Triangle Foodie News: Boylan Bridge Brewpub reopens bar

RALEIGH, N.C. —

Featured Restaurant News

So, the featured news this week is more about chef changes revealed by the News & Observer. First up is that Adam Rose has left the just-opened H Street Kitchen in Raleigh. No word yet on where Rose will land, we just hope it is somewhere here in the Triangle. And after nine months, John Childers moved from Midtown Grille back to the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary where he had been for seven years.

And other news to report: Boylan Bridge Brewpub re-opened this past Wednesday. No food, no deck (yet), just drinks, but it is their first step back!

In downtown Raleigh, the News & Observer reported last week that the city of Raleigh awarded the contract to operate a cafe in the soon-to-be-renovated Moore Square to Empire Eats which also owns Raleigh Times, Morning Times, Sitti, The Pit and Gravy. The new cafe will be called Square Burger, serving square patties on potato rolls. Raleigh will spend $12.6 million over the next year to renovate Moore Square.

WRAL reported this week that Mission Valley’s Dalat (under new ownership) is looking to reopen either Sept. 19 or 20. Call them first (919-832-7449) before you head over.

The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that the sports restaurant and bar concept out of Maryland called Glory Days Grill will be coming to the Triangle, and more specifically Raleigh, in the summer of 2017. Congratulations to Chris, Warren and Douglas Holmes.

Wahlberg brothers - Mark, Donnie and Paul - are bringing their Boston-area restaurant concept to Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, taking over the space formerly occupied by The Oxford. And you guessed it (I know you did), it is called Walhburgers. And this could happen as soon as January.

And reader Rebecca Calhoun tipped us off to the fact that a bar and bottle shop called Hoppy Endings (gotta love the name) is opening soon in the Litchford Village shopping center in North Raleigh. No word yet on an opening date.

While they have been open for a number of weeks now, Chapel Hill’s Chronic Tacos, located in Meadowmont Village, will hold their grand opening celebration from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday. They will be giving away free tacos to the first guests, hosting a taco eating contest, live music - and a chance to meet professional skateboarder and television personality Jason “Wee Man” Acuña.

After a 40 year run, Tripp’s on Wade Avenue in Raleigh has closed their doors.

You don’t want to miss this event! Relish Cafe & Bar is holding a charity Mac and Cheese Throwdown and Bartender Showdown benefiting the Hope Center at Pullen on Saturday October 1st from 6pm to 11pm. Visit the website to get all the details and ticket information.

Next Tuesday, Sept.13, The Rickhouse in Durham will host Forage into the Forest beginning at 6:30 p.m. There will be three guest chefs who prepare a dish using foraged ingredients followed by a demo of their respective dish on stage.

Raleigh is going to have their very own vegan cook-off between Sept.12 and Oct. 1. The Oak City Vegan Challenge will feature six restaurants offering special vegan dishes that diners can cast votes for their favorites. The event is modeled after the Bull City Vegan Challenge, which has been extremely successful over in Durham.

The folks over at Bittersweet have teamed up with the women from Pho-Nomenal Dumplings for a five-course Sunday dinner of comfort food with an Asian twist on Sunday, Sept. 25. Five courses, including dessert from Bittersweet, each with a wine or cocktail pairing for $60. Two seatings at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. $60. Call 919.977.3829 to order tickets.

Hibernian Hospitality Group and Ed Mitchell are proud to announce Ed Mitchell’s Brews & ‘Cue event featuring Ed’s food truck “Q On Wheels” to be held at the Raleigh Beer Garden in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, September 17 from 5 p.m. until the food runs out. The renown pitmaster’s truck will feature his highly sought after signature barbecue offering a wide array of platters and sides.

The Third Annual Triangle Oktoberfest will take place at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on September 23 and 24. Enjoy family-friendly activities such as music from the Little German Band, dancing, traditional Bavarian food and fare, wiener dog races, “Rock-toberfest” concerts by Four Founders and West Street Band, children’s play area and prizes for German attire. Children 16 and younger are free. Friday tickets: $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. Saturday tickets: $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.

Tickets to TerraVita are now on sale. And you better jump fast, as many of these events will sell out soon. Trust me. If you aren’t familiar with TerraVita, it is arguably the premier “foodie event” in the southeast, and it will take place September 28 through October 1 right here in Chapel Hill. In a nutshell, it is a multi-day celebration that brings together top chefs, food artisans, sommeliers, baristas, brewers, educators, distillers, cookbook authors and industry luminaries from across the Southeast to celebrate culinary excellence and sustainability in food and drink.

The 9th Annual Pepperfest taking place Sunday, Oct. 2 from 2-7 p.m. at Brier Chapel in Chatham County. The event features super delicious pepper-themed dishes and beverages, live music and children’s activities. It's a great outdoor event for this time of the year.

The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Chapel Hill is holding its fifth annual Porkapalooza on Friday, Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature 12 small plate courses celebrating local pork, including roasted suckling pigs; beer cheese fondue with local sausages; fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese, beer-braised crispy pork belly and tomato jam; poutine with sweet potato fries, Seven Springs country gravy and Ashe County cheese; and bacon marshmallow s’mores. The dinner also includes Fullsteam beer pairings. Save $10 by ordering tickets by August 31.

Jennifer Noble Kelly sent me information this week about PICNIC, North Carolina’s newest whole hog barbecue joint, and its farm partner, Green Button Farm, hosting their inaugural NC Barbecue Revival at the farm this fall, October 28-30. The three-day weekend will be chock full of classes, discussions, feasts and pig pickins’.

And on Nov. 6, the folks over at Acme will bring back the fourth edition of Salt and Smoke Festival to beautiful Rock Quarry Farm on Highway 54 just outside of Carrboro. This is becoming quite the event, as more than 500 people attended last year. Get all the details and ticket information here.

Also on Nov. 6, the folks over at Chickenwire announced their latest pop-up dinner which will be held, at a secret outdoor venue to be revealed later, and will feature 8 area chefs with offerings utilizing “fire, grill and smoke.” VIP tickets get you in an hour early. Get all the details, including a listing of participating chefs, and tickets here.

September is Hunger Action Month and as part of that, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will be holding their annual 24 hour telethon - #FoodBank24 to raise money and awareness through noon TODAY (Sept. 16). 24 hours to raise $24k!