Friday Fun Food Facts - October 4, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

• This coming week marks one of the biggest food events of the year and there are still tickets to a few of the 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 all the details here.

Wake County Restaurant News 

•  Downtown Raleigh is so lucky. Paddy O’Beers, a craft beer shop and tasting bar, is opening at 121 Fayetteville Street (next to Eye Care Center) at the end of November. Think craft beers (a lot local), bottled beers from all over the globe and a large patio area (or is it paddy-o?). Check them out on Facebook here.

• And speaking of downtown, there is a new cupcake shop in City Market called Cupcake Stopshop located at 300 Blake Street in the Blake Street Studios. Thanks to New Raleigh for the tip on this. Check them out here.

• We got word this week that Jose and Son's (formerly Jibarra) will hold their grand opening next Wednesday October 9th. Stop by from 5-7 p.m. to enjoy some free samples from their menu at the bar area and listen to some great music from the Al Strong Quartet. Get all the details here.

• Over in Morrisville, the Triangle Business Journal has reported that Firebirds Wood Fired Grill has opened at the Park West Village shopping center. This marks the third Triangle area location for the franchise (North Hills and Streets at Southpoint). Get more information on them here.

• And over in Cary, Ray Dorry and his team over at Dorry’s Downtown have extended their menu and hours by adding pizza and new night time hours. Get all the details 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 

• One is sometimes better when it is two...right? Well, it is definitely the case with One Restaurant over in Chapel Hill that is home to new executive chefs in the form of the couple Kim Floresca and Daniel Ryan. Daniel came on board back in June and Kim in July. Be sure to check their new menu offerings and other changes here. 

• The Herald Sun is reporting that Gigi’s Cupcakes has opened at the new 140 West mixed-use development on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Gigi’s is a Nashville, Tenn.,-based cupcake chain. We are still waiting on the opening of Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom and Spicy Nine. Check out Gigi's here.

• We also learned from the Herald Sun that a contemporary Mexican food restaurant called Plaza Azteca will be opening in University Mall in Chapel Hill in early 2014. We will keep an eye on it. 

• The Daily Tar Heel is reporting this week that the Toppers Pizza that is moving into the old Gumby’s' location at 306 W. Franklin St. will open the second week of December. The franchise will try and fill the “Pokey Stix” void left with the closing of Gumby’s with their version called “Topperstix.” Check them out here. 

• The News & Observer reported this week that the next burger joint to hit the Triangle will open in early November. Zinburger, located in the Streets at Southpoint in Durham, will open in early November. Their “twist” on your burger experience is that they are a “burger and wine” concept. Get a sneak peak at them here. 

• Our friends over at Bean Trader’s in Durham put up an intriguing post on Twitter this week that suggested new digs for them in the same shopping center. I’ll have to swing by (soon!) to drink some bean and get the full details, but it looks like they keep getting better and better. Check them out here.

• And if you live in Durham and are a sushi lover, another new option is now on the table for you. The Herald Sun noted that the Koumi Japanese Restaurant at 3550 N. Roxboro Street in Durham has added a sushi bar. Get more information here. 

• And this is kind of interesting. Durham is now home (“virtually”) to a new farmers market of sort. GoMarket is a new food hub that helps farmers connect with eaters. For the user, you get to create a “customized CSA box” of sorts. Check it all out here.  

Closings 

• The News & Observer reported this morning that Klara’s, which closed its original Cary location in February, will close its Raleigh location on Hillsborough Street today after only having been there for one year.

• We learned this week that Locopops is closing their Raleigh and Chapel Hill locations as of October 27. The original location on Hillsborough Road in Durham will remain open. They will focus their business more on the mobile end of their business (think events) and they are still being sold at over 20 locations throughout the Triangle. I’m just happy I can still get my Locopops! Keep up with all the changes here. 

Food Trucks 

• Our good friends over at the United Way of the Greater Triangle hold a food truck rodeo every second Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Perimeter Park in Morrisville (2000 Perimeter Park to be exact). The rodeo is open to the public, and usually has 4-5 food trucks and one dessert truck. Trucks are booked on a quarterly rotation, so there’s always variety from month to month. The next rodeos are scheduled for October 9 and November 13. Check it out here.

• 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. 

• 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 

• The World Beer Festival returns to Durham tomorrow (Oct. 5) in a new location: the old Durham Athletic Park. Get all the details here.

• This event will be a little more than five loaves and two fish - it is the annual St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Lobster Fest taking place Saturday, October 5th. You can order ahead, pick-up or dine there, but it is best to order ahead. The church is located at 221 Union St. in Cary. Get all the details here.

• Chatham County will again be home to the 6th Annual Amazing Abundance Pepper Fest on Sunday, October 6th from 3-7 p.m. in the Briar Chapel development. The event will feature an endless supply of pepper-themed dishes from some of the Piedmont’s best chefs, brewers and food artisans as well as live music, kids’ activities and interactive displays. Advance tickets are $30. Get all the details here.

• The Neomonde Café & Market location in North Raleigh will have a Day of Giving on Monday, Oct. 7 to help support the 25th annual Walk for Hope. 10% of sales on that day will be donated to the Foundation of Hope.  Also,  Neomonde Café & Market (Strickland Road) will donate $1 for each new Facebook page like received by midnight on Oct. 7. Check out their Facebook page 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.