Foodie News: Dominican burger joint rolls into Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. — Start off 2021 on the right foot by taking the #TakeOutPledge for your city, county or the entire Triangle – #TriangleTakeOutPledge. Commit to takeout 1-2 times per week to help save our local, independent restaurants. With that, restaurant owners believe they can make it to sunnier weather. And if you feel so compelled, throw a little love to the staff and employees who have been so negatively impacted by the pandemic by tipping generously!

Blogger Eat Raleigh shared the news that a new food truck called Berto’s Chimis opens today (Friday, Jan. 1) at 414 Dupont Circle. The Dominican burger joint is the dream of Roberto Diaz and will offer sandwiches with seasoned beef patties or marinated chicken breasts and sides include tostones, maduras, and yucca fries. Get to know them here.

Reader Burke Williams shared with us that Thaiphoon Bistro has opened in the Stonehenge Market shopping center at 7496 Creedmoor Road, operating a takeout version of their downtown restaurant, in the space formerly occupied by 888 Chinese. The downtown location is at 301 Glenwood Avenue. Visit their new location today! Check them out here.

Also in Raleigh, Michael DePersia of DePersia & Associates notified me that a new location of Brixx Wood Fired Pizza opened on December 16th at 1540 Dunn Road in the Bedford Village development. Visit them here.

Down in Fuquay-Varina, Today in the Quay reported that the owners of the Cleveland Draft House will open a third location in the old Golden Corral building (by Smithfield’s/Moes and the railroad tracks, behind Sherwin Williams). Look for them to open in mid-May. They already have locations in Cleveland and Garner. Visit Cleveland Draft House here.

And staying in “the quay” – Johnny’s Pizza has successfully opened their 4th Triangle location – this one at 722 N. Judd Parkway. This one joins the other locations in Apex, Cary and Wake Forest. Swing by and check them out or order online here.

On a recent drive down Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street saw a “coming soon” sign for Meat & Bite Food Exchange at 2908 Hillsborough St. Looks like they’ll be offering up burgers, grilled and fried chicken, burritos and tacos – everything a college kid might want/crave! No word on an open date. Get to know them here.

Looking for all the outdoor dining options in downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

Twitter buddy Burgeoningbaker shared the news that a location of Red Crab Seafood Boil, with locations all over the country, including three in North Carolina (and three more on the way), will soon be opening in the Oak Creek Village shopping center in Durham just down from Zweli’s. Get to know them here.

And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.

The folks over at Raleigh Convergence shared the news that Little Shop, from Anisette, Lousy Hunters Doughnuts and Sustain Market, will be closing for good at the end of their lease on Jan. 10. See the announcement here.

Cameron Village’s so•ca restaurant has joined their sister restaurant, kō•än in closing – but just temporarily. Look for their reopening after we get to the other side of Covid.

Here are a couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks here and here.

Simply eating out has become a bit of an event. The creativity, caution and care our restaurants have taken (and added expenses!) is nothing short of impressive. One thing they are not short on is passion! Anyway, blogger Beck Eats World has put together a pretty impressive list of restaurants with outdoor heaters. Check out the list here.

Looking for places to eat out on New Year’s Day? Raleigh Magazine has you covered with a list of options. Check it out here.

Not exactly an event per se, but rather some things to celebrate. Visit Raleigh put together a list of the best restaurants that opened in 2020 in the greater Raleigh area. Check that list out here. And WRAL’s Out and About put out a broader list of Triangle-wide openings in 2020. Check that list out here.

Looking for ways to help in the fight against hunger? Here are four ways to help. There is a long road ahead, and the Food Bank is here for the long haul. We will need resources to continue enacting the strategies we know work to end hunger. Here’s how you can help:

As we try and meet the nearly 40% increase in need this pandemic has created in our communities, funds are the resource we need most. Financial donations allow us to stay nimble and responsive in our operations as conditions change, and to reach new people with our efforts.

Want to mobilize your neighborhood, church group, or other circle of friends? Holding a Virtual Food Drive is a great way to help – while practicing social distancing. We even re-launched our Virtual Food Drive platform. Visit foodbankcenc.org/vfd to set yours up today.

Research the policies that impact hunger and speak out! Contact your state, local, and federal representatives to let them know policies like SNAP, TEFAP, and WIC need to be strengthened in order to break the cycle of hunger and help relieve families of the burden of hunger. Visit here to learn more.

The Food Bank greatly relies on our volunteers, especially in times of crisis. If you are a healthy adult and want to volunteer, you can self-schedule a shift 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.