Triangle Foodie News: La Farm Bakery expanding

RALEIGH, N.C. — Triangle restaurant news...that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Alright folks, let’s do this. So, USA Today compiled a list of what they think are the cities with the “best local food scene.” Now, they are counting on you to get the list in the right order. Currently Raleigh is in 6th place (behind Asheville - we can’t let that happen). Go here to vote...and vote often! Seriously, what are you waiting on? Why haven’t you voted (it is anonymous)?

Got word this week, and confirmed through several sources, that La Farm Bakery over in Cary is expanding into the space next to them. No word yet on a timeline or what changes the expansion might bring. Happy to see a local bakery enjoying so much success!

Saw in Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly email (and confirmed on Scott Crawford’s Twitter account) that Standard Foods Restaurant and Grocery (205 E. Franklin Street in Raleigh) will be training their staff toward the end of August.

The News & Observer reported some of the retail tenants in the recently opened SkyHouse Raleigh apartment building located at the corner of East Martin and South Blount streets in downtown Raleigh. One of the spots will be filled with a dining concept called Provenance owned by chef Teddy Klopf. They are expected to open in mid-November. Larry’s Beans Coffee Company will occupy one of the other spots. They are looking to open in the first quarter of 2016.

Virgilio's Premium Vinegars, Oils and Edibles is moving from their current location on White Street in Wake Forest to a spot just down the street in The Factory, next to Lilly Mae’s. They will open there on Sept. 1. Until then, you can continue to visit their current location (but please note they will be closed Aug. 1 through Aug. 10).

Got word from Heather Black that Los Tres Magueyes is opening another location, this one in Apex in the former Pizza Inn spot at 1301 E. Williams St. When it opens, it will be the 5th Triangle area location.

This is pretty cool and another example of why we live in such a great spot for dining out. This Saturday The Chef’s Academy in Morrisville will award degrees to 72 graduates of its culinary arts and pastry arts programs, with many assuming positions in various kitchens throughout the Triangle. Congratulations graduates!

And speaking of The Chef’s Academy, Mike Santos is teaming up with Raleigh restaurant owner Jon Seelbinder to open Linus and Pepper’s, a pop-up sandwich shop in a downstairs area of Seelbinder’s Level Up Restaurant + Barcadium at 126 S. Salisbury Street. The pop-up will teach students everything they need to know about developing a menu and starting and operating a café, so the menu should be very interesting and fun. They plan to operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until it closes Aug. 24, although that date might move, so stay tuned.

Got word that the Penn Station East Coast Subs in Cary has opened at 700 Cary Towne Blvd. in Cary. This marks the 4th Triangle area location.

Drove by this week and saw that the Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant has relocated and reopened within the same shopping center (undergoing major renovations) in Chatham County. The shopping center used to be Cole Park Plaza, but is now North Chatham Village.

The Triangle Business Journal reported that this past Monday Raleigh restaurateur Lou Moshakos and his team at LM Restaurants closed the company's last remaining fast-food restaurant location, New Bern Subs in east Raleigh.

Heather Black notified us that the Rudino’s Sports Porch on Williams Street in Apex has closed their doors.

Baba Ghannouj at 14460 Falls Of Neuse Rd. in Raleigh has closed.

And saw on Triangle Explorer’s twitter feed that Big Apple Bagels in the Falls River Town Center in North Raleigh has closed.

Natty Greene's in Raleigh is closing its doors for good this weekend. The restaurant and brewhouse will hold one last bash on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. Proceeds will go to the employees.

And go ahead and mark your calendar for the next two big food truck rodeos in downtown Raleigh and downtown Durham. Raleigh's next rally will be in the evening (4-9 p.m.) on Sunday, Aug. 9 and Durham's will be Labor Day weekend (Sept. 6).

Tickets are on sale now for one of the biggest foodie events around - the TerraVita Food & Drink Festival, which will be held in Chapel Hill Oct. 8-10. It simply can't be missed.

Tickets are on sale now for Beericana, a craft beer and music festival in Holly Springs on Sept.12. Beericana is in its second year and all signs point to it being even better than last year. The festival will feature over 60 breweries from across the state and beyond, more food trucks than last year with at least 20 trucks. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $75.

The Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival is back again this year at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre July 31 through Aug. 1. I think the title of this event gives you a pretty good idea of what it is all about, but if you need more details, check them out here.

Kimbap's Kim Hunter is hosting a three-course dinner with beer and wine pairings on Monday, Aug. 3rd at 4:30 p.m. to benefit In Good Heart Farm in Clayton.

Go ahead and mark your calendar for Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week, which will be held Aug. 17-23. It has expanded this year to include lunch menus and a Do-It-Yourself Progressive Dinner option. This option will encourage patrons to visit a different restaurant for each course on a tantalizing tour of downtown dining. Participating dining establishments will offer three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, $5 or $10 lunch menus, and/or a special appetizer, entrée, or dessert for the Progressive Dinner option, depending on the venue.

Midtown Grille executive chef Benjamin Harris came to Raleigh from Charleston, South Carolina. So the recent events there hit pretty close to home. So on Sunday, Aug. 23 he will host a chef collaboration event called North Cooks South to raise money for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Joining Harris will be Charleston’s Daniel Doyle (Poogan’s Porch), Charlotte’s Chris Coleman (The Asbury/Dunhill Hotel) and Raleigh’s Scott James (executive sous chef at The Angus Barn). The $150 dinner is limited to 100 people.

A new pop-up dining series to watch out for: The Familiar Supper Club will hold its first event on Aug. 10 at Top of the Hill in Chapel Hill. The club, started by chefs John Childers and Evan Sheridan, is focusing on celebrating North Carolina's bounty. The first event is titled "Sweet Corn and Swine." A portion of proceeds will benefit local nonprofit Abundance NC. Tickets are $80 each.

And if you are into eating healthier, you might want to go ahead and get this event on your calendar - the 2015 Triangle Vegfest which will be held at Moore Square and City Market in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, Oct. 17 from noon until 5 p.m.

We have less than two weeks of our summer campaign to provide 3.2 million meals to children and their families during the summer. For 300,000 kids in our region, no school means no meals. Let's #StopSummerHunger together! Get more information or donate now.