Friday Fun Food Facts - November 15, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Just before Valentine's Day 2014, the Triangle's diverse dining scene will add a new culinary option called Café LOVE, from the folks behind Triangle Raw Foods. It will feature a raw foods menu and will be located at 3219 Old Chapel Hill Blvd. next to Piper's Deli and between University Drive and MLK Boulevard in Durham. The eatery, whose name signifies Live Organic Vegan Eats, will be operated by chef Matthew Daniels and business partner Jane Howard Crutchfield. Learn more about them here.

Wake County Restaurant News 

•  Listen up Chuy's fans, you are going to have to be a little bit more patient. Got the following note this week: Due to unforeseeable delays Chuy's Raleigh will now be opening on Tuesday, November 26. Check out their Facebook page here. 

• Looks like Hillsborough Street just got another coffee option. Located at the new student-housing complex at 2604 Hillsborough Street, Saxby's (not to be confused with Zaxby's) has opened. Following that, they will open a second Raleigh location this winter over at North Hills near Harris Teeter where Henry's Gelato used to be. Check them out here.

• And over in Cary, the Triangle's third location of Firewurst is now open. The newest in the lineup is on Harrison Avenue in the same shopping center where Bass Pro Shop is going in (right across from The Umstead Hotel). Check them out here. Thanks to Kristen Baughman for the heads up on that.

• And there is a new dog in town called The Double. Serving up gourmet all-beef hot dogs and fresh-cut fries, they are located at 962-A Airport Blvd in RTP and they are open 10:30-3:30 on weekdays. Check them out here. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• While all the buzz in Chapel Hill this week was about a new swanky movie theater going in at University Mall (and that is great news), I was more excited to hear that Plaza Azteca, a full-service restaurant serving contemporary Mexican cuisine, will open in the mall in 2014.   

• Insomnia Cookies opened a new bakery in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, November 11. The store is at 145 East Franklin Street, across from the University of North Carolina. They are open until 3 a.m. and they will deliver! Check them out here. 

• Also over in Chapel Hill we got word from a Chowhound post that a "Indi-Chinese" place (interesting, right?) called Rasa has opened in the old Ming Garden space in Chapel Hill North. I couldn't find a web page for it, but here is the Yelp listing for it.

• I got an invitation this week to an opening reception for The Pit in downtown Durham. Based on the date of the opening reception, it looks like they will swing open their doors prior to the end of this month. Get ready Durham! Nothing much on their website yet.  

Closings (None!) 

• Keep eating local, folks!  

Food Trucks 

• Well the last Durham Food Truck Rodeo of 2014 is upon us and will take place this Sunday, November 17th from 12:30 to 4:30 at Durham's Central Park. Over 60 trucks, 15 local crafters as well as Fullsteam and Triangle Brewery will all be on hand. Get all the details here.

Events 

• On Sunday, November 17th (from 1-4 pm) the good folks over at Sola Coffee Café in North Raleigh are throwing a "Thank You Raleigh Party" where they will be giving a free drink of choice to all their customers. (Proceeds for those who choose to donate will go to Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem, a program for abused and neglected children in Wake County. Check out Sola 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. 

• On Wednesday, November 20 at 7 p.m., "Bacon Mania" hits Watts Grocery. Executive Chef, Amy Tornquist has partnered with Hope Valley Bottle Shop for a dinner highlighting every Southerners favorite food - bacon.  For $55 (excluding tax and gratuity), guests will enjoy five-courses including pairings specifically chosen to complement each dish. Get more details and register here. 

• Urban Ministries of Wake County is hosting its ninth annual Stone Soup Supper from 5-7 p.m. on November 20th. The soup is being prepared by Scott Crawford of Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary; Eddie Wilson and Andrea Pettifer of Margaux's Restaurant in North Raleigh; Scott Rowe of Prestonwood Country Club in Cary; and Ben Holt of Raleigh's Capital City Club. Dinner costs $8 for adults and $4 for children. The handcrafted pottery bowls can be taken home for a suggested donation of $25. Tickets can be ordered ahead of time here.

• On November 23rd from 5-8 p.m. the folks behind Chirba Chirba Food Truck and the folks over at Aviator Brewing Company are teaming up for a one-night pop-up dining experience at the Belt Line Station in Durham. The cost is $28. Reserve your tickets and get all the details here.

• Triangle Family Services' will hold their annual Gingerbread Benefit on Thursday, December 5 at the Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary. Attendees will have a chance to view beautiful gingerbread houses designed by nearly 30 local chefs and support Triangle Family Services' mission to help families in crisis. Get more details here.

• Mark your calendar for 6 p.m. on December 11th when Chapel Hill's Il Palio restaurant at The Siena Hotel offers up a five-course dinner with beer pairings from Durham's Fullsteam brewery. The cost is $55 per person. For a reservation, call 919-918-2545. Get more information here. 

Holiday Menus, Turkeys & Holiday Gifts!  

• Ordering a "Holiday Lunch" for your office? We've made it simple for you. Check out these great holiday menus from A Catered Affair, The Picnic Basket, Catering By Design, We Cook For You Catering, Neomonde Cafe and Green Planet Catering. As an added bonus, all orders off any of these Holiday menus (now through the end of the year) will earn you double points!! Order away and happy holidays! 

• Don't want to cook on Thanksgiving? Here are some options for you. Both The Q Shack in North Hills and Neomonde in North Raleigh will have your turkey and all the fixings ready for you to pick up. For The Q Shack click here and for Neomonde just email Noelle here.

• Also, if you are so lazy that you don't want to even do that (I get it), Andrea Weigl over at the News & Observer has put together a list of restaurants that will be open on turkey day. However, we recommend you get your reservation in early. Here's the list.

• If you are looking for holiday gift ideas, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance has created the perfect option - a Shop Downtown gift card that, among other retail options, gives you access to over 37 downtown restaurants. Get your gift card(s) here.