Foodie news: Cookies, waffles and daiquiris

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Triangle Business Journal shared the wonderful news this week that the iconic Players’ Retreat, on Oberlin Road just off Hillsborough Street, has reopened – allowing fully vaccinated guests inside, and anyone to their outdoor dining space. Fully vaccinated guests receive a button allowing future re-entry, and so far over 1,500 buttons have been handed out. Check out the PR here.

And following on that great news, more and more restaurants are resuming “normal” operations. And so it is so with Sweet Tea and Cornbread Cafe, in the NC Museum of History, is reopening Saturday. It’s owned and ran by Tonya Council, granddaughter of Mama Dip (of Mama Dip’s fame in Chapel Hill). Thanks to blogger EatRaleigh for the tip. I also was in downtown this week as tables and chairs (which had been in storage) were being returned to Gravy and Sitti in downtown Raleigh as they inch closer and closer to pre-pandemic occupancy. Visit Sweet Tea here, Gravy here and Sitti here.

Over in Cary, the Triangle Business Journal shared that Cotton House Craft Brewers will open Triangle Beer Co. at 320 E. Durham Road in the former Jordan Lake Brewing facility TOMORROW, June 26. They will have 16 taps with a broad range of current and new beers. It’s situated less than a mile from the original taphouse, Cotton House, at 307 S. Academy St. The new space will also feature the company’s newly launched Craft Concepts @ TBC, a permanent mobile food kitchen and catering service that will serve the Triangle area. Visit their website here.

Ashton Mae Smith shared in her weekly update last week that the much-anticipated (ish) delicatessen is doing pop-up events as they inch closer to their opening. Best to follow them on Instagram for their next pop-up. No exact date yet on an opening…just soon(ish). Keep up with updates on Instagram.

Also in Cary, Mike DePersia with DePersia & Associates shared that Coffee & Crepes, which has been a staple in the Crossroads shopping center in Cary for nearly 20 years (don’t worry it’s not going anywhere), has been sold. Terri and Andres Pastrana have sold the coffee shop to Nichole Hustava and Tim Nigh who will continue to operate business as usual for the time being with a planned remodel later this year. Terri and Andres will continue to operate their “chef services” in and around Wake County. The store is located at 315 Crossroads Blvd. Check them out here.

And out in Brier Creek, Jennifer Buchholz shared an update on Crumbl Cookies – apparently you are going to have to wait a little longer. Their opening date was adjusted from June 30 to July 5. Visit them here.

RalToday also shared that Big League Waffles and Scoops had their grand opening on Wednesday, June 23. They are located in the Morgan Street Food Hall (411 W Morgan St.). They serve up homemade Liege waffles and locally-sourced ice cream. Follow them on Facebook here.

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.

The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Big Belly Que, which has been operating out of the Blue Dogwood Market at 306 W. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, will move the restaurant to a newly renovated building at 104 N. Graham St. in the emerging area at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro border area called Midway. The plan is for Big Belly Que to be open at the new, larger location by September, with indoor and outdoor seating options. Congrats to siblings Garret Fleming and Eleanor Lacy! Visit them here.

Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies founder Carrie Brogren shared the news this week that there is a new spot coming to Pittsboro….The Beagle, a bar which will feature cocktails and small plates. It is brought to us by the owners of Oakleaf and they are hoping to open sometime in July. It will be in the spot where Blue Dot Coffee was (53 Hillsboro Street). Follow along with their progress on their Facebook page here.

Mike DePersia with DePersia & Associates shared that on the heels of the Apple news, just up the road from their proposed campus, he sold Thali Indian Restaurant in RTP for Jasbir Singh to Madan Lal and Deepak Rani. They plan on keeping things the same and will be owner/operators. Stop in to support local 5311 S Miami Blvd Suite E Durham, NC 27703 or you can check them out here.

Our friends over at RalToday reported that The Triangle is getting a taste of NOLA this summer when Durham native Rashanda Mason opens The Slush, a frozen daiquiri lounge, at 321 W. Main St. in downtown Durham. Mason plans to open the spot in mid-July after having the idea for it for about seven years. You can follow updates on their Facebook page here.

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.

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

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is bringing back their extremely successful Dine Out Downtown program that they began last year. This Saturday from 5-9 p.m. in Fayetteville Street. 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 Saturday, June 26 at Five Points with added outdoor seating and buskers. Join them from 12 – 9 p.m. to shop, carry out, dine in or dine out. The Streetery happens on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. Get all the details here.

Created on the North Carolina Food and Beverage Podcast, ‘Bubbles and Brisket’ is a collaboration of chefs, pit-masters, wine producers and sommeliers, pairing sparkling wine with a variety of cooking techniques and side dishes that feature everyone’s favorite: brisket. The event will take place on June 26 from 2-6 p.m. at V Pizza on Kildaire Farm Road in Cary. The event will feature brisket by: Toriano Fredricks of Boricua Soul; Carrie Schleiffer of Alley 26 and Crooks Corner; James Johnson of Skippers; Marc Russell of Longleaf Swine BBQ; Kyle Sutton of Butts for Babies; Anthony Rapillo of V Pizza; and Derek Wilkins of the Butcher’s Market. And bubbles by: Triangle Wine Company; Vintage 59; Broadbent Selections; and WineSellers. Tickets are $65 and you can get those and all the details here.

Durham Summer, a 4-day wine and food festival will debut this year July 1 through July 4. The event will showcase the contemporary cuisine, music, and independent arts in Durham. Tickets grant you 20% off participating restaurants, access to exclusive tasting and pairing events and all the entertainment. Visit their website to see a list of participating restaurants and other activities here.

RalToday shared that Raleigh’s International Food Festival is returning to City Plaza on Sat., Aug. 28, from noon -10 p.m. The festival features a variety of international food, beer and wine, as well as international performers. Admission is free. Get 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 Sept. 17-18 in downtown Raleigh.

When school is out, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina knows families struggle to keep food on the table. Budgets for so many families are already stretched thin from the pandemic, with job losses and hours being cut. Thankfully, our generous corporate and individual donors are matching gifts up to $132,000! Every $10 you give can help provide 100 meals… feeding twice as many kids, teens, and families in need. Can you chip in? Click here if you can!

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.