45 and VIP tickets -- with a food buffet, special beers and a private hospitality area -- are $75. Get all the details here.

Final Thoughts

• Lots going on and lots of great foodie events. I hope you will make an extra effort to frequent and support our locally-owned restaurants, coffee shops and eateries. It makes a difference!