Triangle Foodie News: Rise opens this weekend in Morrisville

RALEIGH, N.C. — Triangle restaurant news...that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

And so it begins. The first franchise location of Rise Donuts and Biscuits officially opens tomorrow (August 22) at 7 a.m. in Morrisville at Park West Village. However, today (August 21) from noon until 2 p.m., stop by for FREE donuts! And then stay tuned for four more locations here in the Triangle! In the meantime, get over to the newest location in Morrisville.

Got word from reader Mary-Rose Woodward that Diced Gourmet Salads and Wraps has opened at the Shoppes of Kildaire in the same shopping center as Trader Joe’s. They will have a grand celebration opening on Saturday, Aug. 29.

We got word this week that La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, which is moving into the former OC Bar and Grill spot in Oberlin Court in Raleigh, is scheduled to open this Monday, Aug. 24. Thanks to Mark Appleby (and New Raleigh) for that information.

Want to be one of the first ones to dine at Scott Crawford’s Standard Foods? Sign up to be there on Aug. 30 as he welcomes author and James Beard Award winning chef Hugh Acheson for a special evening.

The Triangle's newest location of The Egg & I announced their grand opening date of Aug. 31. They will have a "training" day on Aug. 30 (reservations are required and donations to The Carying Place are appreciated).

Saw in the News & Observer that Wyatt Dickson and Ben Adams announced this week that they are on schedule to open their barbecue joint (Picnic) by the years end (on Cole Mill Road in Durham). And as a way to introduce you to their offerings, they are having a “pop-up” dinner tonight at 6 p.m. outside of RX Wine Lab located in Golden Belt at 807 E. Main Street in Durham. They will have enough food (smoked-buttermilk fried chicken, cole slaw and a chilled field pea and corn salad) to serve about 80 people. Prices will be $15 for a fried chicken platter with sides, $10 for a glass of wine, $35 for a bottle and $15 for a flight of three wines.

The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Durham is opening a second location on the campus of Duke University this fall. They will be taking over the Devil’s Bistro spot formerly occupied by The Food Factory on Duke’s Central Campus.

Also in Durham, the Triangle Business Journal reported that Vegan Flava Cafe, a new vegetarian and vegan restaurant, is opening in the former Blue Note Grill space at 4125 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. The grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 29.

Got word from my good friend Tabitha Turner that Shanghai Dumplings opened this week at 143 E. Franklin Street in the former location of Mei Asian.

Also in Chapel Hill, food truck Captain Ponchos has announced the opening date of Aug. 27 for their brick-and-mortar location in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village.

Got word from David McCreary (aka LunchBoy Says) that Chippy’s, a local fish and chips restaurant on Davis Drive in Apex, has hung up it's frying baskets for good.

The folks over at Panther Creek High School will host a movie night and food truck rodeo (six trucks) on Friday, August 21st from 6-10 p.m.

Mark your calendars to be in Durham on Sept. 6 for the Labor Day Weekend food truck rodeo at Durham Central Park. This one will be from noon until 4 p.m.

Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week wraps up this weekend. It has expanded this year to include lunch menus and a Do-It-Yourself Progressive Dinner option. This option will encourage patrons to visit a different restaurant for each course on a tantalizing tour of downtown dining. Participating dining establishments will offer three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, $5 or $10 lunch menus, and/or a special appetizer, entrée, or dessert for the Progressive Dinner option, depending on the venue.

Tickets are on sale now for one of the biggest foodie events around - the TerraVita Food & Drink Festival, which will be held in Chapel Hill Oct. 8-10. It simply can't be missed.

Tickets are on sale now for Beericana, a craft beer and music festival in Holly Springs on Sept.12. Beericana is in its second year and all signs point to it being even better than last year. The festival will feature over 60 breweries from across the state and beyond, more food trucks than last year with at least 20 trucks. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $75.

Speaking of beer, join the brewers of Wake County at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. ($30; $25 for members) for a one-of-a-kind evening of beer and science. At the sampling session, a dozen brewers will offer unique creations fitting the museum's natural science focus. Sit in on discussions about fermentation, flavors and the engineering of beer. Get all the details here. Thanks to Deborah Copeland for the tip on this event.

Midtown Grille executive chef Benjamin Harris came to Raleigh from Charleston, South Carolina. So the recent events there hit pretty close to home. So on Sunday, Aug. 23 he will host a chef collaboration event called North Cooks South to raise money for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Joining Harris will be Charleston’s Daniel Doyle (Poogan’s Porch), Charlotte’s Chris Coleman (The Asbury/Dunhill Hotel) and Raleigh’s Scott James (executive sous chef at The Angus Barn). The $150 dinner is limited to 100 people.

You'll want to go ahead and mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Triangle Oktoberfest coming to Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Oct. 3-4. There will be some great authentic German fare as well as some amazing breweries.

And if you are into eating healthier, you might want to go ahead and get this event on your calendar - the 2015 Triangle Vegfest which will be held at Moore Square and City Market in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, Oct. 17 from noon until 5 p.m.

It is that time of year again and big plans are in place for this year’s #FoodBank24 New Media Telethon. It will be held over two days, Sept. 11-12 and lots of new features are in the works. With Sept. 11 being a National Day of Service, there are tons of opportunities to volunteer and get your company involved. But do so quickly, as the Saturday morning slots are already filled! Find out how to get involved, how to contribute and all the details here.