Friday Fun Food Facts - September 30, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• The shiny, silver, Airstream "food truck" known as DaisyCakes has confirmed that their "brick and mortar" location will be open by the end of October. The new location will be at 401-A Foster Street in downtown Durham (next to the Durham Farmers' Market). DaisyCakes specializes in breakfast pastries, coffee, drinks and some of the best cupcakes you've ever had.  Keep up with them here.  

• The Barking Cow Pub & Eatery in the Lake Boone Shopping Center in Raleigh is now open. Barking Cow takes over the space formerly occupied by Second City. Barking Cow is the newest member of the family that includes Sawmill Tap Room, Macgregor Draft House and Leesville Tap Room.  

• Pharaoh's is back in downtown Raleigh, now off the Jones Street entrance to the NC Museum of History (think General Assembly side). This marks Pharaoh's second attempt at a downtown location after closing a location last year on Davie Street in the Progress Energy building.  

• Chapel Hill has a new Italian restaurant and pizzeria - Tedesco's. It is located at 1404 E. Franklin Street, former home to Los Potrillos, and prior to that, El Rodeo. And while the Tedesco name is familiar to this area, this restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team that just located here from southern Florida. Get more information on their website here.  

• It is official. After a grand opening yesterday, the Triangle is now home to The Chef's Academy, a culinary arts school. The facility is absolutely amazing and is located at 2001 Carrington Mill Blvd. in Morrisville. Get more information here. This is truly a feather in the Triangle's cap! 

• And speaking of grand openings, the re-opening of the expanded Moe's Southwest Grill at the corner of Harrison Avenue and Westin Parkway has been put on hold, pending inspection from the city of Cary. Come on Cary, let's get with it! A grand opening will be announced once that inspection is complete. Maybe the mayor will join them to say, "Welcome (back) to Moe's!!!"

• Talk about the transformation of one parlor to the next. We got word this week that Mitch's Bar & Grille has opened on Ninth Street over in Durham in the former Dogstar Tattoo location.  

• In an interesting bit of news this week, the N&O's Andrea Weigl reported that Chef Shane Ingram, who gained local fame with the extremely popular Four Square Restaurant in Durham, has amicably parted ways with the anonymous investor he partnered with to bring ONE to Chapel Hill and G2B to Durham. That can't be good news for those two establishments.  

• Also, Cary's downtown dining scene took a bit of a blow last week with the closing of Gayla Bonke's Chatham Street Café & Catering. This falls on the heels of the closing of The Food Factory which moved to Duke's campus over in Durham. Still no word yet on the opening of Dory's Downtown which is to fill the space vacated by The Food Factory. 

• This is a little outside of my "Triangle" area coverage, but I just learned that one of my favorite little restaurants has closed - Yancey House in Yanceyville. I went once with my wife, and am even more grateful now that we went. They don't make restaurants like that anymore...My best to Chef Lucindy who is now offering cooking classes at Terrapin Cove Farm.     

• Congrats goes out to Daniel Whittaker, owner of Green Planet Catering, for winning the 2011 Green Award presented by the Triangle Business Journal. Read more on his award here. Congrats to Daniel and his team! 

• Looking for something fun to do this weekend. Look no further than the 4th Annual Pittsboro Pepper Festival taking place at the Briar Chapel community park in Chapel Hill / Pittsboro. In addition to the great food (from 25 local chefs), good brew (5 local breweries represented) and good music, there will also be lots of kid activities. The event is from 4-7 pm on Sunday, Oct. 2. Tickets are $25 until tomorrow, and $30 at the door. Get all the details here.   

• Over in Durham, Piedmont Restaurant is now hosting Family Style Sunday Suppers every Sunday night. Choices include fried chicken, vegetarian dumplings, roasted pork loin, and whole fish filet. Main items are $20 and sides are $6, with each easily serving two people. Check them out this, and every, Sunday night. More information here.   

• The first ever RTP Food Truck Rodeo was a huge hit and will now become a monthly event. In fact, the next one is already scheduled for Thursday, October 20th from 11:30-1:30. This week's event featured three food trucks and attracted over 250 people! They are hoping to increase the number of trucks for October's event.

• And speaking of food trucks, it didn't take Raleigh long to plan a huge food truck rodeo - Food Truck King - also scheduled for October 20th (but in the evening from 5-9:30 pm). It will be held in City Plaza along with music, circus performers (not sure if that includes some of our Raleigh city councilors that fought the food trucks) and beer. The event is sponsored by The Raleigh Downtowner magazine. The event benefits Meals on Wheels and will conclude with the tapping of "Food Truck King" as voted upon by attendees. Food Truck King is free to attend, but tickets are available for sale to 250 attendees to sample tasty treats from all food trucks plus two free beers and a chance to win $200 worth of gift certificates to local restaurants. Get more information here.   

• And finally, Acme restaurant over in Carrboro is holding another one of their wildly successful wine dinners on Monday, October 3rd, this time featuring well-known Argentinean winemaker José Balbo. It's an opportunity to sample some of the hottest wines sold in America with some downright delicious Acme food. And talk to the man whose family is at the very heart of the great Argentine wine renaissance. The dinner will start at 6:30. Price is $60 per person for 5 courses and 5 wines (1 white wine and 4 red). Reservations are required by calling 919-929-2263. What else do you have planned? Dancing with the Stars? Really?

Friday Fun Food Facts - September 23, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Cary is getting mellow...well, more like getting their own Mellow Mushroom! Beginning next Monday, folks over in Cary will be able to enjoy Mellow Mushroom in their new location at the corner of Highhouse Road and Cary Parkway. They expect to be open for lunch and dinner daily, from 11 a.m. until midnight. For more information, go here, or their Facebook page. 

• New Orleans cajun has arrived in downtown Raleigh. The long-awaited Battistella's has opened in the former Angelo's location at 200 E. Martin Street. Chef Brian Battistella's new digs will be open for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays and Sunday brunch. Looks like it will be another month or so before they open for lunch. Battistella's menu isn't just Cajun fare, it's classic New Orleans and upscale Southern cuisine. Be sure to check them out on Facebook here.    

• Also in downtown Raleigh, Calavera, a new empanada and tequila bar, opened Wednesday night of this week. The establishment is located at 444 S. Blount Street.  

• It appears as if downtown Raleigh's newest Indian restaurant, Mantra, is open in the building once occupied by Blue Martini and Vintage Bar. While this hasn't been 100% confirmed (I would call first to 919.833.2823), they list an event at the restaurant tonight on their website. They will be open daily at 11 a.m. where executive chef Gamer Rawat, formerly of Saffron, will be serving up authentic Indian cuisine with Western updates. They are located at 116 N. West Street. More information here.   

• I must have missed this, but back in April a restaurant called Goodness Gracious opened over in Durham serving up Southern-style food. They are located at 1301 N. Alston Avenue. See more on their Facebook page here.    

• Moe's in Cary at the corner of Harrison Avenue and Weston Parkway is just about done with their massive expansion. Last we heard, they were re-opening either today or Monday. I'd check in before heading over, but the expansion will more than double their dining area and add a room for private events. Welcome to Moe's! Check in with them on Facebook here.    

• We were over at Target near the Streets at Southpoint and noticed the "coming soon" sign hanging over a new Moonberries Frozen Yogurt. It is located in the retail strip center directly in front of Target (across from Tomato Jake's). We don't have an open date, but we'll keep an eye on it for you.   

• Speaking of yogurt, Frozen yogurt business Yogen Früz is adding two U-Serve Froyo Stations in North Hills and Triangle Town Center with a third new U-Serve store opening in November at Crabtree Valley Mall. Won't be long now before there is a yogurt option on every corner!   

• And this is a real gem for our area. The Chef's Academy, a new culinary school in Morrisville, will celebrate its grand opening next Thursday, Sept. 29, with a Triangle chefs' showdown. The event, which is open to the public, is from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Morrisville campus at 2001 Carrington Mill Blvd. The school is asking folks to RSVP. You can do that online and see more details about the event here.

• One of Andrea Weigl's "must go to" foodie events is tomorrow in Chapel Hill. TerraVITA will bring together some of the finest biodynamic and organically-grown wines and microbrews in the world with some of the very best North Carolina chefs, known for their devotion to locally-grown organic ingredients. Participants can choose from a variety of workshops and tastings, from a Sustainable Classroom to a Grand Tasting on the Green. The event will be held at the Village Green in Southern Village. For tickets and more information, check out the TerraVITA website.    

• Prepare yourself for a night of food and beer as Big Boss Brewing Company of Raleigh hosts Casktoberfest on September 29th. To celebrate the Oktoberfest Season, Big Boss is putting together their largest selection of cask conditioned ales ever assembled for a single event with a focus on their very popular fall seasonal release: Harvest Time Pumpkin Ale! To bring the German festival theme full circle they have teamed up with local caterers to offer authentic Bavarian cuisine for the event! Big Boss Brewing Company is located at 1249-A Wicker Dr in Raleigh. Get more information here.

• Hurricanes fans will have another shot in the upcoming 2011-2012 season to experience the cheesy goodness of Moe's Southwest Grill's "Caniac Queso Goal." Moe's just announced the return of this incredibly popular promotion in which fans get a free side of queso and hot fresh chips following each regular season home game in which the Hurricanes score five or more goals. Let's go Canes!

Friday Fun Food Facts - September 16, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• We've got to start with some good news out of Chapel Hill (we all know they need some good news). And this is GREAT news...bring on the Greek Grilled Cheese on a Pita! That's right, Hector's is opening their grill this Saturday in time for the UNC v. Virginia football game. Who cares what the NCAA thinks...Hector's is back!   

• Ashely Christensen's latest restaurant venture, Chuck's is now open. This burger establishment is also downtown and right next door to Beasley's, her chicken joint, which opened just a few weeks ago. And on the menu? Burgers. All made in a very unique way, but the "foundation" of each burger is a half-pound, house-ground, flat top seared, 100% chuck on a potato roll. And fries, shakes and a few other things. But mostly it's about the burger...and great burgers at that. Be sure to add Beasley's and Chuck's to your "must try" list. You won't be disappointed.    

• Raleigh is getting its third (sixth in the Triangle) Chipotle Mexican Grill this coming Tuesday. This rendition is located at 2316 Hillsborough Street directly across from NC State. It is in that same stretch as Jimmy John's, Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins and I Love NY Pizza. 

• Somebody got a facelift! Over on Glenwood South, The Diner closed for a few days this past week for an interior renovation, but that wasn't all that was new when it opened back up Thursday morning. They also rolled out a new menu and introduced their new chef, Corey Palakovich. Stop by and check out all the updates at The Diner.  

• Speaking of new chefs and new menus, fans of Savoy's former chef, Peter Gibson, will be tickled to learn that you can now enjoy Peter's creations at the NOFO at the Pig in Five Points in Raleigh. Peter just rolled out his menu last week. Check him out the next chance you get and welcome this extremely talented chef back! 

• A new Neopolitian pizzeria, al Dente, opened in the former Wildflour space in Stonehenge Market shopping center in North Raleigh. They have a custom-made, high-temperature coal-fired oven to make their pizzas as well as serving classic and signature pasta dishes. It is located at 7456 Creedmoor Road, near the Bruegger's Bagels. For more information and to see the full menu, click here.  

• Vin Rouge chef and part owner, Matthew Kelly, is finalizing plans on a new Spanish-inspired tapas bar and restaurant called Restaurant Mateo which will open at 109 W. Chapel Hill Street in downtown Durham...soon. He is putting final touches on the financing. The two-story spot is the former Book Exchange location. 

• Also in Durham, Gregorias Kitchen opened yesterday at 2818 Chapel Hill Road in Durham. Featuring Cuban food, the restaurant is located in a historic 1920s property that once housed The Peddler Steakhouse. Check them out here.  

• Fans of Al Carter, better known as Big Al's BBQ & Catering, will be happy to know that this November he will open a "brick and mortar" location at the intersection of U.S. 401 and Forestville Road in the Forestville Crossing shopping center in Northeast Raleigh. The restaurant will offer pork, ribs, chicken and beef brisket cooked on hickory wood, plus homemade coleslaw and fresh hush puppies. Carter said he still expects to use the food truck for select big events and catering. 

• If you live out in Clayton, you've got a new option for lunch and dinner. The Latin Grill has opened off U.S. 70 at 876 Gulley Drive. Opened by brothers Eddy & Galo Andrade, the restaurant serves Portuguese and Argentinean food, including grilled steaks, ribs and chicken.  

• Café Capistrano in Cary has closed. The Cary location was in Carpenter Village at 2250 Gathering Park Circle. That's the bad news. The good news is that the Raleigh location in Durant Station remains open. 

• Here are a couple of fun listings we encourage you to check out...although not on the same night. The N&O's Andrea Weigl has put together a list of wine tastings coming up throughout the Triangle, as well as a listing of upcoming church suppers. If you do hit them up on the same night, might we suggest you do the church dinner first!

• Perhaps spurred by the new ordinances in Raleigh, the Triangle has a new food truck - Chick_N_Que, featuring, you guessed it, chopped chicken barbecue, Eastern North Carolina style.    

• Pronto Pasta, located in the former Bear Rock location at the corner of Six Forks & Wake Forest Road, has a new, revamped fall menu. New items include hand-rolled meatballs, rich home-made alfredo sauce and whole-wheat spaghetti. Check them out here.   

• If you like Greek food, this weekend is your dream come true. The fairgrounds in Raleigh will host the 30th Annual Greek Festival featuring food, pastries, live music, dancing and the marketplace. A portion of the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. Get more information here.  

• This might be a sight worth seeing. First Flight Venture Center (FFVC), located at 12 Davis Drive in RTP, is hosting the very first RTP Food Truck Rodeo on September 22nd (that's next Thursday). If the turnout is as big as they anticipate, they plan to make this a monthly event. More details here.  

• The 6th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour will be held this weekend (September 17-18) from 1-5 p.m. and will be the biggest Eastern Triangle Farm Tour to date. Co-sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Whole Foods Market, the tour features 25 sustainable farms located across the Eastern Triangle.  Advance tickets are $25 per carload or cycle group.  Tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday and can be used to visit all of the farms on the tour. Day-of tickets are $30 or $10 per farm. Info and tickets.  

• On Monday, September 19th, Acme in Carrboro is hosting an Italian wine dinner with Blair Taylor, who's kindly flying into town for the evening. It's going to be great. Think of it as the Piedmont of Italy meeting the Piedmont of the Carolinas. Barolo and Barbaresco from two of Blair's great producers. Veal Cheeks and Duck Confit from Acme. Five courses and six wines. $55 per person. Reservations are required by phone at 919-929-2263. It'll start at 6:30.   

• Who remembers the N&O's Andrea Weigl's list of "must go" food events? Well, TerraVITA food & wine event in Chapel Hill in just over a week was one of them. The event will be held in Chapel Hill's Southern Village on Saturday, September 24th. You can get more information here. TerraVITA brings together biodynamic and organically-grown wines and microbrews with some of the very best North Carolina chefs that are committed to using locally-grown organic ingredients!    

• Listen up Paula Deen fans, the N&O's Andrea Weigl has the skinny on her book signing in Raleigh on October 14th. Check out the details here.    

• Today, and today only (i.e. September 16) Rocky Top Hospitality is offering ½ off gift cards for The Twisted Fork Grill & Bakery. You can get the $40 gift card for only $20. Only good at Twisted Fork, the gift card must be used by Oct. 31, 2011. Get yours now!

Friday Fun Food Facts - September 9, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• So the hottest new spot in Durham is officially open (as of this past Thursday). Scott Howell (known for Nana's) has taken over the former Fish Shack location on University Drive in Durham (next to Nana's) and opened NanaTacos. And when I say "open" I mean open. The renovated spot is very nice and has a renovated outdoor area and a "very open" feel throughout. Can't wait to try it!

• Gonza Salamanca, formerly of Dos Taquitos and Cantina South, is opening Gonza Tacos Y Tequila in the former Restaurant Savoy (and before that Fins) location at 7713 Lead Mine Road in Greystone Village. Look for a November opening. Keep up with it on their Facebook page.  

• Looks like a Raleigh native (with a pretty cool name) is going to breathe new life into the former Evoo location at the corner of Oberlin and Fairview. Mandolin will boast a casual atmosphere and fresh, contemporary Southern fare brought to you by Sean Fowler, most recently with The Fearrington House in Pittsboro. Sean is shooting for a November opening. Keep up with Mandolin on their webiste here.   

• Well, it looks like the Renaissance Hotel in North Hills is getting another dining option this fall. We just got word that Mia Francesca Trattoria will be opening in October offering simple, rustic, Italian food. Francesca Restaurants has over 20 locations in the Chicago area, and with a handful of other locations outside of Illinois. This will mark their first venture into North Carolina. Check them out here.    

• And over in Chapel Hill on Elliott Road we saw a "Coming Soon" sign for Tracy's New York Deli. There is a sign in the window about hiring staff, but no information on an open date. We'll keep an eye on it for you. It is located directly across the street from Red Lotus and Monterrey Mexican restaurants. 

• Great news for folks looking for more dining options in downtown Durham on Saturdays. Durham's beloved Ninth Street Bakery, located at 136 E. Chapel Hill St. across from the Marriott Hotel, is now open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Stop in tomorrow! 

• Rocky Top Hospitality unveiled two new menus last week at Draft Carolina Burgers & Beers and Tribeca Tavern (with locations in Raleigh and Cary. I'm still waiting on the Chapel Hill location...). The new menus include DOGS! All natural ½ pound sausages made exclusively for Rocky Top Hospitality by their friends at Top Hog Farms. Options include the Spicy Italian, the Polish Brat, Chorizo, and Andouille. The new Draft menu can be viewed here. The new Tribeca Tavern menu can be viewed here. 

• After a year-long discussion (although some thought it happened too fast) Raleigh is going to allow food trucks starting October 1st. Hoping to latch onto some of Durham and Carrboro's success, Raleigh's newly passed ordinance is a little more restrictive, but will be reviewed after six months. I don't think there will be a food truck rodeo (the ordinance won't really allow that) on October 1st, but I'm sure you'll see a lot more activity in Raleigh next month. Next city to enter the food truck frey...Chapel Hill. Stay tuned. 

• And speaking of food truck news, we heard last week that Durham's Local Yogurt, located pretty much at the intersection of 15-501 Business and University Drive, has a truck! Look for them around town (and maybe even in Raleigh now) serving up frozen yogurt.   

• And if that is not enough yogurt news for you, Raleigh will be home to Moonlight Swirl frozen yogurt this November. They will be located on Falls of the Neuse Road, directly across from North Ridge Country Club in the former Mattress Warehouse location (right next to Moe's). We'll keep you posted once we get an official open date. In the mean time check them out here and here.   
• We are getting very close to the opening of Mantra Indian Cuisine, located in the Glenwood South District in Raleigh. Their website now features a sneak peek at their menu (yumm!). Check it out here.     

• The folks at The Thrill at Hectors over in Chapel Hill are apparently still working on their kitchen. Sigh. A post on their Facebook page on August 31st hoped for an opening last week...but apparently not yet. We'll continue to watch this. I'll ask my buddy Gordon to check on this while he is in Chapel Hill this weekend and give me an update. 

• This could be my favorite time of the year! That's right...Dunkin' Donuts just released their Fall menu! Look for the  return of Dunkin' Donuts' famous Pumpkin Coffee and Latte, Pumpkin Donut and Munchkin donut hole treat, a new Pumpkin packaged coffee, hot or iced Apple Cider, a new Caramel Apple Donut, and more.

• This Saturday, from noon until 11 p.m., the Wooden Nickel Public House in Hillsborough (105 N. Churton Street) will host the 2nd Annual NC Brewers Cask Fest. The cost is $25 and gets you a souvenir glass and all the brew you can responsibly enjoy (or you can buy individual pints). Participating breweries include: Big Boss, Natty Greenes, Lonerider, Aviator, Olde Hickory, Mother Earth, Foothills, Fullsteam, Duck-Rabbit and a special "mystery" cask. More information is available on their Facebook page here.    

• Head to the Carrboro Farmers' Market this Saturday to sample dishes from seven local chefs. Those chefs will be whipping up samples of dishes using market ingredients for the 9th Annual Carrboro Farmers' Market Chefs Event starting at 9 a.m. The chefs include Jeff Barney of the Saxapahaw General Store and The Eddy Pub, Kevin Callaghan of Acme, Matt and Sheila Neal of Neal's Deli, Seth Kingsbury of Pazzo!, Adam Rose of Il Palio at the Sienna Hotel and Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery. The market is located adjacent to Carrboro Town Hall at 301 W. Main St. For more information, visit their site here.  

• And speaking of farmers' markets, the Western Wake Farmers' Market will be hosting the Pig Pickin' Palooza this Saturday from 11-2. The event will feature locally sourced foods from Coon Rock Farm, Redbud Farm, Fickle Creek Farm, Annelores' German Bakery, Muddy Dog Roasting Company, Martin's Curry Rice, and Outta the Park! With live music, a silent auction, a raffle and all this good food, it is sure to please!  Proceeds benefit the Western Wake Farmers' Market. Located on Morrisville Carpenter Rd. between Davis Dr. and Hwy. 55 in Carpenter Village. Get more information here. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 10 and under. 

• Here's a fun event coming up if you are a "beer and beef" fan! Durham's Bull City Burger and Brewery is reviving the old New York beefsteak tradition with its Beefsteak Octoberfest. It will be from 4 to midnight on Saturday, Sept. 17 (strangely enough, not in October). There will be two seatings; one at 4 p.m. and another at 6:30 p.m. In addition to the menu, the $45 ticket ($20 for children...not drinking beer) also gets you two beers and unlimited fries, bread, celery and radishes. Tickets are limited and only available online here. The event will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Durham.  

• The 6th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour will be held September 17-18, 2011 from 1-5 p.m. and will be the biggest Eastern Triangle Farm Tour to date. Co-sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Whole Foods Market, the tour features 25 sustainable farms located across the Eastern Triangle.  Advance tickets are $25 per carload or cycle group.  Tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday and can be used to visit all of the farms on the tour. Day-of tickets are $30 or $10 per farm. Info and tickets.   

• On Monday, September 19th, Acme in Carrboro is hosting an Italian wine dinner with Blair Taylor, who's kindly flying into town for the evening. It's going to be great. Think of it as the Piedmont of Italy meeting the Piedmont of the Carolinas. Barolo and Barbaresco from two of Blair's great producers. Veal Cheeks and Duck Confit from Acme. Five courses and six wines. $55 per person. Reservations are required by phone at 919-929-2263. It'll start at 6:30.  

• Who remembers the N&O's Andrea Weigl's list of "must go" food events? Well, TerraVITA food & wine event in Chapel Hill in two weeks was one of them. The event will be held in Chapel Hill's Southern Village on Saturday, September 24th. You can get more information here. TerraVITA brings together biodynamic and organically-grown wines and microbrews with some of the very best North Carolina chefs that are committed to using locally-grown organic ingredients!   

• Listen up Paula Deen fans, the N&O's Andrea Weigl has the skinny on her book signing in Raleigh on October 14th. Check out the details here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 26, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  Steve Hunt, who owns The Big Easy in downtown Raleigh, has opened another restaurant over in Cary in the former Marty's All-American Grill and Sunset Grill location. Look for the same Cajun- and creole-inspired dishes as the downtown restaurant. Visit them online here. 

• According to the N&O's Andrea Weigl, Nikos Taverna, a Greek restaurant in Morrisville, has closed and will open in about a month as the Triangle's fourth La Rancherita. We'll keep you posted.  

• A couple of big openings this week over in Durham. First, the much anticipated L'Uva Enoteca opened this week in the American Tobacco Campus complex (across from Tyler's) and is the creation of Jim Anile, owner of Revolution in downtown Durham. Take a peek at their Facebook page here. 

• And The Food Factory at Devil's Bistro on Duke's campus opened this past Wednesday. If you were a fan of The Food Factory (which closed last month in downtown Cary and will re-open soon as a similar establishment), it is worth a drive to Durham. Very cool space/location. Check it out!  

• Big happenings in downtown Raleigh. Over on Hargett Street the spaces formerly occupied by Two T's and Blue Bar will soon become home to a "Hawaiin café" and a British pub. Nothing else much to report at this point (they are being pretty tight-lipped about it) other than there is a lot of renovation going on, including outdoor seating space.  Look for an October/November opening.

• Here's one I never thought I'd see in this area. Imagine a place where you can sit around eating chocolate, and enjoying a beer or glass of wine that you brought! Or as someone else described it, "a Willy Wanka Factory for adults!" That's right, it is coming in the form of Videri Chocolate Factory which will take over the former Ess Lounge in downtown Raleigh. Sounds marvelous! Should be open just in time for the holiday season - a great place to take out-of-town guests.

• Don't think there are enough dining options on Raleigh's Glenwood South? Sit tight because the latest, Blue Mango, is under construction and on its way. It is located in the 222 condominium building and will serve up Indian cuisine from Chef Sita Khosla. Look for it to open this fall.

• A friend asked me the other day about the opening of the Mellow Mushroom over in Cary at the corner of High House and Cary Parkway. It appears as if they now have an "end of September" opening date. Stay tuned as we continue to watch this one. 

• With growth comes pain, I guess the old saying goes. And so it is as Raleigh's Hillsborough Street continues to "grow up" with plans announced this week that a new hotel/retail complex will sprout up across from NC State's bell tower. With that comes news that Sadlack's, a Raleigh institution, will close. No word yet on whether they will relocate. We'll keep an eye on it.

• In an interesting turn of events, the Carino's Italian Restaurant on Fayetteville Road near The Streets at Southpoint in Durham has closed. And now the 6-year-old building is scheduled to be demolished to make way for two retail shops. Apparently building ownership changed hands and the new owners wanted the change to happen, but apparently Carino's did not. But that said, there is still a Carino's in Brier Creek in Raleigh and we are awaiting news to see if they will relocate the Durham location.

• Over in Chapel Hill, right on the Chapel Hill/Carrboro line (Chapelboro as some refer to it) on Rosemary Street, brown paper adorns the windows of The Fuse, which has closed. Signs in the window indicate that the Standard Bar & Grill is coming soon. We'll keep an eye on it.

• The Great Food Truck Race is on again and there are a handful of Triangle area trucks competing for "most popular" in hopes of securing the $100,000 prize. Local trucks trying to become "America's Favorite" include: Captain Poncho's Tacos, Klausie's Pizza, Pie Pushers, OnlyBurger, Blue Sky Dining, KoKyu, Valentino's, Olde North State BBQ and Slippin' Sliders. Vote daily and vote often. Voting ends September 12. 

• Here's a fun event coming up if you are a "beer and beef" fan! Durham's Bull City Burger and Brewery is reviving the old New York beefsteak tradition with its Beefsteak Octoberfest. It will be from 4 to midnight on Saturday, Sept. 17 (strangely enough, not in October). There will be two seatings; one at 4 p.m. and another at 6:30 p.m. The restaurant will not serve burgers on this night and there will be no vegetarian options. The menu includes an assortment of beef, lamb, pork, offal and sausage provided by Farmhand Foods, which specializes in local-raised meat. The $45 ticket also gets you two beers and unlimited fries, bread, celery and radishes. Tickets cost $45 for adults and $20 for a child. Tickets are limited and only available online here. The event will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Durham.

• Listen up Paula Deen fans, the N&O's Andrea Weigl has the skinny on her book signing in Raleigh on October 14th. Check out the details here. 

• There are a couple of things you need to do to get ready for this year's TerraVITA food & wine event. First, mark your calendar. The event will be held in Chapel Hill's Southern Village on Saturday, September 24th. You can get more information here. Second, you need to purchase your tickets. Here is where you can purchase tickets. TerraVITA brings together biodynamic and organically-grown wines and microbrews with some of the very best North Carolina chefs that are committed to using locally-grown organic ingredients!  

• The 6th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour will be held September 17-18, 2011 from 1-5 p.m. and will be the biggest Eastern Triangle Farm Tour to date. Co-sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Whole Foods Market, the tour features 25 sustainable farms located across the Eastern Triangle.  Advance tickets are $25 per carload or cycle group.  Tickets are good for both Saturday and Sunday and can be used to visit all of the farms on the tour. Day-of tickets are $30 or $10 per farm. Info and tickets. 

• And finally, the Angus Barn is hosting another of their complimentary wine tastings this Sunday at 3:30 pm with Certified Sommelier Henk Schuitemaker and his staff. No reservations required and wine cellar tours are available. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 19, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• One open, two to go. Downtown Raleigh's much anticipated Beasely's Chicken + Honey, the creation of Poole's Diner owner Ashley Christensen, opened this week. And there are two more establishments on the way for Christensen - Chuck's, a burger joint next door, will open in about two weeks. And that will be followed by Fox Liquor Bar - aiming to open the 2nd weekend in September. Keep up with all of Ashley's restaurants here.  

• The Jack Astor's in Cary has closed - it did so at the end of last month. However, on their facebook page, they direct you to pay attention to the October opening of a JD's Tavern in Apex at 800 W Williams St. Apparently there will be some familiar faces from Jack Astor's. We'll keep you posted. 

• Last week we told you about the "re-opening" of Hectors in Chapel Hill. Well, it is actually The Thrill at Hectors and the "bar side" of it opened this week. But you can't get a Greek Grilled Cheese just yet. The "kitchen side" of the Chapel Hill legend, won't open until the end of this month. Keep up with the latest on their Facebook page.   

• Speaking of Chapel Hill legends, the rumors are circulating again about the rebirth of The Rathskeller. While it appears that there is more "activity" happening with these latest rumors, there is still a lot that has to happen in order to bring back "The Rat." We'll continue to watch it...and keep our fingers crossed!

• And speaking of rumors, here's a good one. It was "tweeted" last week that Jimmy Stubbs, from the Pittsboro "version" of Allen & Son Barbecue, is bringing his operation to Raleigh with the planned opening of Five Points BBQ. While this hasn't been confirmed and there are conflicting stories out of Pittsboro, there is a Twitter feed (@5PointsBBQ), and there is renovation work taking place at the corner of Oberlin and Fairview. We'll continue to watch this. 

• The original El Rodeo on Hillsborough Street (now 18 years old) is getting a new name and a new feel. With a planned opening of next Tuesday, Chile Bomba will be a "funkier" and "bolder" version of El Rodeo. The restaurant, across the street from NC State at 2400 Hillsborough Street, remains in the Ibarra family. Keep up with the latest here. 

• We told you about this last week, but Joel Lane's Public House, located in Raleigh's Glenwood South behind The Diner, is now open. The chef is William Thornton, who most recently worked at Gravy. Check out their website here.   

• According to the N&O, brothers Eddy and Galo Andrade are opening the Latin Grill in Clayton today at 876 Gulley Drive off of Highway 70. The 49-seat restaurant will serve Portuguese and Argentinian food, including grilled steaks, ribs and chicken. It will be open for lunch and dinner every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.  

• If you're looking for a new place to enjoy wings (that isn't a sports bar) we've got good news for you. East Coast Wings & Grill has opened in the Cornerstone Village Shopping Center at the corner of  Davis and High House Roads in Cary. There are plans to open three to five additional locations here in the Triangle area over the next few years. The restaurant features over 75 flavors of wings. Visit them here.

• The Tasty Beverage Company will open its doors this Monday (Aug. 22) at 6 p.m. They are located in the Raleigh Depot district in downtown Raleigh adjacent to the Union Tavern, Tuscan Blu and Jibarra (and across from Spy). At the opening, there will be tons of vendors providing free samples and their shelves will be stocked with over 500 different beers available for purchase.

• It is official...the latest version of Raleigh's Q Shack is now open at the food court in Crabtree Valley Mall. They opened to huge crowds this past Saturday. Congratulations to Tom Meyer and his team and partners.

• Want to take a tour of Larry's Beans? They have scheduled another of their extremely popular tours on Saturday, September 24th. These fill up quick, so email them soon if you are interested - tours@larrysbeans.com. Let them know how many people are in your group (6 max) and your contact information. This is limited to 150 people.

• Congratulations to Martin's Curry Rice on their one-year anniversary. To celebrate, join them this Sunday (Aug. 21) from 12 to 5 p.m. with festivities including live music, games and kids' activities.  

• The Western Wake Farmers' Market is holding an old-fashioned pig pickin' with live music, kids' entertainment and raffle prizes on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 beginning on Sept. 1. Tickets for kids are just $5. Visit their home page for more information.   

• Acme restaurant over in Carrboro is hosting another wine dinner this Sunday (Aug. 21). It will feature the spectacular wines of importer Rudi Weist. The cost is $58 per person and will get started at 6:30. Reservations are required by calling 919-929-2263.

• Downtown Raleigh Restaurant week is next week! Over 30 downtown Raleigh restaurants will be offering special prix fixe menus from Aug. 22-28 offering three-course meals for either $20 or $30. And this year, for the first time, many restaurants will offer beer or wine pairings for an additional $10. To see menus and the complete list of restaurants, go here.

• Tickets for the 2011 World Beer Festival in Durham (October 8, 2011) are now on sale to ther general public. If you want to go, better buy them now. They tend to go fast!

Friday Fun Food Facts - August 12, 2011

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Well, there is finally some great news coming out of Chapel Hill...Hector's is making a return to the hill! This rendition will be located on Rosemary Street in the same building as Bub O'Malley's (aka Bub's). We'll keep you posted once we get a firm opening date.

• I know I talk a lot about food trucks, but this is THE EVENT not to miss if you are a food truck junkie, or if you've been meaning to try out a food truck. They will ALL be at Durham's Central Park (adjacent to Durham's Farmer's Market on Foster Street) this Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This will mark the largest gathering of food trucks in the Triangle's history. Here is who is signed up to date (more to come, I'm certain): Only Burger, Pie Pushers, The Parlour, KoKyu BBQ, The Grilled Cheese Bus, Parlez-Vous Crepe, Farmhand Foods, Slippin' Sliders, Klausie's Pizza, Don's Classic Ices, Sweet n Savory, Kona Ice and Locopops. 

• Speaking of food trucks, there's a new food truck in town! Hitting the streets is Chirba Chirba Dumpling which will be focused on selling Asian street fare with an emphasis on dumplings. "Chirba Chirba" literally means "Eat eat!" in Mandarin Chinese. Keep up with their locale by visiting their website here. 

• MinGa, a Korean/Japanese restaurant in Chapel Hill, is now open at 116 Old Durham Road. That's the road that runs behind Hardees as you head out of Chapel Hill into Durham. You can get more information on their Facebook page here.   

• Over in Durham, Happy China Sushi & Bar on 15-501 Business (just down from Foster's at 2505 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.) is having their grand opening on Tuesday, August 16th.  Happy China Sushi & Bar is an American Chinese bistro that serves both Chinese and Japanese dishes. Check them out on Facebook here.

• Also, according to the N&O's Andrea Weigl, L'Uva Enoteca over in Durham's American Tobacco Campus (former Café Zen spot across from Tyler's), will open next week. To keep up with the latest, keep checking their Facebook page here.  

• Qdoba is now open in Brier Creek at 8521 Brier Creek Parkway. For those that remember, that is the former Salsarita's Fresh Cantina location.  

• With just over three years having past since the chain's last Triangle opening, Starbucks is set to open a new store at Six Forks Station in North Raleigh this October. It will be in the former Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant location.  

• Jet's Pizza, which opened its first two Triangle locations earlier this year, is getting ready to open another location. Jet's has begun the interior construction of its newest location at 6114 Falls of Neuse Road in the North Ridge shopping center in Raleigh.

• Brookside Market & Deli, near Raleigh's Oakwood neighborhood, opened last month at 1000 Brookside Drive near downtown Raleigh. Brookside Deli offers a variety of Mediterranean food, including hummus, falafel, baba ghanouj, and beef, chicken and lamb shawarma. Check out their Facebook page here.

• If you live in Knightdale and are looking for a new place to get barbecue, check out the new Dickey's Barbecue Pit which opened this week at 2001 Widewaters Parkway.

• Rick's Diner & Catering Co. in Durham is growing. Rick's, which recently relocated just down Shannon Road to the Hope Valley Square shopping center, is planning to add another 2,000 square feet to its footprint by expanding into unoccupied space next door.  

• And over in Garner, The Fuji Japanese Steakhouse at 1571 U.S. 70 next to the Lowe's Home Improvement store is now open for business.

• The Italian-style Casalinga restaurant that has been operating in Raleigh's Mini City shopping center since 1995 is turning back the clock. Casalinga founders Manny LoGuidice and his sister-in-law Josephine Cappiello are returning to the restaurant's management after several years' absence with most of the old recipes and a few new ones.

• As noted in the Triangle Business Journal, Foster's in Cameron Village has closed their doors. And rumors on the street indicate that the prime location will soon be occupied by Charlotte's Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar. Nope, that's not a typo - sushi and burgers. As soon as that is confirmed, we'll be sure to let you know. This would mark Cowfish's second location.

• It appears as if Grayson's over in Durham has consolidated all of their operations into their location at the Museum of Life & Science. While I was only able to visually confirm the closing of the Shannon Road location, their website seems to confirm that the museum location is the only remaining operation.

• We mentioned this several week's ago, but we've got some firm dates now. The Moe's in Cary at the corner of Weston Parkway and Harrison Avenue will close this Monday, (August 15) as they begin their expansion project to more than double their seating space. They plan to re-open the store on Monday, September 5th.

• The Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, a brewery and tavern, is celebrating their one-year anniversary this Saturday. The celebration runs (officially) from 4 to 8 pm, and will involve the closing of Rigsbee Avenue to allow for the following food trucks (to date): Farmhand Foods' Sausage Wagon; Backyard BBQ Pit; Chirba Chirba Dumplings; Klausie's Pizza; The Parlour; and Cocoa Cinnamon/bike coffee. More information here.  

• Downtown Raleigh Restaurant week is just a little more than a week away. Over 30 downtown Raleigh restaurants will be offering special prix fixe menus from Aug. 22-28 offering three-course meals for either $20 or $30. And this year, for the first time, many restaurants will offer beer or wine pairings for an additional $10. To see menus and the complete list of restaurants, go here.

• Tickets for the 2011 World Beer Festival in Durham (October 8, 2011) are now on sale to ther general public. If you want to go, better buy them now. They tend to go fast! 

• Tribeca Tavern is launching their new brunch menu this weekend at their Raleigh and Cary locations. The new menu is designed with an even greater influence on North Carolina farmer partners. The new menu can be seen here (pdf).    

• For a limited time, all Triangle locations of Moe's are now offering a new menu item - Taco Stacks. They are packed with your choice of steak, beef or chicken and stacked between two crunchy corn shells and wrapped in a crisped flour tortilla. Did we mention Moe's famous queso is also involved?