Friday Fun Food Facts - September 6, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•   It was announced this week on their Facebook page that the popular North Raleigh dining joint Gonza Tacos y Tequilla will be opening a second location in Wake Forest in Suite 100 at The Factory. Look for a mid-November opening of the new location. Get more information on Gonza here or visit their Facebook page here.     

Wake County Restaurant News 

•  As we alluded to last week, the Stanbury is now officially open at 938 N. Blount Street in downtown Raleigh. This is the latest venture of Drew Maykuth, founding co-chef of the acclaimed Admiral in Asheville, who teamed up with a group of folks here in Raleigh. It is located in the former Market restaurant space next to Escazu Chocolates. Check them out on Facebook here. 

• Just a reminder that Yellow Dog Bakery at 219 E. Franklin Street will hold their grand opening tonight (Sept. 6th) from 6-9 p.m. Expect to find baked goods, like French baguette, fig and walnut wheat bread and jalapeno cheddar rolls, as well as coffee beverages and fun activities during the special opening event. Get all the details on Facebook here. 

• The former Jibarra is now officially re-opened as Jose & Sons and is serving dinner Monday through Friday, all day Saturday and for Sunday Brunch. Their new website is also up here.

• This is a fun little nugget from John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer). There is a new dessert and cocktail bar called Bittersweet coming to downtown Raleigh. Outside of their website (where you can donate to the cause), that is about all we know at this point. We do know Bittersweet represents a new and different outpost for selling the goods of already existing company, bittycakes. So look for delicious desserts, cocktails, coffee and snacks...and great banter! We’ll definitely keep an eye on this goodie. 

• We are getting closer to the opening of the Raleigh location of Chuy’s because I just received an invitation to a “Welcome Chuy the Redfish” event on September 19th. Looks like a pretty good teaser and a very limited menu, but I’m game for meeting a red fish. We’ll keep you posted as we get closer to the opening later this fall. In the meantime, check them out here. 

• It looks like we are days from the re-opening of the Point Restaurant and Bar over in Raleigh Five Points area. They closed at the end of August for extensive renovations (they successfully purchased the building they are in) and will show off their new digs sometime early next week. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know. Check them out here to keep tabs yourself.

• We got word this week from Terry Spigelmyer that City BBQ, an operation out of Ohio with more than 20 locations across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, is bringing their first venture in North Carolina to Cary. And it appears it will land on Kildaire Road. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know more as we know it. Check them out here. Thanks Terry!

• Thanks to the observant eye of the folks over at WRAL, we learned that a new restaurant called Mr. Wonderful’s Chicken & Waffles has opened on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh. We don’t know much else other than it is affiliated with a similar concept in Ohio. Check out their website here and their Facebook page here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• The Herald-Sun broke the news this week that Fares Hanna, the owner of the Cuban restaurant Gregoria’s Kitchen, is planning to re-open the restaurant with an expanded menu in a renovated building at 2701 Hillsborough Road. Gregoria’s closed earlier this year after a fire heavily damaged the house that it was located in on Chapel Hill Road. Look for a larger space, more parking, a larger bar area and an expanded menu when it opens after renovations in 6-8 weeks.

• Thanks to Herald-Sun we now know that a new eatery called the Colorado Burrito Place is expected to open in The Shops at Daniel Boone Village in Hillsborough later this month, serving breakfast and lunch. It will be open initially from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday with plans to extend the hours in the winter. Check them out on Facebook here.

• The Herald-Sun is also reporting that a new location of the frozen yogurt and smoothie chain Red Mango has opened in the Bryan Center at Duke University. This location is partly owned by NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte. Get more information on Red Mango here. 

• All good things must eventually ride off into the sunset, including the Sunset Grille over on Fayetteville Road in Durham. But apparently it is more of a makeover than anything - now operating as 58 Fifty Bistro & Martini Bar according to a posting on a Yelp message board. Apparently it is a little more upscale with all new décor and a revamped menu.

• Kudos to chef and owner Matt Kelly of Mateo Tapas in Durham for being recognized in the September issue of Southern Living magazine as one of the South’s five best new restaurants. Kelly is also a partner in Vin Rouge, also in Durham. Thanks to the N&O for this tip. Read more about it here and view a link to the article in Southern Living here. 

Closings (none!)    

• Keep eating local folks!

Food Trucks 

• 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 

• If you are looking for an announcement to make you start salivating, take a look at the list of participants for this year's TerraVITA Food & Wine Event that was just announced this week. 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.

• Though Hot Tin Roof (on Margaret Lane in downtown Hillsborough) has been open since early July, they’re celebrating members with a special grand opening event tonight (Sept. 6th). From 6:30 to 8:30 pm enjoy free BBQ, draught samples and live music from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Even if you can’t make the party this Friday, stop by most any Friday to find Barone Meatball food truck parked outside. Check out their website 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.

• I was reminded by John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) that the Museum of Life & Science over in Durham is holding their annual Science of Beer event on Thursday, September 12 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Not only will you learn more about beer than you ever thought you would, you’ll get to sample from 15 different breweries and also enjoy a little grub from food trucks Pie Pushers, Parlour and Only Burger. Get more details here.

• WRAL tipped us off to a pop-up dinner over in Chapel Hill that is a joint effort between food truck American Meltdown and Market Street Coffee. Botta, an Italian pop-up experience, will take place on Thursday, September 19th with sittings at 6 and 8 p.m. The cost is $50 for the three-course meal. Get your tickets and details here. 

• 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. 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.

• Here is another great foodie event to get on your calendar - the March of Dimes Triangle Signature Chefs Auction on November 17 at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. Attendees will be able to sample signature dishes from top chefs from around the Triangle while bidding on great auction items/packages during our silent and live auctions. Get all the details here. 

Food Bank Corner   

• It is back for its second year, and it is definitely bigger and better - the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC 24-Hour Telethon. Join the Food Bank and host Gregory Ng for 24 hours of "Awesome-Sauce!"  The 24 Hour Telethon will be streaming here starting at noon on Friday, Sept 13 and going to noon on Saturday, Sept 14 from the Raleigh warehouse located at 3808 Tarheel Drive. The goal is to raise $50k. The event will kick-off with a food truck rodeo, but get the complete schedule here.