Out and About

Foodie news: Cafe Carolina closes two locations

Sean Lennard, the Triangle Food Guy, has the scoop on openings, closings and foodie events.

Posted Updated
Cafe Carolina serves up homemade desserts
By
Sean Lennard
, Triangle Food Guy
RALEIGH, N.C. — The folks over at the Beltline Buzz shared the news that Standard Beer + Food will open their kitchens for a fabulous culinary taqueria experience starting this Saturday, May 15, along with a full open bar serving up house-made beers, ciders and wines. They are located at 205 E Franklin St. in downtown Raleigh. Visit their website here.
Wake County Restaurant News
RalToday shared the news that first appeared in the News & Observer that Raleigh is getting its first cidery — Shady Grove Cider — in the East End Market development (east of Five Points) next year. Shady Grove will have a 3,000 sq. ft. production facility and taproom with a 3,000 sq. ft. patio to match — offering cider, cocktails, beer, and wine.
Reader Paul Prause reached out to me this week to let me know that Cava has announced that they are opening in the old Zoe’s Kitchen spot on Falls of Neuse Road (6004 Falls of Neuse Rd. to be exact) next to Chopt. This will be their 6th Triangle-area location. Check out Cava here.
Down in Fuquay-Varina, Today in the Quay reported that Brus on Main is having their soft opening this week. Located at 135 S. Main St in downtown Fuquay, they are a quaint little cafe serving NY coffee, treats, and food options such as breakfast pizzas, grilled Panini, and power bowls. Check them out on Facebook here.
Wish you had a way to keep up with your favorite bartender or waitstaff? Well, the folks at The Crafty Barkeep have done just that by creating an online environment where you can keep up with your favorite service industry employees, and they can keep you current on what they are up to and/or serving! It is free and is as easy as using Facebook or Instagram. Check it out today.
Looking for all the outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

Town Hall Grill, in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village, made their grand return this week, opening initially Wednesdays through Saturdays, prior to opening full-time in June. By the way, they are still looking for good people. Congrats to David Sadeghi on bringing back a neighborhood favorite! Visit Town Hall Grill here.
Zambrero, Australia’s largest Mexican franchise, is celebrating the grand re-opening of its Durham location (3109 Shannon Rd #102) on Saturday, May 22, with a full day of festivities on its outdoor patio. Located in Durham’s new University Hill retail complex, Zambrero serves “Feel Good Mex” – a nod to its fresh, healthy ingredients and its strong social mission. For every burrito or bowl purchased, Zambrero donates a meal to someone in need through its Plate 4 Plate initiative with Rise Against Hunger, a humanitarian organization based in Raleigh. Re-familiarize yourself with them here.
And over in Hillsborough, Aaron Vandemark has announced that Panciuto…Volume II is re-opening soon – opening weekend is May 20-22. Upon arriving you will find a modified service experience – same great service, just different and of course, the same great food. They’ve also eliminated tipping in lieu of offering their employees a living wage – so you will have an 18% Fair Wage Charge added to your bill. Reservations online (which are required; no walk-ins) will be available beginning next Tuesday, May 18. Check out the re-invented Panciuto here. Thanks to Jennifer Solomon for the tip!
And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.

Closings/Cancelations

Thanks to a tip from Joe Mustian, I learned that the Cafe Carolina location in Chapel Hill has closed. Digging a little deeper, I also learned that the Cary location has closed as well. Just the Village District location remains.

Food Trucks

Here are a couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks here and here.

Events

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is bringing back their extremely successful Dine Out Downtown program that they began last year. This Saturday (May 15) from 5-9 p.m. This weekend’s focus will be on Glenwood South. Complimentary parking is available throughout downtown. Get all the details and see which restaurants will be participating here.
Downtown Durham Inc. announced that The Streetery will return on May 22. The Streetery happens on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month and they will announce the location for each Saturday. Get all the details here.
On May 21, you can enjoy a special Mediterranean dinner featuring an exclusive cocktail hour with four different cooking stations, wine, beer and a belly dancer! That’s right, this special evening is a collaboration between Sassool and Cheeni and will take place at Spice Route Kitchens. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with dinner served at 6:30. Tickets are limited and available for purchase online for $100. The event will also be held virtually, streaming from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Get tickets and all the details here.
Also on May 22, the folks at ACME are hosting a Crawfish Boil from 2-5 p.m. at their sister restaurant/brewery – Heyday at 5301 Tin Roof Way in Raleigh. If you haven’t checked out Heyday yet, this is the perfect chance to see what Louisiana and North Carolina blended into one joint with great food and good beer looks like. Get all the details and your tickets here.
WRAL reported that the Spring Food Fest is planned May 21-23 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily allowing attendees a chance to savor a variety of fair food vendors. Most vendors will be cash-only. Guests should enter the fairgrounds at Gate 9 off Trinity Road and park in the midway area. While at the fairgrounds, guests can also purchase early admission tickets to the upcoming N.C. State Fair (October 14-24) for $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6 to 12 years old. Get all the details here.
As if you need another reason to get your COVID-19 vaccine, here’s a very sweet reason. At Krispy Kreme, anyone who shows their COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card receives a free Original Glazed® doughnut. And you can do this every day for the duration of the promotion. One donut a day sounds pretty good to me! Available in the shop or drive-thru. Here are all the details.
You may remember that in 2018 Cary started the Pimento Cheese Festival and expanded it in 2019. And we all know what happened with the entire year of 2020. Well, 2021 will see its return, but with a twist. Taste of Pimento Cheese will run from Friday, June 4 through Sunday, June 13 with participating restaurants creating new dishes that feature pimento cheese and adding them to their menu. People who order the pimento cheese dishes will not only get some great food but also receive a Taste of Pimento Cheese collectors pin. In addition to the restaurants, Grazin Gals is creating special Charcuterie boxes that feature two types of pimento cheese and many other great items. These boxes will be available to order and picked up at one of the Cary breweries (Bond Brothers, Fortnight, Cotton House, Brueprint Cary location) or the Downtown Cary Farmers Market on June 12. Get all the information on the individual dishes to come here.
Jennifer Martin over at Shop Local Raleigh/Greater Raleigh Merchants Association reached out to me to let us know that they are holding NC Hops Festival on June 12 and 13 at the NC State Fairgrounds where they will have live music, food trucks, local vendors, and of course, unlimited sampling of NC beer, cider and hard seltzer. The event will be indoors and out. Get tickets and all the details here.
You might want to go ahead and plan on spending your Labor Day weekend in Pinehurst for the inaugural Pinehurst Barbecue Festival – a three-day event, staged in and around the historic Village of Pinehurst from September 3-5, 2021. The event will offer a unique culinary sampling experience of various barbecue meats and traditional sides. Choose to experience the entire three-day festival, or attend just one signature event. A multi-ticket VIP package, as well as individual tickets for each event are available. The pitmaster lineup includes: Ed Mitchell, The Preserve (Raleigh); Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue (Knightdale); Adam Hughes, Old Colony Smokehouse (Edenton); Joe Lumbrazo, Backyard Bistro (Raleigh); and Ashley Sheppard, Pik N Pig (Carthage). Get tickets, schedule and all the details here.
Our friends over at RalToday pointed out a few events you might want to go ahead and get on your calendar. So exciting to think of some of our favorite events actually happening in 2021! First up, Raleigh Veg Fest 2021 originally scheduled for April 4 has moved to October 31 in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. And Brewgaloo scheduled for June 11 and 12 in downtown Raleigh.

Food Bank corner

May is Bytes for Bites Month at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Over the past year, the ways we have used technology to connect with one another has exponentially grown, and while so much of our lives seem to have moved to a virtual platform, our basic household needs remain ever present. With the loss of jobs, income, and in-person schooling, there are 38% more individuals and families struggling to keep food on the table. For the month of May, technology companies and organizations across the Food Bank’s 34- county service area are invited to raise meals in a friendly competition to fight hunger for bragging rights, an exclusive volunteer opportunity and a trophy! Think your company has what it takes to win? Here is what you need to know.
Sean Lennard, a Raleigh native, has been around the Triangle food scene for...well, a long time, but professionally since 2002 with the the Triangle Food Blog, formerly known as Friday Fun Food Facts, in 2008. You can find his blog here. And you don't have to wait until Friday for updates as you can follow Sean throughout the week on Facebook and Twitter.

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