According to Raleigh Magazine, Anthony Rapillo
(the man behind other concepts like V Pizza, Flour & Barrel, La
Taqueria and The Side Door) is soon opening Veloce Italian Market
in the former Happy & Hale “pod” in City Plaza in the heart
of downtown Raleigh. Rapillo is teaming up with Ryan Parker and William
Yagasits to bring pizza to the center of downtown. Veloce will
specialize in 10- and 13-inch pizzas, crafted from V Pizza’s recipe and
fired from the same oven—plus paninis, wings, provisions and a grab-and-go
section of sandos and salads, according to the magazine. No word on an open
date. Visit them and
sign-up for updates here.
Wake County restaurant news
Escazu Chocolates has
completed the move from its home of nearly 16 years over on Blount Street to
their new location in Gateway Plaza (2409 Crabtree Blvd.). Their soft
opening is this Saturday (11 a.m. until 9 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. until 6
p.m.). Plan a visit this weekend and get one free scoop of ice cream with
purchase! Best to check
them out on Instagram here.
Raleigh
Magazine shared that Crooked Hammock Brewery will open in 2026 at
GlenLake. Touted as “living life in full swing,” expect a vibrant eat,
drink, lounge, play destination including, of course, hammocks in the
“backyard.” For founder Rich Garrahan, when he envisioned this concept,
he wanted a big backyard with tons of yard games, plenty of homemade craft
beer, and a never-ending cookout where the burgers are as good as the
conversation. With two locations in Delaware and one in Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina, this will be their fourth location. Start getting
familiar with them here.
News broke
this week thanks to the Triangle Business Journal that Don McClaren
is grabbing a slice of Glenwood Avenue restaurant space by bringing back Godfather’s
Pizza (last here in 1986) in the former Pizza Hut at 6429 Glenwood
Ave. (where it intersects with Pleasant Valley Road). Look for them to open
this fall. Refamiliarize
yourself with Godfather’s here.
The News
& Observer shared the news that East Raleigh’s newest bar, from the
folks behind Neuse River Brewing Company, has opened. Blotto is a
new “diver spot” serving beer, wine, and cocktails in the former New Bern
Mini Mart. Check it out at 1601 New Bern Ave. Or visit them
here.
Triangle
Business Journal also reported that artist Taylor White will open a cafe
and dog park called The Yard in the Boylan Heights neighborhood at
1115 W. Lenoir St. The property will feature a 10,000-square-foot
membership dog park. The cafe and coffee bar will feature local and organic
ingredients on its menu and an outdoor deck. Might be best
to keep up with their progress on Instagram.
In Cary, the
Triangle Business Journal reported that Delia Kloefkorn has
opened Meche Cocina Mexicana at 3470 Kildaire Farm Road next to the
Publix grocery store in the Millpond Village shopping center south of
the Koka Booth Amphitheatre and in the former Frida’s Patio spot.
Visit them on
Instagram here.
In Cary’s Fenton
development, Raleigh Magazine noted that Sweet Paris Crêperie
will soon be opening. The first Sweet Paris opened in Houston over a
decade ago; this will be their 28th location and the first in North Carolina.
In addition to crepes, they serve up waffles, soups, salads, and paninis as
well as mimosas, beer, wine, cider, coffee, tea and milkshakes. No word on an
open date. Get familiar
with them here.
Down in
Holly Springs, Triangle Business Journal reported that Sami Taweel
and Jon Allen will open the fourth location of Doherty’s Irish Pub
& Restaurant at 3149 McChesney Hill Loop in Peterson Station.
They already have locations in Cary, Apex and Pittsboro. Look for them to open
in October. Visit
Doherty’s here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham restaurant news
Baekho Coffee and Ice Cream Co., from the
team behind Boxyard’s Bulkogi restaurant, is the newest addition to Boxyard
RTP. It is brought to us by the team of Charlie Ji, Joe Choi,
Bo Kwon and Jin Song (also behind the Boxyard location of Bulgogi,
Durham food truck park Can Opener and Namu, a beer hall, coffee
shop and Korean restaurant). The grand opening is July 8 where they will
be officially open and scooping ice cream! Visit them on
Instagram here.
Over in
Chapel Hill I stumbled upon an upcoming gem in an unusual way. I found a blog
of sorts called This Is Raleigh which does a great job of featuring
things in Raleigh by an Australian couple that decided to make Raleigh their
forever home. They use their platform to share all the things they love about
the area and why they love Raleigh. Recently they visited Chapel Hill, and in
that feature they “broke” the news that the folks behind Al’s Burger Shack
will soon open The Pudding Shack, a new bar and dining area with TVs for
sports fans and a fresh vibe right behind the Al’s on Franklin Street.
They also hinted that Al’s Burger Shack may be bringing a location to
Apex! Stay tuned. Thanks to Caroline and Craig Makepeace! Check out
their full post on their visit to Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill
Carrboro Foodies founder Carrie Brogen shared that a new place called Growler
Grlz is coming soon to Southern Village in Chapel Hill. This will be
their second location, with the original location in Durham on Hope Valley
Road. Visit Growler
here.
Reader Phil
Jakes shared that the former Dog House on Guess Road (near Broad St)
in Durham has been repainted and now sports a sign saying LRB Provisions.
There’s a sparse Facebook profile that suggests that they will soon be slinging
seasonal sandwiches, soups, house-made potato chips, smoked/cured meat, seafood
and sides. Stay tuned.
Triangle NC
Foodies shared the news that Del Taco’s first location in North
Carolina will open on Monday, July 7, at 4716 N.C. 55 Highway in Durham. Del
Taco touts fresh high-quality ingredients and homemade guac/queso with a
menu spanning not only tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and other Mexican favs but
also burgers, crispy chicken and fries. And don’t think this will be the last
Triangle-area location of the chain. Take a peek
here.
Closings
Got word that Mi Barrio in Durham has closed. They left
open the door for it to continue … at some point.
Food trucks
The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo of 2025
will be on Sunday, Nov. 2. It will run from 12 noon until 4 p.m.
featuring over 50+ food trucks with cuisine from all over the world
making it the ultimate Sunday Funday in Durham Central Park (501 Foster
St.)! Get all the
details here.
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.
Events
Starting June 1 and running the entire month of June, Little
Rey’s charity guest chef series features a creation by Cheetie Kumar
of Ajja. Her taco creation, a Honey Harissa Fried Chicken Taco with
sumac onion, lime crema, her just launched Spicewalla rose harissa, pomegranate
molasses, radish and cilantro, hits Little Rey’s menu this past weekend
and will be available throughout the month of June. All proceeds benefit Southern
Smoke Foundation. Visit Little
Rey’s on Instagram here. And visit Southern
Smoke here.
Left Hook
Coffee‘s fundraising event last weekend brought in a good amount of
money toward their overall goal – but still leaves about $19,000 to raise towards
making their East Raleigh roasting space into a new shop. So they still need
your help. Donate
directly to their Kickstarter campaign here.
Lakeside
Kitchen, located on NCSU’s Centennial Campus has added Whiskey
Flights to their lineup of some 70 whiskey offerings. Every Whiskey
Wednesday, a featured whiskey is offered at a reduced price for your
enjoyment. And now they have added six flights with different themes of a
pairing of four whiskeys such as “Around the World”, “West of the Mississippi”,
“A Mixed Bag” and more as well as a “Build Your Own” Flight. Check out the
entire list on their website. And as a reminder, their next First
Sunday Brunch will be July 6.
Mark your
calendars. The Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week returns July 24 to August 3. This beloved tradition is your invitation to discover the
unique, locally-owned restaurants and bars that make downtown Raleigh a true
dining destination. Savor exclusive deals, prix fixe menus, and chef-driven
specials at your favorite spots across our community. Now in its 17th year, the
celebration returns with a fresh new look. Get all the
details here.
Get tickets
now! The Grand Finale of NCRLA’s Chef Showdown will take place on Monday,
August 4, at Bay 7 in Durham. Presented by Got To Be NC,
this one-of-a-kind event showcases the state’s top chefs, pastry chefs,
mixologists and distilleries as they compete for the coveted titles of Chef
of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Mixologist & Distillery
of the Year and Best Mocktail of the Year. Guests will savor sweet
and savory bites, sip creative cocktails and mocktails, and cast their vote in The
People’s Choice Awards—all while celebrating North Carolina’s rich culinary
culture. Plus, for the first time ever, the Grand Finale will feature a North
Carolina Wine Bar, highlighting some of the state’s top vineyards. Tickets
are $150 per person and include all food and beverage tastings. Attendance is
limited—don’t miss this unforgettable night of flavor, competition, and local
pride. Get tickets
and all the details here.
The
inaugural Salt & Smoke & Sound Festival will be held Saturday,
October 18, at Blackwood Farm Park between Chapel Hill and
Hillsborough. The exciting new community event merges together two beloved
festivals–Acme’s Salt & Smoke and Sonark Media’s Harvest Festival–into
a celebration of food, culture and music in a welcoming, family-friendly
atmosphere. Food will be provided by Acme’s Kevin Callaghan and a team
of local chefs and food trucks offering a wide variety of dishes and dining
options. The festival will feature craft beers, curated beverages, and other
interesting spirit-free options. All food and drink will be available for
purchase and is not included in the price of festival entry. Tickets are on
sale now.
Food Bank corner
Congress just voted for devastating cuts to SNAP and
Medicaid. Amy Beros, President & CEO of the Food Bank of Central
and Eastern North Carolina, shared what this will mean for North Carolina.
“No one should go hungry—no matter where we live, where we’re from, who we
love, or the color of our skin. Yet with this vote by Congress and a stroke of
the President’s pen, millions more people will soon face hunger here in North
Carolina and across the country.” The Food Bank is moving mountains to
make food available to all who need it. They’re still here, no matter what. They
need your help now more than ever. Read their
full statement here and get involved
in the fight to end hunger.
