Triangle Foodie News: Raleigh Beer Garden sets opening date

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

The Triangle Business Journal is reporting that the Raleigh Beer Garden, located at 614 Glenwood Ave., will open to the public on July 20. They will feature 366 beers on tap! That means you could go every day for an entire year without drinking the same beer twice. Congratulations to Niall Hanley on his latest venture!

What do you get when you cross dining, bowling, movies (50 screens), an arcade and a bar? You get Cary's latest announcement of CineBowl & Grille which opens Friday (today) at 3 p.m. in Parkside Town Commons Center.

Chanticleer Cafe and Bakery is now open in Cary at 6490 Tryon Road in Cary's Wellington Park Shopping Center, at the corner of Tryon and Cary Parkway. The bakery is owned by Jennifer and Craig Freeman and is open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Look for fresh bakery items, sandwiches and Joe Van Gogh coffee.

The folks over at JMR Kitchens (who brought us The Oak and Taste) are doing it again announcing this week that they will be opening more. kitchen and bar at 116 N. West St. in the old Mantra location. more. will be a unique European inspired small plate concept with hard to find wines.

Heard from several sources that Berkeley Café in Raleigh's Nash Square is under new ownership. Not much is expected to change, except the addition of items to the menu.

In other downtown Raleigh news, heard from the folks over at Offline Media that Fiction Kitchen will be closed until July 13 for vacation. But go ahead and book your dinner for July 14!

Also in downtown Raleigh, New Raleigh is reporting that a new wine bar and art gallery is coming to 313 W. Hargett Street across from Cafe de los Muertos. Not much else to report at this point, but we'll keep an eye on it.

And just on the outskirts of downtown, New Raleigh noted this week that the former Quality Grocery in historic Oakwood (701 E. Lane Street) will become some combination of Belgian / French beer and food joint. Grated that is a bit vague; it is exciting to see something coming into that great space. Stay tuned.

Wicked Taco, a Blacksburg, Virginia-based fresh-Mex concept, has opened its second restaurant - and the first in North Carolina - in Raleigh at 3928 Western Blvd. Calling itself the "craft brewer of tacos," the restaurant features locally sourced ingredients and fresh-made salsas.

West Raleigh just got some good news. The Triangle Business Journal reported that the owner of Vic's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria on Blake Street at City Market in downtown Raleigh will open a second location at the MarketPlace at Lake Boone retail and office complex on Lake Boone Trail in the space formerly occupied by Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt.

A new restaurant called CaRibb Cuisine & Bar is on its way in Raleigh off Glenwood Avenue out near the airport (8111 Rowlock Way). It will feature authentic Caribbean food and signature drinks.

Up in Wake Forest, there is a new place to get your ice cream fix in downtown Wake Forest. Scoops on Main just opened this month at 701 N. Main Street. Check them out on Facebook here.

Happy to announce that Chicago pizza maker Rosati's in Wake Forest has reopened. They closed toward the end of April, but reopened June 14 under new management.

Also in Wake Forest, The Burger Shop opened Wednesday in downtown Wake Forest, at 203 Wait Ave. which is next to Virgilio's where Odette's Café used to be. We were unable to find a website for them.

Heard from my friend David McCreary (aka Lunchboy Says) that Fattoush Mediterranean Grill is now open at 781 Center St. in Apex. Check them out on Facebook here.

Over in Garner, Carolina Ale House will be opening that location on July 20.

Also in Garner, reader Hugh Autry tipped me off to the fact that there is a new sign up for Krafty's Burgers and Brews next to White Oak Cinemas in the space previously occupied by Shuck em' Shack. No word yet on an open date.

Hugh Autry also informed me that there is a new restaurant called East Garden Restaurant that is going in across from REI on Maynard Road in Raleigh. We were unable to find a website for it, but we'll ask Hugh to keep an eye on it for us. Thanks Hugh!

And congratulations to Cary-based Firewürst, founded by a father-and-two-sons team in 2012, as they officially registered to begin franchising in North Carolina. They'll look to the Triangle for their first franchise locations, hoping to find a franchisee who is excited to build off of the buzz the brand has created in the past couple of years of operation. With locations already in Brier Creek and on Harrison Ave in Cary, Firewürst is anxious to tap into markets such as North Raleigh and Durham to continue serving flame-grilled sausages, burgers, and dogs, both in the restaurant and through their growing catering efforts. If you are interested, check them out there.

As we told you in our last edition, Durham's Gregoria's Cuban Steakhouse closed July 3. But they have completely renovated the building into a vibrant new upscale tapas-style Latin eatery called Mesa Latin Kitchen. They will swing open their doors on July 17. Mesa is owned by Fares Hanna, who previously owned and operated Gregoria's.

Mez in Durham will be starting new hours soon, including a Sunday Brunch. Stay tuned! And we'll stay on top of it for you.

The folks over at ChickenWireNC announced that their next "pop-up" event on July 19, will be a Glazed & Confused Tasting Picnic in Pittsboro. The festival-like event will feature 20 chefs, over 20 artisans, 5 local brewers, 3 distillers, 3 wine distributors, a kids' tent, silent auction, and live music by the Onyx Club Boys! Tickets will go fast.

Got word from reader Joel Marcus that Hayashi-ya in Brier Creek has closed their doors. Marcus also reports that there is a sign for Bar Louie in the window. I reached out to Bar Louie, but haven't received a response yet. Stay tuned.

Beer Durham and House of Hops are each holding one year anniversary celebrations this Saturday. And Neighborhood Bottle Shop in Cary will be holding its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Raleigh Brewing is holding a special NeighBREWhood Party from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. There will be three food trucks, live bluegrass music, giveaways and more! Admission is free.

Wake Forest will hold their next Food Truck Rodeo on Sunday, July 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Renaissance Place at 450 S. Brooks Street in historic downtown. In addition to all the trucks, look for a beer tent provided by Brooks Street Bowl, a Kid's Zone and live music.

The News & Observer is reporting that Cary is stepping up their game by expanding their Chatham Street Chowdown food truck rally in downtown Cary. The town announced there will be 24 food trucks at the next event on Sunday, July 26, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. That's up from the 15 trucks that spread out along West Chatham Street in April.

The folks over at Snap Pea Underground Dinners are doing it again, but you are going to have to act fast beginning today at noon. Their next "secret" dinners will take place in Chapel Hill on Friday and Saturday (July 17 and 18). But act fast, this is a smaller venue and they will be offering chef's table seating! To get in on the fun, check them out here.

A new pop-up dining series to watch out for: The Familiar Supper Club will hold its first event on Aug. 10 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.

This is kind of fun and a good way to save a little "green" while trying out some new restaurants. Throughout the entire month of July, when dining at any Eschelon Experiences restaurant, keep your receipt for a 30 percent off discount when taken to one of the company's other establishments. The Eschelon line-up includes Mura, The Oxford, Zinda, Cameron Bar and Grill, Faire and Basan.

I often find myself in a pickle, but I've never been to a "pickle" event. You? Now's your chance as The Rickhouse on Foster Street in Durham will host PickleFest Durham on July 25 from noon until 3 p.m. The event is free and will bring together the areas pickle makers and enthusiasts along with restaurants, food trucks, food bloggers, farmers and canners and the N&O's Andrea Weigl (author of Pickles & Preserves).

The dates are set (October 8-10) for one of my favorite food events of the year - the TerraVita Food & Drink Festival held in Chapel Hill every year. It simply can't be missed. Tickets are set to go on sale soon!

West 94th St. Pub in southwest Durhamwill host the 2nd Annual Grill Master Cook Off Competition to benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. They are calling all local "Grill Masters" to show off their "grillin" skills on Saturday, July 11, 2015 from 9am- 4pm. The food will be donated by West 94th St Pub and the secret ingredient will be provided by TOPO. Each contestant will be required to cook onsite, 2-3 whole chickens with TOPO's secret Ingredient. The registration deadline to cook is July 6th. For more information or to get involved contact Kerry Bryant at 919-403-0025 or email Kerry@West94thStPub.com.

Also, July is National Hot Dog Month, and Firewürst has begun its second annual #DollarsForDogs campaign, in which the locally-owned restaurant commits to donating $1 for every dog sold throughout the month to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC's Stop Summer Hunger Program. Last year, the community involvement in the campaign led to a $10,000 donation! Firewürst of course has some tricks up their sleeve for National Hot Dog Day specifically (July 23rd), so keep an eye out! Visit Firewurst this July!