Nationally acclaimed taco restaurant to open first Raleigh location :: WRAL.com

Featured Restaurant News

• Over in Carrboro, this past Wednesday saw the opening of the much-anticipated Wedgewood Cheese Bar at 100B Brewer Lane. Inside you’ll find an intimate, European-inspired neighborhood spot where cheese, wine, and attention to detail is their obsession. Get ready for an immersive cheese experience at their chef-led wine and cheese bar with a full menu of cheese plates, snacks, salads, sandwiches, and cheese stuffs. Additionally, you can shop their expanded cheese counter and superette, with curated small batch and artisanal selections from here locally and around the world. Congrats to owner and founders Michelle and Stevie Webb. Visit them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

Raleigh
Downtown shared the news that La Mala in Raleigh has opened at
126 N. West Street. If you are not familiar, they are known for their Mexican
inspired cocktails and authentic street food, made fresh every day. Their
unique and flavorful drinks are made to order from freshly squeezed fruits and
their large collection of high quality tequilas and Mezcal. They have a second
location in Durham (110 Cocoran Street) and are also the folks behind La
Santa Modern Mexican Food in downtown Raleigh’s Glenwood South District
at 222 Glenwood Avenue. Get familiar
with all their concepts here.

Got word
this week that Velvet Taco, the nationally acclaimed taco restaurant
known for its imaginative, globally inspired tacos, will be opening its first
Raleigh location at North Hills. The restaurant will occupy the former World
of Beer space at the base of Captrust Tower in the Park District.
With quite an eclectic menu, look for everything from Korean Fried Rice and
Nashville Hot Tofu to Spicy Tikka Chicken and Fish N’ Chips. And don’t miss
their signature Red Velvet Cake for dessert! They are set to open later this
year. Get familiar
with them here.

This past
Wednesday the second Triangle-area location of Simply Crepes opened in
the former Zoës Kitchen, then Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ,
space in the Shoppes at Oberlin Court at 1028 Oberlin Road. They are a
full-service, casual restaurant, offering a progressively traditional French
country house experience. The location has received a complete remodel and
definitely has a ‘French feel’ complete with fireplace settings and a private
event space! This is the concept’s fifth location, and second outside of New
York. Their other local spot is in North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village. Visit their
Oberlin Road location here. 

On Raleigh’s
Hillsborough Street, Chris Creighton shared that Grill & Go
has opened at 3212 Hillsborough Street. They are a New York style bodega deli,
serving up sandwiches and other goodies like chopped cheese, grilled chicken
over rice and other favorites. Take a peek on
their Instagram page here.

Out in Brier
Creek, reader Jennifer Buchholz shared with us that locally-owned Sushi
SUYU has opened a second location in the Corners of Brier Creek at
4233 Corners Pkwy., Suite 250. The original location is in Apex on Salem
Street. Visit them on
Instagram here.

Also in Brier
Creek, Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Kim
Morris will open her second location of Everbowl, a San Diego-based
acai brand with 100 locations nationwide. Located in the Alexander Place
retail center in Brier Creek, it is expected to open by the end of the
year. The first Raleigh location opened two years ago off Falls of the Neuse
Road in Sutton Square. Visit Everbowl
here.

Looks like
Wake Forest will be the next location for Teriyaki Madness, a national
chain which currently has 65 locations across the United States (this will be
the first in the Triangle-area). They focus on authentic teriyaki, using fresh
ingredients for a variety of Japanese-inspired dishes, including teriyaki bowls
with different protein options, appetizers, and handmade sauces. Locally owned
and operated by Sandeep Janjua, look for them to open in June at 12536
Capital Boulevard in Wake Forest. Start getting
familiar with them here. Thanks to reader Mark Cleveland
for bringing this to my attention.

Down in
Fuquay-Varina, Famous Toastery opened this past Tuesday marking their
second Triangle-area location (the other is in Cary). This is their first
location to showcase their brand’s refreshed design and updated menu, all
focused on fresh, made-from-scratch breakfast, lunch, and brunch in a warm,
community-centered space. They are located at 620 Lakestone Commons Avenue. Check them out
here.

And don’t
miss an opportunity to congratulate Bates and Anthony Battaglia
on their 4th anniversary of their bar, Teets, located in the heart of
the Glenwood South District. They will have a 4th Anniversary Party
this Saturday, May 31st at 425 Glenwood Avenue featuring a free cookout,
raffles and giveaways along with live music, DJs and drink specials all night. Follow along
on Instagram here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

A couple of
updates along Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street. Got word that the empty storefront
at 122 E. Franklin St. is completely papered over with Sweetgreens
logos. They are self-described as a locavore-friendly counter-serve chain
specializing in organic salads and bowls. This will mark their second
Triangle-area location with one already in Raleigh’s North Hills. Look
for them to open before year’s end. Get familiar
with them here.

And just
down from that I noticed that signage is up for Brunches at 133 W
Franklin Street, Suite 120. The menu will feature classic breakfast, lunch and
brunch options until 3pm, 7 days a week. You can expect everything from
breakfast combos to chicken and waffles, certified Angus beef burgers and mac
and cheese bowls. All of which can be paired with mimosa flights, mimosa
pouches and specialty brunch cocktails. And as they say, “Mimosas made me do
it!” They already have a location in Cary (Crossroads area) and will
soon have a location in Raleigh. Check them out
here.

Popular
Durham food truck Soul Forking Good will soon be transitioning to its
first brick-and-mortar location. Owners Dominique and James Turner
recently signed a seven-year lease for the approximately 1,500 square foot
space at 2500 Meridian Parkway, Suite 135, which was previously home to Chef
Chiks Bakery. Look for their traditional Southern soul food including
cornbread, mac and cheese, collard greens, chicken wings with mumbo sauce,
turkey wings, and meatloaf. The restaurant is expected to open in mid-summer
and they will continue to operate the truck. Visit them
here.

Fresh off
the announcement that Lutra Cafe and Bakery will open their own
brick-and-mortar, they announced this week that they will start Sunday brunch
residency at Durham’s Cheeni (202 Corcoran St. Suite 100, Durham)
starting this Sunday, June 1. The brunch residency at Cheeni will
give diners a chance to taste Lutra’s expanded cafe menu months before
chef-owner Chris McLaurin opens Lutra’s counter-service
restaurant at American Tobacco Campus by the end of 2025. The Sunday
brunch will be offered from 8-11 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis
featuring a menu that includes the sweet and savory buns as well as a breakfast
sandwich, biscuits and gravy, bread pudding, granola bowl, 100-layer hash
browns, fruit salad and more. The menu will evolve seasonally and Saturday
brunch will be added later. For updates, follow them on
Instagram here.

Closings

None to
report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

The remaining schedule for the Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeos is as follows: June 1; and November 2.. All rodeos are from 12 noon until 4 p.m. and will feature over 50+ food trucks with cuisine from all over the world, and family fun – making it the ultimate Sunday Funday in Durham Central Park (501 Foster Street)! Get all the details here.

Great news as the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo returns to downtown Raleigh on Saturday, June 28th from noon until 6 p.m. all along Fayetteville Street. From savory flavors to sweet treats, there’s something to satisfy every craving and cuisine curiosity. Whether you’re a fan of gourmet burgers, delicious tacos, or decadent desserts, our food truck rodeo promises to have something for everyone! Visit their Facebook event page 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 weekend on Sunday,
June 1 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.

The 10th Annual Raleigh International Food Festival will take place this year on Saturday, June 7, from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street. The event will feature over 120 food trucks/dessert trucks from around the globe with over 60 cultures represented. Free tickets and all the details here. (Tickets not required as this is a free event) 

 Also on Saturday, June 7, is the 5th Annual Bubbles & Brisket featuring BBQ pit-master/chefs and an array of sparkling beverages ranging from Champagne, cava, cremant, prosecco, beer, sodas to non-alcoholic and boozy cocktails. With the purchase of a ticket, guests will enjoy various styles of brisket and side dishes prepared by the best talent across the country, along with enjoying multiple styles of sparkling wine from around the world. Tickets are $75 (early bird is $65). Discounted six-pack group tickets available. The VIP Experience ($135) tickets include: Early entrance, VIP Trig Modern lounge, specialty Champagne & brisket tastings concierge full-service of all chef offerings. Purchase tickets and get all the details here.

Grab your family, friends, and your appetite, and get ready for the local food event of the summer! The 2025 Farm to Fork Picnic is on June 8 from 4 to 7 p.m.! Many of the area’s best farmers and chefs will team up to create delectable bite-size dishes, throughout the grounds of the beautiful Donovan Manor in Fuquay-Varina. The event will also feature local food artisans and beverage producers, with live music, fun activities for children, and surprises for the whole family. Get tickets and all the details here.

The NC Hops Festival is Saturday, June 14 at Midtown Park in North Hills. Enjoy North Carolina breweries, food trucks, local vendors, live music and more. Get tickets and all the details here.

And thanks to a note from my buddy Kitty Kinnin, she
reminded me of the upcoming Angus Barn 65th Anniversary Celebration out
at the Pavilion at the Angus Barn – it’s going to be huge! Join them Friday,
June 27th as The Angus Barn celebrates 65 incredible years of
unforgettable meals, memories, and milestones. Enjoy fabulous food stations
featuring AB classics — past and present — plus live entertainment featuring
music over the decades from “Mid-Life Crisis” and DJ Joe Bunn. The event runs
from 6 to 10 p.m and is $175. It’s a night you won’t want to miss! Get all the
details and tickets here.

Food Bank Corner

In a few weeks, thousands of children in central and eastern North Carolina will lose access to free and reduced-price school meals — a vital source of daily nutrition. The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has a plan to ensure kids continue to get the food they need while school is out. You can help support this effort by providing critical meals to children facing food insecurity today. Thanks in advance for helping to keep kids nourished and fueled during the summer months.