Foodie News: Poole's brunch is back this weekend

RALEIGH, N.C. — The latest on restaurant openings, closings, events, food trucks and more in the Triangle and beyond.

After months of anticipation, Brewery Bhavana, a hybrid restaurant, brewery, flower shop and book shop, opened this past Wednesday in the former Tir Na Nog spot adjacent to Moore Square in downtown Raleigh. Brewery Bhavana is the brainchild of brother and sister Vansana and Vanvisa Nolintha, who also own the Laotian restaurant Bida Manda next door, and brewer Patrick Woodson.

Morgan Street Food Hall & Market in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District will be home to the third location of the popular Sassool Mediterranean Cafe by July, owners announced this week.

In Morrisville, Famous Toastery swings open their doors today (Friday, March 31) at 7 a.m. and is open (everyday) until 3 p.m. in the Weston Commons Shopping Center at 9928 Chapel Hill Road. They are known for their breakfast all day, but I can tell you first hand they also have very yummy sandwiches and salads.

Over in Cary, WRAL reported that Fresh Local Ice Cream will open on Saturday bringing creative, handmade desserts to downtown Cary. Fresh is just down the road from Bond Brothers at 138 E. Chatham Street. This will be Fresh's second location (the original is on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh).

Here is something to get up early for on the weekend. We told you about this back in January, but the date has been set and it is getting closer. Your weekend brunch options just got a lot more interesting with the April 1 (no kidding) launch of weekend brunch service at Poole's Diner. Prompted by the closing of Ashley Christensen's Joule (being replaced by St. Roch Oyster + Bar), Poole's brunch service will feature many of the dishes from Joule.

John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, brought it to our attention that local food trucks NC Bulkoki and Bo's Kitchen will work together to open a casual Korean restaurant and coffee shop called Namu Durham. It will take over the space formerly occupied by Boheme and prior to that Straw Valley (near the conjunction of 15-501 and I40).

In Durham, certified cider expert Mattie Beason celebrates the first year anniversary of Black Twig Cider House - a cider-focused restaurant featuring the largest variety of cider in the Southeast - Saturday, April 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with local cider on draft, bottles and in the txotx or Spanish barrel, as well as games and food for the entire family!

And staying in Durham, the Durham Bulls have really stepped up their game - and I'm not talking baseball (I know very little about baseball). I'm talking about their food lineup for the coming season. The 2017 season will feature a combination of specials including Chili Mac, Brat Burgers, Tater Tot Waffles, Pepperoni Rolls, Fish and Chips, Brussels Sprouts, Pork Chop Sandwiches and Blue Munster Burgers. And the fans will have a say in which of these specials will be featured. Get a peek at them here.

Over in Chapel Hill, John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) reminded us that Honeysuckle Tea House’s grand reopening is this Saturday (April 1)for the 2017 season. This is a really cool spot for tea, coffee, and smoothies. To celebrate the new season they will have a food truck and live music.

Reader Jeff Roberts reported that Fat Philly's in Holly Springs has closed.

Got word from reader Chris Creighton that the Five Guys in Cary (Maynard and Walnut) will close their doors April 3 - so you've got a few more days to indulge.

Even the Lutherans are getting into the food truck rodeo spirit! That’s right, on April 2, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2723 Clark Avenue in Raleigh is hosting the West Raleigh Block Party from 4 to 7 p.m. They will have the new Battistella’s food truck, Arepa Culture and Cousins Maine Lobster along with a band and a bounce house.

And the food truck events in Knightdale are cranking back up in April. Every Thursday from April through June and September through November, they will host a new truck at Knightdale Station Park for lunch and dinner. Just look for it from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. near the amphitheater (rain or shine – shelters are covered).

And the food truck rodeos in Durham (just had one) and Raleigh are swinging back into full gear. Check out the Durham dates here and the Raleigh dates here.

The ninth annual ‘Cuegrass Festival will be held April 15 at The Pit beginning at noon. To date, the event has raised $107,000, which has gone right back into the community to help kids and families through BackPack Buddies and to help prevent child abuse through SAFEchild. Lawn chairs, dogs and kids are all welcome for a great line-up of five bands, local and regional beer and tons and tons of barbecue! As usual, it’s $5 at the gates.

The inaugural Cooking for a Classic series to benefit the Lucy Daniels Center moves into the final and championship round April 10 with the winner winning a beautifully restored 1969 Corvette Stingray. Tickets are still available for the six course dinner.

Families Moving Forward in Durham launched Chefs for Change, a fundraising dinner series that will pair the burgeoning Durham food scene with the needs of families experiencing homelessness. The series features a dinner every other month (beginning April 17) featuring one of the distinguished chefs serving three or more courses.

And if that is not enough food events for April 8, add the 19th Annual Lebanese Festival to the mix in downtown Raleigh’s City Plaza (400 block of Fayetteville Street). The festivities (food - amazing food, dance, cultural activities and tons of kid activities) will take place from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. The event is free. Get all the details here.

Acclaimed chef Scott Crawford is launching a guest chef series in April at his restaurant, Crawford and Son. “Oakwood and Friends” will serve food from Crawford and collaborators – chefs from renowned restaurants in the Southeast. The first dinner is Sunday, April 23, with Ryan Smith of Staplehouse.

The North Carolina Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier will host Dames in the Kitchen on April 6 offering a culinary tour through North Carolina by eight Dame cookbook authors and chefs. Benefiting the Interfaith Food Shuttle, it will take place at The Root Cellar in Chapel Hill from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $65.

Clear your calendar for April 8 for the Beer & Bacon Festival in Cary at Booth Amphitheatre.

Also on April 8, the Bull City Homebrew Chili Challenge will take place at Bull City Homebrew on Highway 54 near the intersection with Highway 55. It takes place from noon until 4 p.m. The event is free and kid friendly.

One of my favorite annual events is coming up soon – The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Weaver Street Market present the Piedmont Farm Tour, an event hosted by 35 Triangle area farms April 22-23 from 2 to 6 p.m. each day. The tour, in its 22nd year, is the oldest farm tour of its kind in the United States. The family-friendly (and budget-friendly) two-day event features farms spread across Alamance, Chatham, Orange and Person counties. Tour tickets purchased in advance are $30 per car for all farms, all weekend – good for a full carload of people. Day of tickets are $35. The tour is rain or shine.

April 20-23 are the dates for TASTE, a huge culinary event that includes a series of culinary experiences. Now in its fourth year, TASTE invites and assembles more than 50 of the best chefs, culinary artisans, artists, brewmasters, sommeliers and mixologists in the local area.

The extremely popular craft beer festival, Brewgaloo, returns the weekend of April 21-22 all in and around downtown Raleigh. The weekend kicks off with a block party/sampler event on Friday night followed by Saturday’s big event from 2 to 10 p.m. featuring craft beer, food vendors and trucks, live music and more.

On April 30, the Taste for a Cure Gala will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Rickhouse in Durham, where guests can sit back and watch the excitement while local, renowned chefs prepare a five course, farm-to-table feast showcasing local ingredients and inventive plate presentation right before your eyes. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m.

Got word from Lisa Jeffries that the Raleigh Food & Wine Festival has set their dates for this year as May 18-21.

The dates for TerraVita in Chapel Hill (one of the largest foodie events in the South) have been released. It will kick off on October 18 and end with the Grand Tasting on The Green on Saturday, October 21. TerraVita has grown from one tasting event into a four-day festival led by James Beard Foundation-nominated chefs, nationally-acclaimed cookbook authors, award-winning journalists and food artisans, winemakers, baristas, craft brewers and distillers.

Now is the time to give to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. All donations today (March 31) will be matched up to $50,000. For this month only, instead of your $1 providing five meals, every dollar will provide 10 meals!