Foodie News: More restaurants are starting to open back up

RALEIGH, N.C. — When you have the golden touch, people pay attention. And no one has more of a golden touch right now than David Sadeghi, the man behind Town Hall Grill, Town Hall Burger & Beer, O’Ya Cantina and People’s Coffee. And after nearly 10 years of overseeing growth that has nearly doubled at his Town Hall Grill in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village, Sadeghi has decided that it is time to make a change, not to the name nor the atmosphere of the space, but to the menu and cuisine offered. This Sunday will be the last service of THG as we currently know it before it reopens in July as an authentic Italian concept which will take Sadeghi back to his roots of when he first got into the hospitality business. Stay tuned for more details, but in the meantime, get by THG this weekend. Follow along on Facebook here.

Lots of restaurants reopening as they have implemented safety procedures and adjusted their spaces (both inside and out) to accommodate safe dining environments, but some of the biggies this week include: Koan (Cary) and Soca (Cameron Village in Raleigh both opening Friday (June 19) with plans to donate proceeds to the NAACP and Black Lives Matter Bailfund Campaign; Sullivan’s Steakhouse has reopened their dining room doors and has brought back their Prime Rib Sundays beginning at 5 p.m.; Chef’s Palette Restaurant and Bar in Cary has re-opened; Transfer Co. Food Hall welcomed guests back inside this week; and STIR in Raleigh’s North Hills reopened yesterday with Heather Miro as the new executive chef. Be sure to check in with your favorite restaurant on their social media platforms.

A Place at the Table in downtown Raleigh, the pay-what-you-can nonprofit cafe, shared that they will be showcasing their new space soon that will be taking over the former Alli Boutique space next door. They are closed right now to complete the final bit of “construction” as they “join” the two spaces which will include a much larger kitchen. Follow along on their Instagram and get a look before they open.

Over in Cary, Bill Perry shared with WRAL Out & About that he saw a sign on Kildaire Farm Road next to Goodberry’s Ice Cream for Brecotea Baking Studio, a concept out of Richmond, Virginia, that brings quality and healthy tea along with healthy soft breads. No word yet on an open date. Get to know them here.

Got word this week from the husband and wife team of Chelsea and Jeffrey Hand that they have begun construction for The Maxwell, an 8,000 square foot event venue just four miles from the heart of downtown Raleigh. The space is designed to hold weddings, corporate functions, and community events. It will be located at 330 Gideon Creek Way and is estimated to be completed by February 2021. Check it out here.

Got word this week from Neal DePersia at National Restaurant Properties that Tonic, Bar and Social Club, with a location in Wake Forest, will open a second location in June up in Louisburg at 210 E. Nash St. Follow along with their progress and the pending “opening” information on their Facebook page here.

And this is kind of cool. Over in Durham, David Mayer and his team launched a podcast called “There and Back,” a series of conversations with artists. The latest episode is with Durham chef Michael Lee (of M Sushi, M Tempura, M Kokko, M Pocha) who recently won Greg Cox’s restaurant of the year award. Take a few minutes to check out the podcast here.

Twitter friend @Burgeoningbaker shared with me that the owners of Halgo European Deli & Grocery have retired and have closed their operation in RTP (S. Alston Ave.). A great twelve-year run.

Travinia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar in Morrisville announced this week via Facebook that they have closed.

And another reader had shared with us, and we were able to confirm this week, that Hieu Bowl on Hillsborough Street has closed.

Ray Porter shared with the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Group that Zinburger will not reopen at the Streets at Southpoint.

Here are some sites to find your favorite food trucks here and here.

This Sunday, June 20, is Father’s Day (cough, cough) and Triangle on the Cheap has a running list of things to do for dad and deals at local restaurants. Check it out here.

Taste Carolina is curating and assembling downtown dishes, tastes and treats, all in one box in Raleigh and Durham. Support 7+ businesses in one easy purchase with contactless pickup. Durham orders feature: Alley Twenty Six, COPA, Jeddah’s Tea, Rose’s, Mad Popper, Toast, and Luna. Raleigh orders feature: Garland, Bittersweet, Raleigh Provisions, Che Empanadas, Umma Dumpling, Cheenie, Crude Bitters, lucettegrace, and Michael’s English Muffins. Order by Friday at noon, for pickup on Saturday afternoon. You can begin ordering for the next Saturday anytime after noon on Friday. Get all the details and place your order here.

La Vita Dolce in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village has ramped back up their popular Wine Down Wednesday every Wednesday, from June to October 2020, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with some changes (related to Covid) including reservations and physical distancing measures. Get the schedule and all the new details here.

The 5th Annual Raleigh International Food Festival has decided to move their event to Saturday, Aug. 8 from noon until 10 p.m. in the 100-200 block of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. While there you will be able to try authentic international food, desserts as well as imported beer and wine! There will also be lots of music and entertainment at this child and pet friendly event. Admission is free and parking on the street is as well. Obviously, keep up with their Facebook event page for any announcements and/or rescheduling. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

Brewgaloo has been rescheduled for August 14 and 15, 2020. It is a 2 day festival featuring over 110 craft breweries from around NC and partnering with local food trucks, local vendors, and local bands to bring you North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival! The fun begins Friday night with a sampler event from 6-10 p.m. featuring limited releases, barrel aged, and sour beers. Saturday’s street festival spans the length of Fayetteville Street and fills Downtown Raleigh from 2-10 p.m. with more than 110 NC craft breweries, local food trucks, and local vendors with 2 stages featuring local bands all day long. Get all the details on the Shop Local Raleigh website here.

The Fest in the West is back for its fifth year on Saturday, November 7 from 11 am- 5 pm at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. The event features food & beer, music, arts & crafts, a KidZone, contests and a petting zoo. A great way to spend time with 7,000 of your closest friends. Admission is free! Get all the details here.

Thanks to Triangle On The Cheap, here are some updates on event cancellations and rescheduling: PeakFest in Apex was rescheduled to September 19; Meet in the Street Festival in Wake Forest was rescheduled to September 5; Artsplosure in downtown Raleigh was rescheduled to October 10 and 11; and the Pimento Cheese Festival in Cary has been canceled.

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina saw their April distribution record blown out of the water by their distribution in May! For the second straight month the Food Bank distributed a record-breaking amount of food to the community: May distributed 9.14 million pounds of food compared shattering April’s record breaking 7.9 million pounds (typical month is about 7 million pounds). While they wish the need were not so high in the community, they are grateful to have the support and resources to rise to the occasion and help as many families as possible. Make a donation today here. #noonegoeshungry

Sean Lennard owns Triangle Food Guy, the only locally owned and operated corporate catering website, TriangleFoodGuy.com. As a native of Raleigh, Sean 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.