Triangle Foodie News: Ed Mitchell no longer headed to food hall

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

Ed Mitchell's food truck, Ed’s Q on Wheels, can be booked for holiday parties. His brick and mortar location, Ed Mitchell’s Q at The Creek, in Brier Creek has broken ground. And finally, that Ed is no longer considering a space inside the Morgan Street Food Hall & Market in downtown Raleigh.

It is turkey time! If you don’t want to spend your Thanksgiving in the kitchen, we have some information you will be interested in. First up, Raleigh’s Q Shack offers up everything from whole smoked turkeys, to sides, to the entire turkey-day meal! My family has been doing this for several years and it has been fantastic!

If going out to eat on Thanksgiving is what you had in mind, the News & Observer has you covered with a comprehensive list of restaurants that are open (better get your reservation in now) to serve you.

So a quick update on the changes over at Academy Street Bistro in Cary (just a few weeks ago it was announced that there had been a sudden change in ownership.) We have now learned that Tom Havrish chef/owner of Lugano Ristorante in Cary, is the new owner. We haven’t received an update yet on its plans to reopen (it may already have done so). We will keep up with this.

Also in Cary, got a press release announcing that the groundbreaking ceremony for a permanent retail location of Annelore’s German Bakery, a home-based, authentic German pastry and bread bakery, is planned for Monday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. at 308 W. Chatham St. in downtown Cary.

Over in Raleigh a couple of quick updates. The opening date is coming very soon for Royale, an American bistro, moving into the former Batistella’s space on Raleigh’s Moore Square. Royale is from the same guys behind Stanbury and Cafe Lucarne. Look for an update on their opening on Out and About.

The openings in Chatham County just south of Chapel Hill, in the Veranda development located at the 15-501 entrance to Briar Chapel, continue. Just this past Monday, Town Hall Burger & Beer at Briar Chapel swung open their doors (and rolled up their garage doors!). And this week we saw the soft-opening of Breakaway Cafe, combining coffee, food, beer and bicycles.

Over in Durham, the British Indian gastropub, Viceroy, located in the five-points area of downtown Durham, is scheduled to open any day now. I was invited to a media event next week, so it is very, very close. Check them out on Facebook here.

Also in Durham, I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the long-standing Spartacus restaurant had been completely leveled. Reader Cori Harrell Nix notified me that that spot is to become the next Chick-fil-A in the Triangle.

In Chapel Hill, got word from reader Thomas Viemont that there is a “Cuban Revolution” sign on the front of the former Mina’s Grill at 401 W. Franklin Street. Apparently there is quite a bit of renovation taking place, so it may be awhile before we see that open.

Got word from a reader that Godavari, serving South Indian food, on Strickland Road in Raleigh has closed.

Teddy Diggs, executive chef of Il Palio in Chapel Hill, and renowned author Katie Parlaare teaming up to host a culinary tour of Italy’s capital. Hosted at Il Palio on Nov. 15, this Tasting Rome feast will feature recipes from Parla’sacclaimed cookbook, Tasting Rome, along with classics from Chef Diggs’ regional Italian repertoire. Tickets may be purchased for $125 by calling 919-918-2545 and include signed copies of the Tasting Rome cookbook, wine pairings, tax and gratuity.

Enjoy soups from top Triangle chefs as they compete to win the title of Soup-erior Chef at Urban Ministries of Wake County’s 12th annual Stone Soup Supper on Wednesday, Nov.16tat the McKimmon Center at NC State University. For a $25 donation, guests receive unlimited bowls of artisan soups from more than 10 competing chefs and one hand-crafted piece of pottery from the Triangle Potters Guild. Funds raised from the event will be used to feed, shelter, and provide healthcare to low income individuals.

Today (Friday, Nov. 11), the Triangle Dairy Queen locations will offer a free medium-size Blizzard to all veterans and active service members. This will take place at locations in Raleigh, Cary and Morrisville. They will also make a donation to the US Veterans Corps.

Friend David McCreary tipped me off to SAVOR Fuquay-Varina, a culinary event with music, auctions, great food and a celebratory atmosphere. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 12 from 2-6 p.m. at the Bob Barker Company, 105 N. Main St. in Fuquay-Varina. Area restaurants and caterers come together in a friendly competition. Local breweries share their current selections. Tickets are $50 per person.

On Nov. 30, Piedmont’s Executive Chef John May welcomes Chef Dean Neff of PinPoint in Wilmington, NC to collaborate on a 6-course Gullah-inspired dinner celebrating sustainably farmed oysters; each course will be paired with sparkling wines from different regions, highlighting the breadth and variety of these wines. Locals Seafood will supply North Carolina oysters from Chadwick Creek, Harkers Island, Newport River, and Masonboro, and funds raised support North Carolina Catch. The dinner is at 6:30pm. The $65/ person menu is also available for $95, with sparkling wine pairings. Contact 919-683-1213 for reservations.

Triangle Family Services will host its 14th annual Gingerbread Benefit on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in RTP. This daylong fundraising benefit, running from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., features the Triangle’s best chefs and bakers creating gingerbread masterpieces in lieu of the upcoming holidays. Get all the details here.

Exciting things have been happening at your Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina! They have moved to a much larger facility to accommodate their expanded operations and the continued need for food assistance. In celebration of this move, they invite you to their Community Open House on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. (tours, food truck rodeo and fun & games). The new facility is at 1924 Capital Blvd.