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Foodie News: Saltbox Seafood announces second location

Owner Ricky Moore has purchased Shrimp Boats restaurant in Durham.

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Saltbox Seafood owner Ricky Moore
RALEIGH, N.C. — The latest on restaurant openings, closings, foodie events, food trucks and more in the Triangle and beyond.

Featured Restaurant News

The News & Observer reported this week that chef Ricky Moore, owner of Saltbox Seafood Joint in downtown Durham, is adding a second location with the purchase of the recently closed Shrimp Boats restaurant on the Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham. Look for it to open in the next two months with indoor and outdoor seating and an expanded menu.
Draft Line Brewing Company is ceasing brewing operations in Fuquay-Varina. The brewery announced on its website that there will be a farewell party on Saturday, April 29. As of April 30, Mason Jar Tavern will be taking over brewery and tap room operations.

Wake County Restaurant News

The little ol’ sleepy town of Cary is getting its third microbrewery starting next Monday! Jordan Lake Brewing Company is set to open at 320 E. Durham Road according to the News & Observer. They turned the warehouse space into an inviting taproom with darts, billiards, cornhole boards and other games. A covered patio is outside. The brewery is both family friendly and dog-friendly. They have three beers on tap now, with more on the way. And once the brewery is open full time, they hope to have two food trucks on site on a daily basis.
Getting word that the Rudino’s on High House in Cary is changing things up a bit. Word is that they are re-inventing themselves (just this location) as Smok’d BBQ & Tap. Out with the pizza, in with the pig. Nothing is up yet on their website (although the Cary location is no longer listed on the Rudino’s site). We will keep an eye on it and keep you informed. Thanks to several posters on a Yelp message board for this tip. Also in Rudino's news, the Wake Forest location off of Rogers Road (next to Publix) has opened its doors.
We have an open date for the much-anticipated Pizzeria Faulisi in downtown Cary. Looks like they will finally swing open their doors on Thursday, March 2, at 5 p.m. The restaurant is on the first floor of a building that’s been under construction at 215 E. Chatham St., next to Mid-Town Square.
Also in Cary, got word from Michael DePersia that the former San Remo space in Cary’s Millpond Village (where Publix just opened) will become a Thai restaurant called Thai Lotus. They will celebrate their grand opening on April 28.
And WRAL shared with us that Waverly Place will add three new eateries to their portfolio. This spring the center will welcome TASU Asian Bistro, along with previously announced Gonza Tacos Y Tequila. Kale Me Crazy will also be added to the diverse dining line in the summer.
Got word from my buddy David McCreary that Fuquay-Varina is about to see the debut of its first Indian eatery. Zeera Indian Restaurant will open mid-March at 1311 East Broad St.
Draft Line Brewing Company is ceasing brewing operations in Fuquay-Varina. The brewery announced on its website that there will be a farewell party on Saturday, April 29. As of April 30, Mason Jar Tavern will be taking over brewery and tap room operations.
Durham, Orange and Chatham Restaurant News
Got word this week that Monday, Feb. 27, is the opening of Stoney River Steakhouse in Chapel Hill’s University Place on Estes Drive. It is located in the space just in front of the new Silverspot Cinema. Stoney River is part of the J. Alexander’s group (which just opened a J. Alexander’s Restaurant up the hill from Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh).
Down in Chatham County it looks like the popular Bean & Barrel Coffee Shop, Bar & Grill is under new ownership. Word has it that the folks behind Tarantini Italian Restaurant have taken over ownership. That sounds like great news to us! Thanks to my buddy Denny Marcin for the original tip on this as well as Marcia Sanders.
And in Hillsborough, Mystery Brewing Public House will celebrate its reopening on Feb. 25 with a new kitchen, full menu, and expanded dining area at 230 S. Nash St. in Hillsborough. The reopening on Feb. 25 coincides with Mystery Brewing Company's fifth birthday so look for an all-day celebration.

Closings

The News & Observer reported this week that Queen of Sheba in Chapel Hill will close this Saturday after a 13-year run. Sorry to see them go.
Got word from one of our readers that Carrabba’s in Cary on Kildaire Farm Road has closed. Still scratching my head on this one as parking always seemed to be a challenge. Reminds me of this Yogi Berra quote, “No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.”

Food trucks

A couple of new food truck alerts from our friends over at WRAL. Mr. Mongolian BBQ food truck had a soft launch last Friday and Gonza Tacos new food truck rolled out last weekend. Also, got word that Mr. A's Beignets will be rolling out a second truck at the beginning of March.
I never thought I’d see this. Chapel Hill is holding their first food truck rodeo - Rodeo on Rosemary. Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation in collaboration with the Downtown Partnership and the Raleigh Durham Mobile Food Association (RDUMFA) will hold this milestone on March 26 from noon to 5 p.m. on the block of Rosemary Street between Henderson and North Columbia Streets. Looks like about 13 trucks so far.
We have dates for this year's Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos. Go ahead and mark your calendars for Sunday, May 7, Sunday, Aug. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 8 (only 3 this year compared to 4 in years past).

Events

This Saturday, Feb. 25, Chatham County’s Captain John’s Dockside restaurant will host a Brazilian Carnival featuring Feijoada, Moqueca, Caipirinha and other Brazilian fare. Festivities kick off at 4 with dinner and music, followed by a DJ and dancing at 8. $5 to enter and kids are free. Dockside is located in North Chatham Village (formerly Cole Park Plaza) just south of Chapel Hill on 15-501.
Families Moving Forward in Durham launched Chefs for Change this past week, a fundraising dinner series that will pair the burgeoning Durham food scene with the needs of families experiencing homelessness. The chefs participating in the series are: Ricky Moore (Saltbox), Billy Cotter (Dashi), Seth Gross (Pompieri/Bull City Burger & Brewery) and John May (Piedmont). The series features a dinner every other month (beginning in April) featuring one of the distinguished chefs serving three or more courses. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit Families Moving Forward.
The Lucy Daniels Center is proud to announce the inaugural Cooking for a Classic series. This event held at 1705 Prime in Raleigh throughout February and March will feature the talents of 16 local and regional chefs competing head to head to win a beautifully restored 1969 Corvette Stingray. The competition is structured tournament style, with two chefs paired together each night and the winner advancing to the next round until a champion is crowned.
Empty Bowls, the signature event for Urban Ministries of Durham, will take place the evening of Thursday, March 2, at Durham Convention Center. You'll have the chance to sample soups prepared by local chefs and vote for your favorites. Local artists and artisans are making hundreds of hand-crafted bowls, and with certain tickets, you can select one to take home. The family-friendly evening (kids 6 and under admitted free for soup only) includes music and the chance to learn more about the important work Urban Ministries of Durham does to feed, clothe and shelter our neighbors.
With the theme “Girls Kick Butt,” Ray Price Harley-Davidson in downtown Raleigh will hold its Boston Butt Cook-Off event Saturday, March 4, where a dozen or more BBQ cookin' crazies will be smoking some awesome Boston Butts! And all funds go to charity. This year's annual Boston Butt Cook-Off will incorporate a celebration of Women in Motorsports! Just a $5 donation to the Ride for Kids Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation gets you all you can eat BBQ! Vote for your favorite to win the coveted People's Choice Award. Get all the details here.
Viceroy Durham will collaborate with Bull McCabes Irish Pub to celebrate the spring festival of Holi on March 11 on the lawn at Bull McCabes. The food will be a preview of the Thali style dishes that will be available when Viceroy opens for lunch service. The color fight will be taking place between noon and 3 p.m. with kid’s activities throughout the day, and DJs will keep the party going until 11 p.m.
DPAC is partnering again with Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom and Sam’s Quik Shop to host the fifth annual Bull City Food and Beer Experience on March 12. The event features the Harris On stage Experience showcasing additional breweries and local food vendors, unlimited samplings and three floors of food and beverage options, so make sure you visit each level of DPAC’s lobbies for the full experience.
I’m going to just put this right here for my buddy Tim Coynesmith -- the Beer & Bacon Festival is coming up on April 8. Need I say more?
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. Enjoy “Grand Taste” signature experiences, where you can sample the area’s best chefs, spirits and craft beers, as well as special dinners and classes.
On April 30 from 5-10 p.m. at the Rickhouse in Durham, 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 Taste for a Cure event will begin with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m. where chefs will prepare the first course right before your eyes. Individual tickets are $225.
I got word from event organizer Lisa Jeffries that the Raleigh Food & Wine Festival has set their dates for this year as May 18-21. Go ahead and mark your calendar.

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