Friday Fun Food Facts - January 25, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  In the biggest shock in some time, it was announced at the beginning of this week that Chapel Hill's 3 Cups will close their doors for good on February 2nd. The owners cited financial difficulties for the decision. Folks, get out and support your local options. Get by before they close.  

• Yo! Listen up. If you've been longing for cheese steaks and dogs from the "City of Brotherly Love", wait no longer. North Raleigh is now home to South Philly Steak & Dogs. I'll have to take my buddy Tim CoyneSmith over to check this place out, but from what I'm hearing, it is the real deal. Thanks to Triangle Explorer John Huisman for bringing me this news. Check them out here.   

• Looking for a "new spot" to hang out in downtown Cary? Well, we've got the spot for you. Not exactly new, but Dorry's Downtown (which took over the long-standing Food Factory spot) has been closed for the last few weeks undergoing major renovations. Look for them to re-open any day now with a total new look and the addition of pizza, wine & beer, evening hours and most of your favorite offerings from their menu. Congrats to Ray and his team on the new features! Check them out here.

• The OC is coming to Raleigh. Well, not exactly the TV show, but an upscale sports bar called The OC Bar & Grill (we assume it is short for Oberlin Court). Look for a March opening that will feature over 16 drafts on tap and a made-from-scratch menu. Thanks to Triangle Localista Kim Alexander for this tip. Check them out here. 

• The News & Observer provided an update this week on some of the retail developments at Raleigh's Cameron Village. The first retail tenant noted in the 300-unit apartment complex opening this spring is Brixx Pizza. This will mark the chain's 3rd Triangle location. Check them out here. 

• The N&O is also reporting that downtown Raleigh is getting another coffee option. Café de los Muertos, a roaster and café that will take up space in the Hue apartment building on West Hargett Street. Look for an opening this summer. Get a peak at them here. 

• And speaking of coffee, the blog Carpe Durham reminded us this week that we are very close to the opening of Cocoa Cinnamon, the much anticipated coffee/chocolate shop at the corner of Geer and Foster. With a soft opening this week, they will begin "regular hours" next week. Go there now!  

•  Carpe Durham also reminded us this week that there is a new barbecue joint on the outskirts of Durham, heading towards Wake Forest on Highway 98. Johnson Family Barbecue is a six-table establishment run by a husband and wife team and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Check out the article on them here. 

• We caught wind on a Yelp message board of a new Chinese/Asian Fusion restaurant that just opened over in Cary's Grande Heights Shopping Center called Asian Garden. It opened on January 7th. Check them out on Facebook here.  

• The latest concept out of Niall Hanley is hosting a grand opening on February 8th. Located on the ground floor of Solas, Bia Restaurant will donate 10% of the proceeds from the event to the Wake County Firefighters' Burned Children Fund. The restaurant, which we first told you about in early December, features chef Dan Yeager.

• Speaking of Hanley, we got a new update this week that we should see Dos Taquitos Xoco on Glenwood South, and the North Raleigh location of his Hibernian Pub, both open in early February. We'll stay on top of this for you. 

• This Sunday (January 27th) marks the season's first Food Truck Rodeo from 12:30 to 4:30 in Durham's Central Park. Expect about 40 food trucks and vendors (the event is rain, or snow, or sleet or shine). Get all the details here, including a full list of trucks.

• The seventh annual Empty Bowls event to benefit Urban Ministries of Durham will be held on Thursday, March 7th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Purchase your tickets here. 

• Hold the date for the annual Wake Tech Culinary Arts Showcase which will be held this year on April 30th from 4-7 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. Get all the initial details here.

• Cary's Matthews House is giving you the option of a romantic dinner at home for Valentine's this year. They will be offering a gourmet oven-ready take-home meal for $100 with the option to include a bottle of The Matthews House champagne for $25 more. The meal consists of rolls and a salad, main entrees plus sides and a delectable dessert. All you need to do is pick it up and pop it in the oven to warm. Reservations must be made prior to Friday, Feb. 8 by calling 919-467-1944. For more information, visit them here.

• Looks like Chez Moi is going mobile...with a little help from their friends (i.e. you!). Chez Moi has launched a Kickstarter Campaign to raise money for a mobile version of their bakery. If all goes well, the truck will be unveiled at Full Steam Brewery in Durham on March 23rd at 5:30 p.m. To donate, go here.

• Kudos to two legendary Triangle families who announced a joint partnership this week. The Goodmon family (think WRAL, Durham Bulls and American Tobacco campus) and the Eure Family (think Angus Barn) announced this week that the Angus Barn will be the exclusive caterer for events at American Tobacco's Bay 7 event space. A win-win for all involved. More details here.

• So what do you think? Greg Cox has put out his annual list of Best Restaurants of the Year and topping this year's list are Oakleaf in Pittsboro and Yamazushi in Durham. Take a peek and let me know what you think. 

• And we close with a fun competition where everyone needs to cast a vote. Our very own Bull City, aka Durham, is up against some tough competition in Southern Living Magazine's latest contest to find the "Tastiest Town in the South" for 2013. We need to put Durham (and the entire Triangle) on the map ahead of Atlanta, Charleston, New Orleans, Miami, etc. Vote early and vote often! You have until February 28th.   
  
  
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  Opening Soon File 

  We Continue To Keep Our Eyes On The Following: 
  
  Modern Life Deli & Drinks is coming to Pittsboro on Sanford Road. It is expected to open very soon; Lawrence Coffee Bar coming to the Jones-Foy house in downtown Cary on Academy Street; Kipos, a Greek Taverna that will come to Chapel Hill's West Franklin Street. It is another concept by Giorgios Bakatsias; Waffle House on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill (look for a mid-February opening); Barberito's, a southwestern grill and cantina, will open in mid-February in Cary's Waverly Place (with a Raleigh location not too far behind); and speaking of Waverly Place, Taziki's Medeiterranean Cafe should open by the end of January; Taqueria del Sol is on the clock to open their 2nd location in the Triangle, with this one coming to Durham; Blend and Grind, a coffee, smoothie and juice bar which will be located in downtown Raleigh's Seaboard Station is looking at a February opening; Denny's in Durham (Hope Valley Commons Shopping Center); Char-Grill in Clayton (August opening); Hibernian Pub in North Raleigh on Falls of the Neuse Road (former Duffy's location) could open any day now; PDQ (chicken tenders, salads & sandwiches) is slated to open their Wake Forest location in late March, followed by a Cary location in May; Carolina Wing Company is taking over the Buffalo's Café location in Stonehenge Shopping Center in Raleigh; Over in Morrisville, we are getting closer to the opening of Taste Vietnamese, in the space formerly occupied by Mawa; Chuy's, a fun and funky fresh Mexican themed restaurant, is coming to North Hills in Raleigh; Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar will take over the Rockfish space at the Streets at Southpoint; Java Burger and Bar is a concept that is on tap for the Westpoint at 751 development near The Streets at Southpoint; Look for a new fast, casual Indian dining option coming to RTP called Curry Point Express at the intersection of S. Miaimi and Hwy. 54;  Trali Irish Pub & Restaurant will be opening a second location in Morrisville, in the location that used to house Yucatan Cantina on Grace Park Drive; Kimba is coming to downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station the second week in February; Downtown Raleigh’s Wilmoore Cafe will re-open in early March under a new name, with a new menu and expanded hours. Wilmoore was purchased by Ashley Christensen.

Friday Fun Food Facts - January 18, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• After much anticipation, Fiction Kitchen, the 100% vegetarian restaurant on downtown Raleigh’s Dawson Street, is now open. Check it out here.  

• In the biggest news to come out of Texas in quite some time, we learned yesterday from Amy Watkins at York Properties that Austin’s Chuy’s is coming to North Hills in Raleigh. Chuy’s is a fun and funky fresh Mexican themed restaurant that will be in a new building on the east side where the Hyatt House Hotel is under construction, adjacent to the planned Midtown Park and amphitheater. Construction will begin this summer and they are looking at a fall opening. See what all the excitement is about here. 

• Dean’s Seafood Grill & Bar, the latest concept out of Rocky Top Hospitality, will open next Tuesday, January 22 in the former Rockwell’s location in Cary. Keep up with them on Facebook here. 

• Last week we told you about the closing of Rockfish over at Durham’s Streets at Southpoint. Well, thanks to the TBJ, we can tell you this week that a concept called Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar will take over the space. And as the name itself suggests, you’ll be able to enjoy gourmet burgers (as well as salads, shakes , etc.) along with a nice glass, or bottle, of wine. This will be their first location outside of New Jersey. Check them out here.  

• And speaking of burger joints, I had an opportunity to have lunch this week with David Sadeghi, who is behind the Java Burger and Bar, a locally-owned concept that is on tap for the Westpoint at 751 development off N.C. 751 near The Streets at Southpoint. Sadeghi is shooting for an April opening. He is also behind Raleigh’s Bolt and Chapel Hill’s Town Hall Grille. 

• Thanks to a tip from John Huisman, aka  Triangle Explorer, we learned that Buffalo Brothers Pizza & Wing Company in Wake Forest opened this past Wednesday on Retail Drive. This marks the third Triangle location. Check them out on Facebook here. 

• And speaking of experts on Triangle happenings, Triangle Localista, aka Kim, tipped me off to a new fast, casual Indian dining option coming to RTP called Curry Point Express. It is going into the strip mall at the corner of S. Miami & Hwy 54 (across Miami from Serena). Follow them on Facebook here. 

• Thanks to reader Mary Noulis, we learned that Bagels Plus has opened up in Fuquay-Varina at 100 Dickens Road, at the corner of Dickens Road and Broad Street (HWY 55). Check them out on Facebook here. 

• According to the Herald-Sun, the Indian restaurant India Gate has opened in a space in the Park Terrace shopping center that previously housed Bombay Grille. The shopping center is located on N.C. 54 near its intersection with N.C. 55. The restaurant serves a buffet for lunch Monday to Sunday, and then it opens again in the evening for dinner. Get all the details here. 

• Another reader, Selina Joseph, tipped us off to the fact that Brier Creek’s Trali Irish Pub & Restaurant will be opening a second location in Morrisville, in the location that used to house Yucatan Cantina on Grace Park Drive. Check them out here.

• And speaking of Grace Park, in a quick turn of events, Vino closed and just yesterday, Maré Restaurant opened in that location. They tout themselves as bringing a new culinary experience to the Triangle in Italian and seafood with Japanese fusion. The owner and executive chef is Hideki Tateyama.

• I got a note this week from Martin Sreshta (formerly Martin’s Curry Rice) that a new restaurant is coming to downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station called Kimbap. Owned by Kim Hunter, it will be two doors down from Bad Daddy’s and is expected to open the 2nd week in February. The menu will feature Korean-inspired comfort foods made with local, sustainably grown ingredients. We’ll keep an eye on it for you. Can’t wait for it to open!

• Downtown Raleigh’s Wilmoore Café will close it’s doors today...but only temporarily. It will re-open in about 6 weeks under a new name, with a new menu and with expanded hours. Wilmoore was purchased by Ashley Christensen (who also owns Poole’s Diner, Chuck’s, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, and Fox Liquor Bar). Check them out here.  

• We got word this week that the good folks at Klausie's Pizza food truck are planning a spring opening of a brick & mortar location that will also house a food truck incubator. No word yet on the exact location or date, but we’ll keep an eye on it. Check them out on Facebook here.  

• In our “Opening Soon File” we continue to keep our eyes on the following: Glenwood South’s Dos Taquitos Xoco - they could open any day now; Modern Life Deli & Drinks is coming to Pittsboro on Sanford Road. It is expected to open very soon; Lawrence Coffee Bar coming to the Jones-Foy house in downtown Cary on Academy Street; Kipos, a Greek Taverna that will come to Chapel Hill’s West Franklin Street. It is another concept by Giorgios Bakatsias; Waffle House on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill (look for a mid-February opening); Barberito’s, a southwestern grill and cantina, will open in mid-February in Cary’s Waverly Place (with a Raleigh location not too far behind); and speaking of Waverly Place, Taziki's Medeiterranean Cafe should open by the end of January; Taqueria del Sol is on the clock to open their 2nd location in the Triangle, with this one coming to Durham; Blend and Grind, a coffee, smoothie and juice bar which will be located in downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station is looking at a February opening; Denny’s in Durham (Hope Valley Commons Shopping Center); Char-Grill in Clayton (August opening); Hibernian Pub in North Raleigh on Falls of the Neuse Road (former Duffy’s location) could open any day now; PDQ (chicken tenders, salads & sandwiches) is slated to open their Wake Forest location in late March, followed by a Cary location in May; Carolina Wing Company is taking over the Buffalo’s Café location in Stonehenge Shopping Center in Raleigh. Over in Morrisville, we are getting closer to the opening of Taste Vietnamese, in the space formerly occupied by Mawa. 

• Triangle Restaurant Week kicks off next Monday, January 21st. During the week-long culinary celebration area restaurants serve prix fixe, $20 or $30 menus for three-course dinners and prix fixe, $10 two-course lunches. Get all the details on all the participating restaurants and their menus here.

• As we “dig out” from this winter’s first dusting, it seems only appropriate to announce the season’s first Food Truck Rodeo thanks to the folks over at the Herald-Sun. It will be on Sunday, January 27th from 12:30 to 4:30 in Durham’s Central Park. Expect about 40 food trucks and vendors. Get all the details here.

• It seems as if even the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is getting into the food game...well, sort of. But it is probably something of interest to a lot of foodies in the area. The Chamber is hosting an event on February 25th titled Conscious Capitalism featuring Whole Food’s CEO John Mackey. Register and get all the details here.  

• And we close with a fun competition where everyone needs to cast a vote. Our very own Bull City, aka Durham, is up against some tough competition in Southern Living Magazine's latest contest to find the "Tastiest Town in the South" for 2013. We need to put Durham (and the entire Triangle) on the map ahead of Atlanta, Charleston, New Orleans, Miami, etc. Vote early and vote often! You have until February 28th.  

Friday Fun Food Facts - January 11, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  Chapel Hill is getting a new burger joint next Monday with the opening of Top This! in the former Jack Sprat location on East Franklin Street. Serving up custom burgers, roast beef sandwiches and much, much more, this will mark the Triangle's second location and will serve a lunch, dinner and late-night crowd. Congrats to Tom, Mike and the entire crew on their 2nd location. Check them out here. And be sure to visit their Raleigh location as well near Rex Hospital.

• We told you last week that Rocky Top's Rockwell's American Grill in Cary had closed and was being re-introduced as Dean's Seafood Grill & Bar. We got word this week that they are looking at a January 22 open. Keep up with them on Facebook here.  

• Downtown Raleigh's Wilmoore Café, located on Wilmington Street, has been sold to Ashley Christensen (who also owns Poole's Diner, Chuck's, Beasley's Chicken + Honey, and Fox Liquor Bar). The coffee house and café will close on January 18th, and will re-open after about 6 weeks of renovations with an expanded menu and hours. We'll keep an eye out for the opening, which will occur under a new name. I wonder if Ashley played a lot of Monopoly as a child??? Check them out here.  

• Speaking of expanded hours, we learned this week that the popular Morrisville deli, Pepper's Market, will be extending their hours to include dinner beginning next Monday, January 14th. Check out Pepper's Market here. 

• In a spot WRAL did on the revitalization of downtown Cary, we happened to catch a glimpse of a "coming soon" sign for Lawrence Coffee Bar coming to the two-story Jones-Foy house on Academy Street near the Cary Arts Center. This is the latest venture of Larry Larson, founder of Larry's Beans. Look for an opening sometime this winter. Check out Larry's Beans here. 

• Thanks to the Herald-Sun, we got word this week that a new dining option is coming to Pittsboro. Modern Life Deli & Drinks will open in the next week or two at 46 Sanford Road. They will serve bagels, coffee, soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as items cooked in their wood-fired oven.

• And not far from Pittsboro on Hwy. 64 (near the intersection with Fearrington Road/Beaver Creek Road), I noticed recently that the Grill-N-Go is now open. The joint offers your typical drive-thru options - burgers, fries, onion rings, etc. An easy stop on your way to Jordan Lake or along the way to the zoo.

• We recently paid a visit to North Raleigh's PDQ (corner of Falls of Neuse and Spring Forest), a fast casual restaurant specializing in chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches, fresh cut fries and milkshakes, and learned that they will open their second Triangle location in Wake Forest on March 24th. And about two months after that they will open a location in Cary. Look for Fayetteville, Concord and Durham to follow after those. Check out PDQ here.  

• And speaking of North Raleigh, an anonymous tip left on our blog last week turned us onto the fact that the 7th Triangle location of Greek Fiesta has opened in the Falls Point Shopping Center (think Kohls and Harris Teeter). Check them out here.  

• In our "pending file" we are still awaiting the opening of Glenwood South's Dos Taquitos Xoco. Fiction Kitchen, the 100% vegetarian restaurant coming to downtown Raleigh's Dawson Street, is getting closer to coming off our pending list. We know they have had several "soft openings" to work out kinks, and according to their Facebook page, it is looking like early next week. Stay tuned. Check it out here.

• Others in our "pending file" include: Kipos, a Greek Taverna, coming to Chapel Hill's West Franklin Street. It is another concept by Giorgios Bakatsias...Waffle House on East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill is looking at a mid-February opening...Barberito's, a southwestern grill and cantina, will open in mid-February in Cary's Waverly Place (with a Raleigh location not too far behind) according to Leigh Benoliel, a retail commercial broker...and speaking of Waverly Place, Taziki's Medeiterranean Cafe will open the middle of this month, according to Benoliel...Taqueria del Sol is on the clock to open their 2nd location in the Triangle, with this one coming to Durham...Blend and Grind, a coffee, smoothie and juice bar which will be located in downtown Raleigh's Seaboard Station is looking at a February opening...Denny's is coming to Durham's Hope Valley Commons Shopping Center...Char-Grill in Clayton is working toward an August opening...Hibernian Pub North Raleigh in North Raleigh on Falls of the Neuse Road (former Duffy's location) could open any day now.

• Thanks to a heads-up from the N&O's Andrea Weigl, we learned that Nathalie Dupree, author of her latest cookbook, "Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking" is doing a lunch Wednesday, January 23rd at Fearrington's Granary Restaurant featuring dishes from her new cookbook. The lunch is at 1 p.m. and costs $75 for a four-course meal and a copy of the book. Get more details here. 

• Thanks to a tip from Sonja Foust, we learned that the Streets at Southpoint's Rockfish Seafood Grill has closed their doors. This follows not too long after the opening of Bonefish Grill, only a mile or so down the road.

• We also learned this week that Casalinga, an Italian Restaurant that has served the Triangle since 1995, closed their doors this week. They were located on Capital Blvd. in the mini-city shopping center. However, former long-time chef, Carlo Cappiello, left last year and owns and operates Casa San Carlo in the Falls Point Shopping Center in North Raleigh. Check him out here. 

• And according to one of our readers, Carole Walker, Buffalo's Café in Raleigh's Stonehenge Shopping Center has closed. She noted that a sign hints at a Carolina Wing Company coming soon to that location. We'll keep an eye on it. Thanks Carole!

• Triangle Restaurant Week returns the week of January 21st. The week-long culinary celebration at area restaurants is highlighted this year by the menu being presented by Chef Ryan Payne at The Weathervane in Chapel Hill's Southern Season. This past fall he won a statewide competition and will feature his winning dishes during the week. Thanks to the N&O's Andrea Weigl for that tip. Get all the details on all the participating restaurants and their menus here.

• And we close with a fun competition where everyone needs to cast a vote. Our very own Bull City, aka Durham, is up against some tough competition in Southern Living Magazine's latest contest to find the "Tastiest Town in the South" for 2013. We need to put Durham (and the entire Triangle) on the map ahead of Atlanta, Charleston, New Orleans, Miami, etc. Vote early and vote often! You have until February 28th.

Friday Fun Food Facts - January 4, 2013

Triangle Restaurant News

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

•  Welcome to 2013! And with that comes new year's resolutions, and we start off with a doozie..."Get back in the kitchen." Well, Rocky Top's Dean Ogan is certainly going to keep with this resolution. This week Rockwell's American Grill in Cary closed, but will reopen later this month as Dean's Seasfood Grill & Bar. We'll keep up with Dean and his venture back to his roots and back into the kitchen and let you know an exact open date once we get one. Keep up with them on Facebook here. 

• Back before the holidays, we had two "pending" restaurants that are now open for business. Check out Bad Daddy's Burger Bar located in the Seaboard Station in downtown Raleigh. Get more information here. 

• And the latest concept from the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, Page Road Grill, is now open for business. PRG is located on Page Road (go figure) just off of Interstate 40 in RTP. Check them out here. 

• Cary/Apex has a new dining establishment. Back on December 16th, Back In The Day Café opened at 3470 Kildaire Farm Road, near the intersection of Kildaire Farm Road and Ten Ten. "Serving comfort food with attitude," they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Check them out here. 

• Folks in downtown Raleigh now have a third Subway Restaurant within walking distance. Subway opened at the end of December in the former Port City Java location at the corner of Fayetteville and Martin Streets. The other downtown locations are on Salisbury Street and in City Market.

• In our "pending file" we are still awaiting the opening of Glenwood South's Dos Taquitos Xoco. We have received word that it will open this month. Keep up with them on Facebook here. 

• Over in Hillsborough, the Herald-Sun is reporting that the husband-and-wife team of Kate & Mick Carroll are planning to open Radius Pizzeria in March at 112 N. Churton Street, in a space that previously housed Hillsborough Savings & Loan.

• New to the pending file, we add Fiction Kitchen in downtown Raleigh. The much-anticipated 100% vegetarian restaurant is very, very close to opening on Dawson Street. They even have their menu up on their website. Check it out here. 

• We have also added Blend and Grind, a coffee, smoothie and juice bar which will be located close to Bad Daddy's Burger Bar in downtown Raleigh's Seaboard Station. They note on their Facebook page that they are looking to open next month. We'll keep an eye on this one as they have run into multiple delays in their process.  

• Thanks to a tip from my Twitter buddy, @burgeoningbaker, we learned that
  Denny's is coming to the Hope Valley Commons Shopping Center in Durham (intersection of 751 and Hwy. 54). No word yet on an open date.  

• We also got word that Clayton will be home to the newest location of Char-Grill. Looking towards an August opening, it will be located in the Clayton Corners Shopping Center in a vacant lot behind KS Bank. This will be the 8th Triangle location for the locally grown chain. Get more details here. 

• Sara Foster, owner and founder of Foster's Market, with locations in Durham & Chapel Hill, has sold the Chapel Hill location to long-time manager, Sera Cuni and her partner, Susan White. Curi will keep the name for at least two years and Foster will continue to be involved.

• As a follow-up to something we ran last month, the former Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta location on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, which then was sold and become the second location of Tomato Jake's, has turned over ownership again and is now Korchipi Korean Chicken & Pizza.

• Sadly, over the holidays we had two local institutions suffer fire damage - The Hibernian Pub in downtown Raleigh and Parker & Otis in downtown Durham. That is the bad news. The good news is no one was injured in either incident and both will definitely reopen. Parker & Otis is shooting for an opening in early February, while the Hibernian rebuild will be quite a bit longer. Our thoughts go out to the owners and employees. Keep up with Parker & Otis here and The Hibernian here. 

• Speaking of The Hibernian, their newest location up on Falls of the Neuse Road in North Raleigh looks to be opening this month, according to a release, and most likely the middle of this month. We'll keep an eye on it and keep you posted. Keep up with them on Facebook here. 

• The Il Palio Ristorante at The Siena Hotel over in Chapel Hill is partnering with 3Cups to hold a four-course wine dinner on Jan. 18. The Blakeslee Vineyard Wine Dinner will feature Il Palio chef Adam Rose and Blakeslee Vineyard Estate, which produces pinot noir grapes in Oregon. The evening begins at 6:30 and will set you back $75 per person plus tax and gratuity.

• And we close with a couple of fun lists for you to check out. The first is a list of "must do" food events for 2013 compiled by the N&O's amazing Andrea Weigl. Check it out here and get these events on your calendar for 2013. And the other is a list of predictions for 2013 by my buddy Dana McCall at GoGoRaleigh. Not all of them are food related, and some I respectfully disagree with, but that is what makes predictions fun. And this is a great list. See what you think here.

Friday Fun Food Facts - December 21, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• We begin with the grand finale drawing in the Triangle Food Guy's Holiday Promotion. This wraps up 6 straight weeks of $100 in gift cards a week given out to our amazing clients. And today, we are proud to announce the winner of our GRAND PRIZE drawing for a $250 gift card to Target...Drum roll please....and the winner is Sharon C. at Jacobs Engineering!!! I (along with my kids who are out of school) will be paying Sharon a visit today just in time for the holidays. A huge thanks to all of our clients/friends that have given us an amazing 2012. Here is to 2013! 

• Lots of news over at Rocky Top Hospitality restaurant group. First, their Rockwell's concept in Cary will be transformed into Dean's Seafood & Oysters after the first of the year. Second, we told you about this last week, but Draft will close on Glenwood South as of December 31st. And third, partners Dean Ogan and Jeff Schenk will divide the group's concepts - Ogan getting Dean's, Twisted Fork, The Daily Planet Café, the catering company and the space at 1705 Prime. Schenk will take the two Tribeca Tavern locations and the Mash House (in Fayetteville). Thanks to the N&O's Andrea Weigl for filling in a lot of the details here. Check out Rocky Top here. 

• I got a call yesterday from a reader and the N&O's Andrea Weigl has confirmed that Cary's Bella Mia is closing temporarily and changing ownership - reopening in a few weeks. The Guerra family is in the process of selling the restaurant. Their last day running the restaurant will be this Saturday, December 22nd. We'll keep you posted on who the new owners are and when they plan to re-open. Stay tuned.

• Got word last week from my buddy (and my attorney) James Vann that Firewurst in Cary is now open in the Shoppes of Kildaire near the intersection of Kildaire Farm Road and Cary Parkway. Firewurst serves up flame-grilled sausages and dogs and is owned by Bill and Chas Morgenstern. Get more information on their website here or their Facebook page here.  

• Up in Lafayette Village in North Raleigh Pampas at the Village Market has opened. They tout themselves as serving the finest Argentinean steaks and entrees as well as exemplary Cuban staples. Pampas is the sister restaurant of Oakwood Cafe in Downtown Raleigh. Check out their website here or their Facebook page here. 

• And speaking of Lafayette Village, a posting on the Yelp "Rumor Board" noted a new sign indicating that Sushi One Japanese Restaurant would be opening soon. We'll keep an eye on it.

• Also on the Yelp message board, we saw that a new Ethiopian restaurant called Ashee has opened at 904 NE Maynard Road in Cary in the same shopping center as Dollar General, Food Lion and Lucky 7.

• Changes are afoot in downtown Chapel Hill with Tomato Jake's. As you'll remember, earlier this year Tomato Jake's purchased, took over and converted the Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta into their second location of Tomato Jake's. Thanks to a tip from my friend Tabitha Turner, ownership has changed again, and it is being converted into a new concept. We don't have any more details at this point, but we'll keep an eye on it.

• The downtown Raleigh location of Chick-fil-A reopened on Thursday after completing its renovation. Eat more chicken...in downtown Raleigh! Congrats to Amy and her team. Keep up with them here.  

•  If you find yourself in the Roxboro area, you'll find the newest edition of Jimmy's Famous Hot Dogs (original location in Durham on Guess Road) at 1039 N. Madison Blvd. They opened their doors on December 3rd. Thanks to Chris Vernakes, son of Jimmy, for the heads up on this. Check them out on Facebook here.

• And speaking of Guess Road in Durham, the blog Carpe Durham turned us onto the fact that Pad Thai, a Thai cuisine restaurant, has taken over the spot that used to house Kim-Son Vietnamese. Check out the article here.  

• There is a new bird at Pie Bird in downtown Raleigh. They announced last week that they had brought in a new chef to the kitchen. Executive Chef Greg Buck has joined the team and has taken over management of the kitchen. Check them out here.

•  If you're looking for a fun evening event over the holidays (or just want to get out of the house and away from the in-laws), head on over to North Raleigh's Sola Coffee Café on Thursday, December 27th for the next Counter Culture Latte Art Throwdown. The friendly competition between local baristas will begin at 7 p.m. Thanks to John Huisman (aka  Triangle Explorer) for this reminder.

• In our "pending file" we are still awaiting the opening of Glenwood South's Dos Taquitos Xoco. Keep up with them on Facebook here. We are also awaiting the opening of Bad Daddy's Burger Bar located in the Seaboard Station in downtown Raleigh. Last we heard, they were shooting for the week between Christmas and New Years. Keep up with them here. And the final item in the "pending file" is the latest concept from the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, Page Road Grill. The last we heard the target date was/is December 27th. Keep up with them here. 

• And we close with some Christmas Day help thanks to the hard work of Greg Cox over at the News & Observer. Greg has compiled a comprehensive list of restaurants that are open on Christmas Day. Check it out here. 

And this is the final post of 2012!
We'll see you on the flip side in 2013!  

(assuming the Mayans weren't correct)  

Thanks for reading!

Friday Fun Food Facts - December 14, 2012

Triangle Restaurant News

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

• Triangle Food Guy's Holiday Promotion just completed its sixth week and 5 more folks just won $20 Target gift cards to Target! Those will be delivered today (& Monday). Congratulations to: Beth at Kellogg's; Michayla at Brasfield & Gorrie; Meredith at Schneider Electric; Jill at Electricities; and Susan at The Wooten Company. And now, the week everyone has been waiting on. Next Friday, we will conclude with our GRAND PRIZE drawing for a $250 gift card to Target! Get all the details here. 

• This past Thursday, the third edition of Tobacco Road Sports Café was completed with the opening of their Chapel Hill location in the East 54 development. As most know, they also have locations in Raleigh and Durham. I can't wait to check out the new location - I hear it is pretty spectacular. Follow them on Facebook here.  

• Just across the way from the newest Tobacco Road, we learned that Saffron in Chapel Hill is now Raaga. Not sure what prompted this, but they are in the same location, which is in the East 54 development. Here is their new website.  

• Down the road in Carrboro, Carrboro Pizza Oven is now open in Carr Mill Mall in the former Rita's space across from Elmo's Diner. CPO, which is owned by Craig Samuels (also owns Village Pizza & Pasta and recently sold his Franklin Street version to Tomato Jake's), serves pizza, pasta, calzones, and other items, Check them out here.

• Over in Raleigh, Niall Hanley continues to mix things up. Over the past few weeks he has been dropping hints on his various Facebook pages about the restaurant he has rebranded on the ground floor of Solas in the Glenwood South district. The restaurant is now Bia Restaurant and features a new chef, Dan Yeager. A grand opening date will be announced soon, but stop by and check out the new menu. Follow them on Facebook here.  

• Also in Raleigh, no one is probably ever too excited about visiting Raleigh's Wake Med campus, but if you have to be there, you might as well eat well. And that is the case now with the opening of Au Bon Pain, a café/bakery that just opened at their New Bern Avenue campus. It is located near the gift shop and pharmacy. Might as well eat well while you are there!

• Over in Durham, the Herald-Sun is reporting that Pop's Backdoor South is getting a new owner, although an owner familiar to anyone that has frequented this version of Pop's. John Vandergrift has sold the restaurant to long-time manager Jefe Lubiano. While most everything is expected to remain the same, look for some minor tweaks to the menu to reflect Jefe and some of his creations. Pop's South is located in the Hope Valley shopping center. Check them out here.

• In our "pending file" we couldn't confirm the anticipated December 16th opening of Dos Taquitos Xoco. Xoco is the creation of the owners of Dos Taquitos and Hibernian and will be located in the Glenwood South district in the space that was most recently The Diner and before that, Hard Times Cafe. Keep up with them on Facebook here. As soon as we get the word of a confirmed open date, we will let you know. 

• The folks at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, opening in Seaboard Station in downtown Raleigh, had to push back their anticipated opening and are now looking at the week between Christmas and New Year's, if all goes well. We will continue to keep an eye on it and keep you posted. Check them out here.  

• We told you last week about the opening of PDQ at the intersection of Falls of the Neuse and Spring Forest roads in Raleigh. While there, we learned that the ownership team isn't stopping there. They have 5 other locations planned in North Carolina, with three of those to be here in the Triangle. The next will be up in Wake Forest, and will be followed by locations in Cary and Durham. We'll continue to watch their growth and keep you updated.
  Keep up with them here.  

• The downtown Raleigh location of Chick-fil-A is currently closed for renovations, but they posted on their Facebook page this week that they are anticipating re-opening at the end of next week. We'll keep up with Amy and her team and keep you posted. Keep up with them here.  

• Durham is about to get a new "Asian fusion" option with the soon-to-open restaurant called Sake Bomb. The Asian bistro and bar is in the Kmart shopping center on University Drive in the former Eastern Lights Hot Pot & Grill location. Look for an opening around year's end.

• And the final item in the "pending file" is the latest concept from the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, Page Road Grill. The last we heard from them, they were looking at the third week in December, but we couldn't get a confirmation on that. Keep up with them here. We'll let you know as soon as we hear something.  

• We got the sad news this week that Draft Carolina Burgers and Beers will flip their last burger and serve their last beer on the last day of 2012. Draft is under the umbrella of Rocky Top Hospitality Group. Follow them on Facebook to see what they come up with next!  And stop by Draft during their last 12 days of the year as they donate a percentage of sales to a different charity each night. Get all the details here.  

• We also got a note this week from Martin Sreshta, owner of Martin's Curry Rice, that he closed the restaurant in Morrisville. That is the bad news as he is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. The good news is that Martin continues to share his talent and passion. He will be at the Western Wake Farmer's Market every Saturday. Stop by and pay Martin a visit. There is no doubt this is not the last we'll hear from him! Best to you!

• We got a tip from John Huismann (aka Triangle Explorer) this week that Oliver Twist up in North Raleigh had closed. We contacted another source that confirmed that it is indeed closed. And while their doors are physically closed, the "door" was left open that it may reopen, or re-brand, but we'll keep an eye on it for you. As of now, it is closed.

• John also informed us this week that Yogo World, a frozen yogurt shop in the Falls River Shopping Center off Durant Road has closed.

• And finally, we got word this week from a Yelp message board that Your House, near the intersection of Capital Blvd. and Spring Forest Road in Raleigh, has closed. Apparently there is a sign out front about a pending auction. My restaurant friends may be interested in following up on that.