John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, brought it to our attention thatLaStella Wood Fired on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh has closed, but has plans to open in August in Cary in the former Hurricane Grill & Wings spot in the Shoppes at Kildaire (corner of Kildaire Farm Road and Cary Parkway) out in front of Trader Joe's. Fayetteville Street's La Stella remains open.
Wake County Restaurant News
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Saw in the ITB Insider that Lynnwood Brewing Concern, which operates agrill and taproom in north Raleighand a brewery and bar at Dock 1053 on East Whitaker Mill Road, will soon add a new restaurant to Dock 1053. Wilson's, named after Lynnwood's owner's dog, will focus on "flatbread pizzas and crafted sandwiches" and will feature "several house-made sodas & mixers" in their craft cocktails. Wilson's is set to open in late August. Hart Roberts provided the initial write-up.
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Reader Jeanette Hauser brought it to our attention that Peking Duck & Dumplings has opened on Raleigh's Hillsborough Street near the intersection with Dan Allen Drive in the 2811 building. Apparently they are in the space that used to house Pho Vietnam.
In Raleigh, blogger Eat Raleigh reported that Seoul 116 Korean Kitchen & Bar,City Market Sushi's sister restaurant, has opened in the former More. Kitchen & Wine Bar space at 116 N West St.
Serving lunch tue-friday 11:30-2:00 dinner mon-thursday 5:00-9:30 Fri&saturday 5:00-10:00
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Saw in a tweet from John Huisman that Caretta Coffeeis coming to north Raleigh next to The Hop Yard in the Falls River Town Center at 1141 Falls River Avenue. They will be serving up coffee, breakfast and lunch frittatas, fresh baked goods, smash toast and smoothies. Their original location is in Hilton Head. They are looking to open this month.
New independent coffee shop coming to North Raleigh next to The Hop Yard in Falls River Shopping Center. Follow @CarettaCoffee for updates! Props to @HollyVenturing for the scoop! #ComingSoonpic.twitter.com/55khRPfrOS
— TriangleExplorer (@trianglexplorer)
May 6, 2018Also in Raleigh, the News & Observer reported that a sports and hookah bar is taking over the former Hillsborough Street Applebee's across the street from Meredith College. TLC Wings and Grill,formerly on West Peace Street, is making the cross-town move. Owners say they want the bigger space and higher traffic spot and are shooting for a May 15 opening. The new TLC will seat 200 in the dining room and feature a dozen TVs, plus a patio for smoking hookah.
And over in Cary, reader Nancy Parker learned upon a recent visit toPaisan's Italian Restaurant at the corner of NW Maynard and High House that they are transforming into Northern Indian / Himalayan cuisine at the end of this month. Their website is currently down. But we will keep an eye on this one. Thanks Nancy!
Durham, Orange and Chatham Restaurant News
The burger news out of Chapel Hill keeps getting better and better. Got word this week that Greensboro's Hops Burger Barhas opened in the 140 West Building where Lime Fresh Mexican Grill once was on Chapel Hill's Franklin Street. Burger aficionados may recall that Hops was ranked as the nation's top burger restaurant in 2015 by TripAdvisor and was No. 17 earlier this year on Business Insiders' top 50 list. Thanks to Melissa Boyce for the heads up on the opening.
The folks over at Taste Carolina notified us that Cha House has opened on Chapel Hill's West Franklin Street between The Crunkleton and Mellow Mushroom. Looks to be an Asian-inspired tea house, influenced by the tastes and traditions of Taiwan along with desserts.
Closings
Another loss on Chapel Hill's Franklin Street. The News & Observer reported that the R&R Grill is closing this Sunday, May 13 on Mother's Day. The restaurant is tucked in the back of CVS Plaza.
Amy Woodring brought it to our attention that Cantina 225 in Apex has closed.
And fans of Mr. Sticky Buns food truck up on Capital Blvd. in north Raleigh will be sad to learn that they have closed up shop. Apparently you can still order buns to be shipped. Thanks to Rebecca Calhoun for bringing this to our attention.
Food Trucks
The Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays are back in full swing. Trucks will be on hand for lunch and dinner each Thursday at the Knightdale Station Park. Get a full schedule and truck listing on their website here. Thanks to Mark Ginsberg for the heads up.
The RDU Mobile Food Association announced that the Carrboro Food Fest is set for Sunday, May 20 at the Carrboro's Farmer's Market and will feature at least 10 food trucks, music and family fun from noon to 4 p.m.
And dates have been set for the Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo and Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos.
Two great sites to keep up with your favorite food trucks. Street Food Finder is one, and another, aptly named, isRoaming Hunger.
Events
This Saturday, May 12 from 12 noon until 6 p.m., you can show your NC pride by going to the Triangle Craft Beer Fest - highlighting more than 30 of your favorite local breweries in one spot. Each brewery will be pouring a special one-off beer you won't be able to get anywhere else! Perfect for craft beer lovers in North Carolina! Enjoy live music, chow down with food trucks and shop local vendors!
The weekend of May 18-20 will welcome the 2018 version of the Got To Be NC Festivalat the N.C. State Fairgrounds. The annual event is sort of a mini N.C. State Fair with rides, animals, N.C. food and beverages, demonstrations, games and more. But here's the great part about it: It's free! There is no fee for either parking or admission.
Beer and Bacon Fest is May 19. Cary. Not much else needs to be said.
Also on May 19 is the Durham Blues & Brews Festival.What started as a rockin' good time has become a Durham tradition, filled with music, food, and outstanding craft beer! This isn't a Beer Fest with music, or a Blues Fest with beer. It's a new type of event offering great Blues music and only North Carolina craft beers. The brewers will be on site to tell you about their breweries and beers. Serving full 12 oz. pours for you to enjoy while learning about their beers, and listening to great blues bands. Proceeds from the festival benefit local Durham charities and programs, including the Exchange Family Center, a Durham-based non-profit agency dedicated to preventing child abuse. Get all the details and tickets here. Use code "TFB5" to get $5 off!
And the 2018 version of Farm to Fork expanded to three events over several seasons and tickets to all three just went on sale. The fun begins with the first event on June 3, the perennial favorite Farm to Fork Picnic, where the area’s best farmers and chefs are paired. Then on Sept. 16 they’ll host a pop-up dinner featuring Jacob Boehm of Snap Pea Underground & Catering. And the series will conclude on Dec. 6 with John T. Edge and a celebration of Southern food on Chapel Hill’s Lavender Oak Farm. You can buy ticket to each individual event, or all three.
The 2018 version ofChefs for Change, a fundraising dinner series that pairs the burgeoning Durham food scene with the needs of families experiencing homelessness, is well underway. The first two events (featuring Charlie Deal on March 12 and Scott Howell on May 14) have sold out. And if last year is any indication, the next two dinners will sell out quickly. The July 9th event features Phoebe Lawless (The Lakewood and Scratch) and the Sept. 10 event features Gocciolina’s Aaron Benjamin. Each night the chef will serve three or more courses at a ticketed dinner with the proceeds benefiting Families Moving Forward. The dinners are held at the Rickhouse and limited to 125 people.
And finally, listen up chefs! The NCRLA Chef Showdown is an annual statewide culinary competition sponsored by the NC Department of Ag. It's a culinary competition open to chefs (savory and pastry) across the state. There are three regional semi-finalist rounds (New Bern May 22, Hickory June 4 and Raleigh, June 25) that will result in a final competition on Monday, Aug 27 in Charlotte. The final event is in conjunction with the first night of the industry's Restaurant & Hotel Expo. Chefs can apply to compete now - May 9.
Food Bank Corner
This Saturday, May 12, is "Stamp Out Hunger"where you can place nonperishable food donations in a bag by your mailbox and your letter carrier will take care of the rest. Get all the details here. Don't want to leave food out? You can still help the cause by donating via our Virtual Food Drive.
Sean Lennard covers the Triangle food scene on his site Triangle Food Blog.