News

May 12, 2024

Foodie News: Downtown Raleigh restaurant announces second location

Parkside Restaurant owners Jenessa Mitchell and Todd Henderson shared the news with me this week that they will open their second location next Friday, Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. Parkside will be joining

Parkside Restaurant owners Jenessa Mitchell and Todd Henderson shared the news with me this week that they will open their second location next Friday, Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. Parkside will be joining Treelight Square in the Wendell Falls development at 2251 Treelight Way, Suite 101 in Wendell. The new spot will occupy a 4,500-square foot space with an outdoor patio and total seating for about 150 people (similar to the Raleigh location). The Wendell location will carry the same Parkside name along with a very similar menu. Reservations can be made at their website or on Open Table. Congrats to Jenessa and Todd and their entire team! Visit them here.

Down in the Quay, David McCreary shared with me that Tacos Oaxaca opens today (Friday, August 4) at 1324 N Main Street in Fuquay-Varina. Their original location (and truck) is in Lillington. Visit them on Facebook here.

Triangle Business Journal shared this week that Mon Macaron is now open in downtown Cary, with a North Raleigh location in the works. The brand opened its first location in Raleigh’s Seaboard Station in 2021. Owned by Autumn Hicks, the shop makes and sells macarons in a variety of flavors, along with serving coffee, tea and wine. Visit them here.

Also in Cary, reader Kristina Shuford shared that a take-out/delivery concept has opened in the former Combo Pasta spot on Asheville Ave. Order tonight from Miss Chang An! View their menu here.

Blogger EatRaleigh was the first to share that a former KFC location is being turned into a new concept from the owners of Cook Out. Roo’s Chicken signage is up at 1221 New Bern Ave.

Glenn Gillen notified me that The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge in Durham had it’s soft opening last Friday and will have it’s official grand opening this Saturday. They tout themselves as offering good drinks, strong vibes and velvet hippos. Works for me! They are located on the rooftop at 119 Orange Street in downtown Durham. Best to check them out on Instagram here.

Over in Chapel Hill, the long awaited Ay Por Dios! Mexican Bistro will open this month according to Carrie Brogren, founder of the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Group on Facebook. They tout that their menu is inspired by authentic Oaxacan food and culture. They are locally owned and operated by the folks behind Kahlovera Mexican Restaurant and Taqueria. Look for a mid-August opening. Thanks Carrie!

NoDa Brewing Company Tapas in the East 54 development in Chapel Hill (1118 Environ Way to be exact) changed their name this week to The Dogwood. Same team…same fun…chef Dustin Raper has just reimagined the menu. Visit them here.

Well-known Pittsboro brewery, Carolina Brewery & Grill, will celebrate their 16th year in business with a traditional Carolina Low Country Crab and Shrimp Boil this Saturday, Aug. 5, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. This special event will feature Royal Red Shrimp and Snow Crab Legs, along with live music throughout the evening. Durham Ukulele Orchestra will perform outside on the patio stage from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Big Fat Gap will take the stage from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free and special 16th anniversary glasses will be given to the first 300 customers. There will also be a featured Anniversary IPA on tap for the celebration. Visit Carolina Brewery here.

The folks at the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention and Visitors Bureau shared the news this week that we are getting very close to the opening of David Sadeghi’s next location on People’s Coffee. They are set to open soon in MOSAIC at Chatham Park, serving up your favorite caffeinated delights. Visit them here.

Also down in Chatham County/Pittsboro, got word this week that Kingston 99 Kitchen officially opened this week serving up authentic Jamaican cuisine. You can find them at The Plant (192 Lorax Lane, Pittsboro) where they are open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Might be best to visit The Plant Facebook page for further details.

And one final note from Pittsboro, the Chatham Journal Newspaper shared that Pittsboro is about to welcome a new, fixed location ice cream parlor, Circle City Ice Cream. The renowned mobile ice cream truck, known as Mapleview Mobile, will have a permanent home at 21 West Chatham Street. The new establishment promises to become a popular hangout spot, offering an array of ice cream flavors to satisfy every taste bud. Congrats to Jerry Richardson! Read the entire article here.

None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

The next Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is Sunday, Sept. 3, from 12 to 4 p.m. The final rodeo of the season will be Oct. 29. All the rodeos are from 12 to 4 p.m. Giddyup! Here is the link.

Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don’t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on Street Food Finder here.

Hey Tim CoyneSmith, look what's back! The 16th Annual Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival returns to Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre August 4th and 5th. Get ready to enjoy all those pleasures that true Southerners live by – Beer, Bourbon, Barbeque, Boots, Bacon, Biscuits, Bluegrass and Smoked Beasts! It’s two great days of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, and barbeque eatin’. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE sampling of beer and bourbon. Get tickets and all the details here.

Also on Aug. 5th, is Taste of Soul NC – a family-friendly event featuring a DJ, live performances, a bounce house, games and a variety of cuisines. Get all the details here.

The 16th annual Bull Moon Ride and Run is on Saturday Aug. 5. It’s Durham summer tradition – a 5k run or a 9.6 mile bike ride (your choice), capped off with a Post Race Block Party featuring BBQ, Beer, and LIVE music by Kings of the Highway. Runners, bikers, and volunteers get free entry into the block party and BBQ dinner plate and a beverage (beer for age 21+). Not running or riding? There’s a “Party Only” option which includes admission to the post-race block party. Proceeds benefit Durham Habitat. More information and registration is available here.

On Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m., the folks over at Prohibitive will hold an All About Pinots wine pairing as they taste through varieties of Pinots paired with tapas. Prohibitive is located at the historic Matthews House in Cary (317 W. Chatham Street). Cost is $85 per person. Reserve your spot here.

Tickets are now on sale for the Aug. 14 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale from 6-8:30 pm at The Pavilion at the Angus Barn. My buddy Kitty Kinnin will MC the event. This is North Carolina’s premiere culinary and mixology competition. Presented by Got To Be NC, the NC Department of Agriculture, the Chef Showdown features culinary and mixology competitors who will showcase North Carolina proteins, produce and products in their dishes, cocktails, and mocktails. Get tickets and all the details here.

A taste of old becoming new, cider and mead! The NC Museum of Art and Catering Works are partnering with NC Wine for a delicious and thoughtful pairing of beverages, tasty bites, and art. What’s the buzz about cider and mead? Come find out on Aug.17 and learn more about the NCMA’s “paired” works of art while sipping local NC cider and mead. This event will be held in the West Building from 6:30 pm through 8:30 pm. Tastings begin at 6:30 pm. Over 10 different makers and multiple tasting stations will be featured. Docent lead tours connect art to these historic libations, and are scheduled at 6:45 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 7:45 pm. Please arrive at 6:30 pm, in order to enjoy the whole event. Join them here.

Sassool’s Annual Hummus Mix Off is right around the corner! On Aug. 19 from 2-5 p.m. at their Raleigh location they are bringing in local food influencers and recipe creators to compete for your vote at the best flavored hummus. The winner will have their recipe featured as our September special! Tickets are on sale NOW. With your ticket, you are able to try every hummus competing (this is over 12 kinds of hummus) and then vote for your favorite. This is a family friendly event! Get tickets and all the details here.

And then on Aug. 24, The NC Museum of Art, Vitis House, and Catering Works present “The Art Inside the Bottle." Together with NCMA curator Maya Brooks, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, and Vitis House owner and wine educator, Doreen Colondres, we will dive into Identity, Place, and Power as themes that contextualize works of art and wine in specific and inspiring ways. Join us from 7 to 9 p.m. for a very special evening to explore history, tradition, and process behind winemaking and artmaking at The Art Inside the Bottle. You will foster new insights in an immersive, sensory experience! Seven wines with custom-designed food pairings will be served as Maya speaks in person to share her expertise on seven important works of art from the Museum’s Collection. Details and sign up here.

The 10th annual Sola Hot Mini 5K race is Saturday, Sept. 16 at Sola Coffee in North Raleigh. Thus far, the race has raised over $450,000 in the fight to end ALS with a goal to raise $200,000 more this year. Get details and register here.

The USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience is coming to Raleigh on Saturday, Sept. 16, and will be held at Dorothea Dix Park (Flowers Field). Attendees will explore a Raleigh culinary adventure that celebrates the best local food and drink, enjoy endless food and drink samples, attend demonstrations and interact with exhibitors in a beautiful outdoor setting for a single admission price. Get tickets and all the details here.

Saturday Sept. 23 is Bull City Burger and Brewery’s OctoBullFest, guaranteed to be the best WURST day of the year. It’s an annual street festival including live music, food, beer, games, and a kids’ area featuring a bounce house, bubbles, Balloon Man Mike, and more. Did we mention the food? We sell our 100% pasture-raised beef burgers, house-made veggie burgers and feature our authentic bratwurst for the event, all served on house-baked buns. Not to mention soft pretzels, and OctoBullfest Mustard/Mushroom Fries. There is always wine and beer available, including our Octoberfest lager aptly named “Stierstadt” (German for Bull City) which is brewed once yearly for the event. We welcome kids, adults, families, dogs, and smiles to East Parrish Street. Proceeds support Durham Habitat. The website should be updated soon with this year’s details, but last year’s info still gives a general sense.

The folks over at Acme are bringing back Salt & Smoke on Saturday, Oct. 28. This year’s event will be held at The Barn at Sonark Media (located just off of Old 86 in Hillsborough). If you are not familiar with the event, it is a full afternoon and evening of live music, whole hog barbecue, raw oysters, roasted clams and plenty of the right beverages to wash it all down – local beer, wine and cocktails. And if you get your tickets now, through the end of this month there is a $25 discount for all tickets purchased (just use the code FINALLY when checking out). Get all the details and tickets here.

Right now, one in five people in central and eastern North Carolina doesn't have enough to eat. Your tax-deductible gift helps provide food and hope to families, children, and seniors right here in our community. Together, we can help people in our community during their greatest time of need. Give here. Every $10 you donate provides 50 meals! #noonegoeshungry