Category / Restaurants

by Leo Suarez

Gringo A Go-Go Coming Soon to North Person Street

Ben Shelton, the chef behind Lily’s Pizza in Five Points, is opening up a new place at the corner of Person and Edenton Streets. Gringo A Go-Go will be a taqueria with some pretty authentic Mexican dishes.

Finally, this space is being given some real TLC as the former convenience store and Reuben’s diner kind of put in half the effort. I wonder too if the new thing to do is build a unique bicycle rack out front that represents your place a bit. When I walked by to take the above photo the place looks almost finished so expect it open sometime in the near future.

As always, you can see the ever growing list of downtown food and drink on DT Raleigh Eats.

by Leo Suarez

Summer 2013 Restaurant Roundup

Crank Arm Brewing on Davie Street

It could be just me but the summer seems like a great time to open a restaurant in downtown Raleigh. Need to work all the kinks to get ready for the cooler temperatures. It could just be the timing though.

Anyway, with us deep into the summer season, here is the latest bit of restaurant news.

  • We’re still waiting on something from Cafe de los Muertos, a coffee shop planned for a space along Hargett Street in The Hue building. Progress is happening though.
  • Joule Coffee, opening in the former space occupied by the Wilmoore Cafe on Wilmington Street, hasn’t opened yet but articles keep coming out saying that should happen soon.
  • Garland has been serving food from their take-out window along Martin Street. Sandwiched between King’s and Neptunes Parlour, Garland is still working on their indoor space but have set up tables and chairs on the sidewalk.
  • The lobby of the Sheraton Hotel on Fayetteville Street has been under heavy renovation the last few months. In it, Jimmy V’s Osteria & Bar will be opening soon.
  • Cognito Bar and Grill has opened where the former Joel Lane’s Public House was in Glenwood South.
  • Pop Up Ice Cream Parlour has opened a second location. The original location on Wilmington Street will still be open for the summer while the second one, at 616 North Person Street, is opening.
  • Stanbury, a restaurant being set up where Market’s original location was on Blount Street, looks almost finished and ready to open any day now.
  • Ashley Christensen is working on a new restaurant called Death and Taxes for the bottom floor of the recently renovated Raleigh Industrial Bank building.
  • The Ohio based pizza chain, Donato’s, has brought a location to Seaboard Station.
  • Crank Arm Brewing will be opening up their taproom in the next few weeks.
  • The food space in the Marbles Kids Museum is now Pogo creating a kid-friendly (and adult) menu ran by a company that buys food from nearby family-owned farms and ranches.
  • There are signs for a restaurant called Oak City Meatball Shoppe in the retail spaces along Davie Street in the Red Hat Building.

    • And finally, I don’t know anything about it but the last retail space in the PNC Plaza has some paper covering up the windows. There aren’t any signs but instead symbols of food. Take it with a grain of salt as to what could, or won’t, be coming in that space.

by Leo Suarez

Pop-Up Ice Cream Parlour Sets Up Shop Through August 31

Pop-Up Ice Cream Parlour

A new ice cream shop with the simple name of Pop-Up Ice Cream Parlour is now open on the 100 block of South Wilmington Street. The owners only have a lease through August so make sure and enjoy it on a hot day this summer. Opening hours are:

  • Sun-Thu – 12-10pm
  • Fri/Sat – 12-11pm

I read that the owners want to see how the concept works before possibly opening up a permanent location.

by Leo Suarez

Spring 2013 Restaurant Roundup

I hope everyone is spending as much time as possible outside before the heat kicks in. This is one of the best times of the year in downtown Raleigh for walking and outdoor eating.

Here’s the latest list of restaurant news.

  • Dos Taquitos Xoco is now open in Glenwood South. Besides sitting outside on the outrageously decorated patio, the booths with the toy train serving chips and salsa are pretty enjoyable.
  • Kimbap, a Korean cafe, has opened in Seaboard Station. There is a lot of sustainably grown food served here as well as a very gluten-free friendly menu. The dumplings are excellent!
  • They have been open for some time now but Trophy Brewing has been making progress on their new kitchen and outdoor space. Expect that to be open soon.
  • The Videri Chocolate Factory in the warehouse district has added a coffee bar.
  • Fiction Kitchen has now been open for two or three months and is 100% vegetarian. The tinga tacos are way tasty!
  • Cafe de los Muertos is opening a store in The Hue building and should be open late this summer or early fall.
  • Another coffee shop, Joule Coffee, is still being worked on in the former Wilmoore Cafe spot. According to the (silent) Twitter account, it’s still planned for a Spring opening so expect it soon.
  • This fall, a doughnut shop, Donut Theory, is planning to open in a space near the intersection of Saunders and South Street.

Also, a little bird has told me that the space between Neptune’s Parlour and King’s on Martin Street may be serving food out of the window this weekend. Is The Garland finally going to open? Perhaps we’ll know in a few weeks.

by Leo Suarez

Goodnight’s Turns 30

[This guest post comes from Joseph Havey who represents Travelhost Magazine of the Triangle, which seeks to “help visitors to the Triangle area make memories to cherish a lifetime.” Contact me to put your original content about downtown Raleigh on DTRaleigh.]

This past weekend, Drew Carey headlined at Goodnight’s Comedy Club in celebration of the club turning 30 last October. As you can imagine, every show sold out.

Aside from cheesy high school talent shows, Goodnight’s hosted my first experience with live comedy. I went with a couple of friends: They paid, and who was I to turn down a free laugh? We ate at the Old Bar downstairs (Goodnight’s is sandwiched between two restaurants) before heading up to enjoy the JJ Walker show. It was Dy-no-mite! At 20 years old, I waited a while to join the ranks of the club’s audience — a decision I’m kind of regretting. I left that night with stomach pains induced by my bellowing laughter.

JJ Walker with a crowd at Goodnight's

JJ Walker and my friends at Goodnight’s

The atmosphere is what you’d expect in a comedy club—brick walls, dim lighting and free-flowing alcohol. The staff was more than accommodating and the food was delicious. Goodnight’s owners Brad and Shannon Reeder have done a great job ensuring that the experience is top notch.

The Reeders actually met at Goodnight’s (back when it was called Charlie Goodnight’s), in the middle of one of Brad’s comedy tours. They dated, and eventually married, while Brad was on the road, but decided they wanted to settle in Raleigh. The couple bought Goodnight’s several years ago and have been running it ever since.

This past weekend, I got to talk to Shannon about the club’s 30th birthday. She was happy to point out that Goodnight’s is one of the few independent comedy clubs still standing, which makes its age a pretty big deal. It’s also scored a spot on several “Top 10” lists, including that of The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

“One of the top comedy clubs in the country is in Raleigh’s own backyard,” Shannon told me.

Thinking back to my aching abdominal muscles, I undoubtedly agree.

by Leo Suarez

Café de los Muertos To Open In The Hue This Summer

Café de los Muertos

Look out for a new coffee shop in downtown Raleigh this summer. Confirmed by a sign on the space and some chatter on their website, Café de los Muertos will be setting up along West Hargett Street in the Hue building.

Their site has everything you need to know about these guys:

We are Café de los Muertos (Coffee of the Dead), and we are supremely dedicated to the perfect coffee cup, the perfect espresso, the perfect coffee experience. Café de los Muertos is a artisan coffee roastery that specializes in organic Fair Trade and Direct Trade coffee. We hope to promote coffee sustainability by supporting truly beneficial relationships among coffee bean farmers and our customers.

*Café de los Muertos – Who

Currently, this coffee shop is online only but the space in the Hue gives them a new home.

Reading through some of their material, it sounds like they will be keeping things local and open to collaborating rather than competing. I’ll sip to that.

by Leo Suarez

Trophy and Crank Arm Bring New Breweries To Downtown Raleigh

Trophy Brewing Company Growler

The craft beer choices within the bars, shops, and restaurants in Downtown Raleigh are some of the most varied and plentiful compared to the rest of the city. Downtown has several bars that only serve craft and there are many occasions where patrons ordering Bud or Miller are trying something new. Coming soon are two new offerings for downtowners to sip on.

Trophy Brewing Company, a new project by those behind the Busy Bee Cafe, will be serving seasonal beers in the former Burger Hut location on Morgan Street. Set to open in February, the small brewery stays true to its homebrew roots.

I stopped by Trophy recently and talked to David Lockwood and Chris Powers about the new place. With a glass of “Batch #1” in my hand, they took me through the tasting room and the brewery room. Brewer Les Stewart was there, wading through a web of wet hoses as he explained their brewing process. “Stainless steel is a beautiful thing,” he said while wrapping up for the day. This guy is genuinely excited about taking on the challenge of running this small brewery.

Size is not something Trophy is concerned about right now, the place is already full of equipment. With that, you’ll most likely only catch Trophy’s beers on Morgan Street. Since experimentation is so key to the guys behind the new brewery, expect new tastes every season by Trophy or through collaborations with others.

Unique to Trophy is also the option of a 32 ounce growler, pictured above. The thought is that smaller amounts will serve drinkers better than the typical 64 ounce sizes since growlers are essentially an open beer bottle so freshness takes a hit.

Trophy Brewing Company

The new bar will cater to the occasional beer drinker as well. A full bar and some wine will also be available. At first, the new place will be open from 5pm to midnight, Sunday to Thursday and closing at 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.

Later this year, expect the entire space to be opened up for more guests as well as some outdoor seating and a kitchen. Food items will include pizza and sandwiches as well as expanded lunch hours.

Pedal Powered Brewery?

Downtown’s Warehouse District is now getting into the brewing process. Crank Arm Brewing Company will open this spring in the former White Collar Crime location on West Davie Street.

The brewery is an extension of the rickshaw company, Crank Arm Rickshaw, which operates all over downtown Raleigh. So now, the guys at Crank Arm will be moving not only people but beer in their rickshaws. From a recent press release,

Beer is delivered via rickshaw or waste veggie-oil powered truck in order to minimize the company’s impact on the planet.

Crank Arm Brewery
Crank Arm’s Future home as seen in December 2012.

In addition to brewing, there will also be tasting on Davie Street as the space will include a bar.

The brewery will open with two staple brews; the Rickshaw Rye, a Rye India Pale Ale, and the White Wall Wit. Four other seasonals will be rotated to give drinkers something new to look forward to throughout the year.

Up until their opening, Crank Arm is giving away rewards for anyone that helps them through their kickstarter campaign. Watch the video below and back them.

If you’d like to try some Crank Arm beer, head down to Raleigh Times tomorrow for their event celebrating the kickstarter.

Beer Tasting / Crank Arm Brewing Kickstarter Launch

Date/Time: Fri., Jan. 25 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Raleigh Times
14 E Hargett St, Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-833-0999

Cheers to all the beer fans out there! I know I’m looking forward to the new spots.

by Leo Suarez

Winter 2013 Restaurant Roundup

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

Happy New Year readers!

In an attempt to test, or fuel, your commitment to any eating related resolutions in 2013, I’m dropping the restaurant roundup this week. The DT Eats list keeps growing as it’s constantly updated.

  • Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is now open in the newly renovated retail spaces along Seaboard Avenue.
  • Within the same spaces at Seaboard Station, work appears to be continuing on a new coffee shop, Blend and Grind. However, it’s been awhile and their Facebook page is very quiet.
  • Dos Taquitos Xoco, pronounced similar to “Show-Co”, is a new Mexican restaurant in Glenwood South and will open very soon. Check out a picture of the bar below from their Twitter.

  • The renovation work on one of the houses at the northern end of Glenwood South has finished and View Bar is now open.
  • On the same 600 block of Glenwood, another house renovation project is done and Cornerstone Tavern is now open. Make plans to hit this one up in the Spring as the outdoor seating is plentiful.
  • Krave, located in the 510 building in Glenwood South, is getting a remake and is now called Myst.
  • Bolt Bistro and Bar is now open on Fayetteville Street in the space formerly occupied by The Mint.
  • Fiction Kitchen, a 100% vegetarian restaurant on Dawson Street, will open very soon.
  • The Royal James Lounge joins the cluster of bars on the 100 block of East Hargett Street and is now open.
  • A new bar, with an 80’s theme, had a New Year’s Eve opening on the 200 block of Fayetteville Street. Coglin’s is run by the guys behind Isaac Hunter’s Oak City Tavern.
  • The Warhol, a new LGBT friendly bar has opened in The Dawson’s retail space right next to The Borough.
  • The Port City Java previously located at the corner of Fayetteville and Martin Street is now a Subway.