Friday Fun Food Facts - October 11, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  The News & Observer shed a little more light on the soon-to-open Quality Grocery, an old-time cafe, restaurant and grocery store in Historic Oakwood, near downtown Raleigh. Owners Jay Wellons and Jason Howard, who are behind the Rockford restaurant on Glenwood Avenue, have created a neighborhood country store in the building that has served as an on-again, off-again market since 1909. Quality Grocery is at 701 E. Lane St. Not much on their Facebook page, but if you want to keep up with them you might want to “Like” them here. 

Wake County Restaurant News 

• After 10 years, Dean Ogan is changing the concept of Twisted Fork with a reinvented menu and dining concept. The new menu, which focuses on a fun and fresh dining experience, will highlight your favorite American foods in a fun way. They are set to close the doors on Sunday, Oct. 13 and will reopen to the public on Wednesday, Oct. 23. And don’t worry, chef Richard Smith will still be there whipping up his amazing desserts! Get all the details here.  

• And the Quay (aka Fuquay Varina) is days away (they are shooting for October 18th) from the opening of Hosanna Brewery and Brew Pub located on North Main Street. Check them out on Facebook here and their main site here.  

• The Hibernian Pub over in Cary is celebrating 10 years with an event this Saturday, October 12 from 12-5 with authentic Irish cuisine, various beers on tap, live music and lots of giveaways. Stop by and get all the details here.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a new TCBY opened at the Shoppes of Kildaire shopping center in Cary, marking the first TCBY location in Wake County. The shop will hold a grand opening from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. this Saturday at 1369 Kildaire Farm Road. Get more information on them here.  

• The News & Observer reported this morning that Cilantro Indian Café is coming into Cary’s MacGregor Village. It will be an Indian take-out restaurant and convenience store.

• And one more bit of Cary news, several media outlets reported this week that Taco Mac Sports Grill is coming to Waverly Place. Get a sneak peek at them here. 

• This is not Wake County, but Smithfield is about to get a new brewery - Double Barley Brewery. They are holding their grand opening on October 12th with plenty of beer, giveaways, food and music. The VIP Hour ($50) is from 3-4 p.m. (only 50 tickets) with everyone else joining the fun at 4. Get more details here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Thanks to the observant eyes of our friends over at eatRaleigh, they scooped the news that food truck Baguettaboutit is planning a brick and mortar location in RTP in the former Worth It Café location near the intersection of T.W. Alexander and Miami Blvd. No word yet on an open date, so we’ll keep an eye on it. Check them out here.

• The students over at UNC-CH will have a little extra help with studying in about a month when Franklin Street welcomes it’s newest tenant in Insomnia Cookies, according to The Daily Tar Heel. And as the name suggests, they will be serving up warm cookies and milk, ice cream, brownies and cookie cakes, among other things. Sounds delicious! Check them out here.  

Closings 

• We got word this week from a reader that Vinny’s Italian Grill and Pizzeria over in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Shopping Center has closed (I told you they should have never kicked out Sal's!).

• The Herald Sun is reporting that after seven years in business on North Roxboro Road, the Eno River Eatery will close Sunday. What is even more disappointing than that is the fact that construction of a new crappy fast food chain will take it’s place. There are hints that they might re-open in a new location, so we’ll keep an eye on it.

Food Trucks 

• Who would have thought you'd have food trucks at a major golfing event. But that is exactly what we have (and open to the public) at the SAS Championship on Friday Oct. 11 at Prestonwood Country Club. Food trucks in attendance will include: American Meltdown, Pie Pushers, Chirba Chirba, Sweet Traditions and Chick-N-Que. The trucks will start serving food at 4 p.m. Parking for the SAS Championship and Food Truck Friday is free of charge and located at Bond Park. Complimentary shuttle busses will bring spectators and families to and from the parking area. Get information on parking here. 

• This is kind of cool - but what else would you expect from the folks over at Rebus Works in downtown Raleigh. This Saturday, October 12, they are doing a pairing dinner of sorts where they will be “pairing” six different food trucks with 6 different New Belgium beers. The event takes place from noon until 4 p.m. Rebus Works is located at 301 Kinsey Street in Raleigh. Get more details here.  

• Sunday, October 13th will be the 4th and final Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2013. This one will move back to daytime hours (12-5) and will feature over 50 trucks along 10 city blocks of Fayetteville Street. 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. 

• Here is a good "cause" to get behind. The good folks behind KoKyu have launched a Kickstarter Campaign for a brick and mortar location! Sign up here through Halloween to be on their mailing list for their campaign.  

Events 

• And this is the weekend for the annual TerraVITA food and wine event which runs through Saturday. The highlight of the three-day event is the Grand Tasting on the Green held at the Green in Southern Village in Chapel Hill. Sample delicious food alongside more than 100 sustainably produced beverages from around the globe. Tickets are $65 with alcoholic beverages and $50 without. Get all the details here.

• According to WRAL, North Hills will be the site of the Midtown Barbecue, Bluegrass and Brew this Saturday. There will be a barbecue sauce contest, a pie eating contest and local craft beer samples. Tickets are $8 in advance and $12 at the door. Children 10 and under get in for $5. VIP tickets are $30 and get you access to a special VIP tent with free wine, snacks and reserved seating. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Diabetes Management Solutions. Buy tickets and get more information here.

• On Wednesday, October 23, Watts Grocery is teaming up with Four Leaf Farm & Bluebird Meadow to host the Farm to Fork Wine Dinner. Guests will enjoy a five-course meal paired with wines by Drew of the Hope Valley Bottle Shop. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by dinner. Tickets are $55 (tax and gratuity not included) and can be purchased by calling Watts Grocery at 919-416-5040.

• The Garner Rotary Club will host the ninth annual Garner Rotary Club Oyster Fest on Oct. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Fidelity Business Park. For $25, patrons will enjoy an all-you-can-eat affair catered by 42nd Street Oyster Bar of Raleigh. Tickets may be purchased at the door, or in advance from a member of the Garner Rotary Club or at the Garner Chamber of Commerce. For more information visit here.

• Vinnie’s Steak House and Tavern has partnered with Hal Parson and Danielle Centeno of Escazu Artisan Chocolates for their next Meet the Maker Dinner on October 24th. This unique event will feature their first-ever guest chef, Danielle Centeno, who will be preparing one of the five courses for this evening. The cost is $50 per person, $65 per person with wine pairings and it begins at 6:30 pm. Get more details here.

• The annual Red & White Food and Beverage Festival is coming up on Tuesday, October 29th from 6-9 pm at The State Club in Raleigh. The event features NC State alumni who are chefs or are otherwise involved with restaurants, farms, breweries, alcoholic beverage companies and/or wineries. Ticket proceeds support Wine to Water. And as a perk, all Triangle Food Guy friends will get $5 off admission by entering “trifoodguy” at checkout. See, it pays to ready my stuff! 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   

• In its third year, the Creative Food Drive will be on Saturday, October 19, from 3-7 pm on the North Quad at American Tobacco Campus. C.F.D. is a food drive competition/community festival where local businesses and organizations raise non-perishable food items and design and build a sculpture in a competition of epic proportions. All of the food is donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Durham nonprofit Housing for New Hope. Also, during and after the build, there's a whole community festival going on, with live music, food trucks, beer from local breweries and a kids zone with pumpkin painting and a bouncy castle. It's a pretty sweet way to spend a Saturday afternoon, so bring your folding chairs and enjoy the festivities. Get all the details here.