Foodie News: Restaurant to support Durham explosion victims

RALEIGH, N.C. — On Friday, April 19, there will be a benefit event at The Rickhouse in support of the victims of the Durham gas explosion, including staff from the affected restaurants. Lots of local sponsors and raffle items. Get all the details on the event Facebook page here.

The folks over at Transfer Co. Food Hall announced this week that Dank Burrito will open their third location this Friday and will be serving up their signature fresh-to-death tacos and burritos starting at 10:30 a.m. Apparently loyal foodies are referred to as "Danksters" or part of the "Burrito Mafia." Stop by Friday if you think you qualify. They have two locations in Morehead City and Beaufort plus a food truck, which serves chef-driven burritos, tacos, bowls and salads. Get to know them here.

Also saw on Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly post that Bul Box opened this past week at Transfer Co. Food Hall. The Bul Box team has been serving Asian cuisine in the Triangle for over 20 years. Their journey began here in the Raleigh-Durham area and the adventure didn’t stop there. Today, they’re pursuing their dream of spreading Asian flavors throughout Charlotte, Atlanta, Savannah and more. Check them out here.

Speaking of food halls, across downtown Morgan Street Food Hall announced their newest addition, YoHo Hibachi & Sushi Burritos, according to the folks over at the ITB Insider. They offer contemporary Chinese dishes and Japanese sushi. YoHo will be located at the far end of the food hall next to Sassool Select. They’ll offer signature dishes such as their Hawaiian Burrito, Hibachi Steak and much more at their grand opening April 18-21, with the first 20 customers each day receiving their meal for free. They have a location in Cary. Check them out here.

In more downtown Raleigh news, we learned of the good news that A Place at the Table announced that they will be expanding next door and building a full kitchen. Congrats to founder and executive director Maggie Kane for her passion and vision for bringing the pay-what-you-can restaurant to life, and now expanding it all. Kudos!

Also in downtown Raleigh, The Acorn, downtown’s newest craft cocktail and small plates bar, opened this past week. They are the sister project of Oak City Meatball Shoppe and Calavera Empanadas & Tequila. Check them out here.

Reader Sara Addison-Kristel reported that Barcelona Wine Bar, a wine and tapas restaurant inspired by the culture of Spain, has opened at The Dillon in the Warehouse District at 223 W. South St. They have locations throughout Connecticut and in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville, Reston Virginia and Washington DC. The Dillon location will be their first restaurant in the Raleigh market. Meet them here.

John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, shared the news that the popular coffee shop Brew is opening another location just outside of downtown Raleigh. It will be opening in summer 2019 in McNeill Pointe off of Wake Forest Road at 2310 Bale St. They have locations in Raleigh at Seaboard Station, coming to Gateway Plaza and in downtown Cary at the Cary Theater.

High-school buddy and dentist extraordinaire, Dana McCall, shared the news that Mezeh is opening two locations in Raleigh: North Raleigh (in the old Kamato Grill/Lucky 32 building) and Hillsborough Street (where Freshii was, next to Chipotle). Mezeh is a 19-store Chipotle-styled Middle Eastern fast casual concept out of the Washington, DC area. Go ahead and get familiar with them here.

Got word from owner Gregory Goldberg that he has opened Uninhibited Tapas Bar in the former Taste location on Medlin Drive (off Dixie Trail/Wade) in Raleigh. They will be serving serving international tapas using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible with an eclectic wine list, inventive cocktails, and a growing local beer list. You can get familiar with them here.

In North Raleigh, reader Chuck Till informed us that the Five Guys on Creedmoor Road in Brennan Station has reopened after a lengthy remodeling.

Down in Fuquay-Varina we got word that Johnny’s Pizza is opening in the former Mattress 2.0 location next to Krispy Kreme. The NY-style pizza joint already has locations in Apex, Cary and Wake Forest. Get familiar with them here.

And over in Garner, Big Ed’s opened their third location (two locations in Raleigh) this week at the Timber Crossings Shopping Center at 231 Timber Drive. Get all the details here.

Amber Watson over at Bites of Bull City shared the much-anticipated news that Scott Howell's iconic Nana's restaurant is officially back in action with a smaller, more focused menu.

WRAL shared the news that Lime & Lemon Indian Grill on Ninth Street (former Dale’s spot) held its grand opening this week. They offer cuisines of both northern and southern India. The restaurant is located at 811 Ninth St. Get familiar with them here.

Amber also shared the news this week that Toriano and Serena of Boricua Soul, described as Southern soul, Caribbean flair and Euro-African roots, have secured a brick and mortar spot at the American Tobacco Campus. Look for their arrival this summer! Check them out here.

WRAL reported that B.Good opened this past Thursday in their Durham location in the One City Center in downtown Durham. They provide great tasting, responsibly sourced burgers, bowls, salads, smoothies and more. This is the chain’s fifth location in the Triangle and ninth in North Carolina. Durhamites, get to know them here.

The folks over at Bites of Bull City also shared that there's a pop-up Mexican restaurant with Chef Miguel Torres (Lantern chef de cuisine with Andrea Reusing) at The Durham Hotel from now through May 10. Primavera en Durham is a collaboration between Chef Miguel Torres and The Durham Hotel celebrating spring with the flavors of his childhood in Guanajuato, Mexico. Get all the details here.

In Chapel Hill, reader Mark Monroe let us know that chef Brandon Sharp opened Hawthorne & Wood last week in the former Raaga spot in Chapel Hill’s East 54. Sharp, grew up in Greensboro and attended UNC-Chapel Hill. He spent the next twenty years cooking in New Orleans, San Francisco, New York, and northern California, earning seven consecutive Michelin stars as executive chef of Solbar in Napa Valley from the years 2010-2016. Brandon and his family returned to Chapel Hill in the fall of 2016. Check them out here.

Also in Chapel Hill, got word from the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership that East Franklin Street is getting a used bookstore of sorts called Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews. Epilogue is an independent bookstore and Spanish-style chocolatería that aims to foster community in the heart of Chapel Hill. It is a place for people to gather, whether to cultivate new ideas, learn old ones, or escape into the welcoming atmosphere that books, chocolate, beer, and coffee all provide. Keep up with any announcements they might make on their Facebook page here.

And before leaving Chapel Hill, reader Ross Hannah let us know that Don Chicken, a Mexican rotisserie with Southern inspired sides, has opened on Elliot Road in the former Monterrey location (Monterrey moved to Rams Plaza). Don Chicken is family owned and operated and also serves up some great tacos. Follow them on Instagram here.

Down in Hillsborough, WRAL reported that LaPlace Louisiana Cookery has closed, but will soon be replaced with a concept called James Pharmacy. LaPlace enjoyed a five-year run. The new concept will serve fresh North Carolina seafood. They noted that many of their company hallmarks will remain - the creative beverage program of well-crafted cocktails, the freshest ingredients, the popular Sunday brunches, and their famous Bloody Mary menu. Also improved outdoor seating and an expanded beer and wine selection. No word on how long the transition will take, but perhaps they will post it on the LaPlace Facebook page.

Over in Chatham, we told you about this last August, but the Triangle’s third location of Mi Cancun has opened in the Penguin Place development adjacent to Marco’s Pizza, House of Hops Pittsboro and The Root Cellar Café (behind Bojangles). Chatham, get familiar with Mi Cancun on their Facebook page here.

Tyler's Taproom at American Tobacco Campus announced that it will close Friday, April 19, after a 14-year run. There is still a Tyler’s in downtown Carrboro.

Also in Durham, Blu Seafood & Bar on Hillsborough Road closed according to a sign on the door.

Got word from several sources that Saint & Co. on Ninth St. has also closed. The bakery and cafe opened in October and served brick hearth Neapolitan style pizza, fresh baked pastries, breads and sandwiches.

The Boot Italian restaurant on University Drive closed last Friday. The Boot opened in 2014.

And staying in Durham, reader S.R. Begnoche informed us that Mexican restaurant Tonali on Shannon Road also closed its doors this month.

Saw in Triangle Business Journal that Bison & Bull Tavern (formerly a franchise of Ohio sports bar Buffalo Wings and Rings) in Morrisville’s Grove Park closed.

Go ahead and mark down the dates for 2019 for the Durham Food Truck rodeos — they are: June 16, Sept. 1 and Nov. 3!

And the dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo have been released. They are Sunday, May 5 — noon-6 p.m. (Cinco de mayo ); Sunday, June 9 — noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, August 4 — 3 p.m.-9 p.m. ( Evening Rodeo ); and Sunday, Oct 6 — noon-6 p.m. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.

Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is getting ready to kick back up for the season. The event is held the third Thursday of the month from April through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.

This is kinda cool. Central Carolina Community College Culinary Arts Program has a food truck (which in and of itself is pretty cool), but now you get to name it! They are holding a context to name their truck. Submit your idea and get all the details here. Thanks to Neha Shah for the heads up on this.

Al's Burger Shack, Mel's Commissary & Catering and IP3 Italian Pizzeria III are teaming up once again to bring you Caffe Marrone — 6 courses of your Italian favorites and a wine pairing at the Mel's Carrboro location at 7 p.m. on April 24. These seats will fill quickly, so be sure to get your tickets before they're gone!

Shop Local Raleigh’s annual craft beer festival, Brewgaloo, will take place April 26 and 27. Brewgaloo features craft breweries from North Carolina and partners with local food trucks, local vendors and local bands. Get tickets now and all the details on their website here.

On May 4, the good folks at the Root Cellar in Pittsboro will host another of their extremely popular Low Country Shrimp Boil. The $30 ticket will entitle you to all-you-can-eat Gulf shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and banana pudding. The event runs from 4-7 p.m. Get details and tickets here.

Cary's fourth annual Fest in the West returns on Saturday, May 4, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The event features old-fashioned contests (like pie eating!), artists, beer, food trucks (10) and live bands on multiple stages. (Rain date is May 5.)

Mark your calendar for May 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. and make your way over to Pittsboro for their Farm & Art Dinner, where they will celebrate Chatham’s culinary artistry, visual and performing artistry, and appreciation for small family farms. Main Street Pittsboro will welcome friends, guests and family to a table in the center of Hillsboro Street to discover, acknowledge, and honor the skills of local chefs, farmers, and artists in this fundraiser to continue the mission of revitalizing the historic downtown district. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

Tickets are on sale now for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina's Thrive NC, scheduled for May 9 and 10 at City Market in downtown Raleigh. NOTE: The festival is SOLD OUT! The inaugural event attracted thousands of members of the community to celebrate North Carolina's culinary roots, while also initiating critical conversations about food insecurity in our state. The highlight of the two-day event is the festival that will feature more than 60 of the area's best restaurants serving food and drink samples as well as live entertainment, including chef demonstrations and music.

On Saturday, June 8 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. the Town of Cary will host the Pimento Cheese Festival where food trucks will line Academy Street to serve their regular menu, along with new dishes featuring a southern delicacy: pimento cheese! Enjoy live music at the Downtown Park, grab a drink from local breweries, and taste some of the best pimento cheese samples from local restaurants. You can even test your skills in the pimento cheese sculpting contest.

Taste celebrates the vibrant Durham-Chapel Hill culinary scene with a festival of food & beverage events, June 26-30, 2019. All told, the event features 5 premium culinary events. New for this year, they are offering back-to-back nights of their signature Grand Taste Experience at the Durham Armory - with each night featuring over 30 great local restaurants. The week also boasts a 1920s themed Speakeasy Nightclub at a secret location, a 6-Course Southern Feast Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and a Boozy Brunch at Clouds Brewing. Get all the details and tickets here.

Forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store for your next food drive... “Shop” with the Food Bank through our Virtual Food Drive and maximize your donation times ten! For every dollar donated, the Food Bank can provide $10 worth of food or five meals. Over half a million people in the 34 counties we serve struggle with food insecurity. You can make a difference in your community by hosting a Virtual Food Drive for your friends, family members or coworkers.

Sean Lennard covers the Triangle food scene on his site Triangle Food Blog.