Category / Restaurants

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.

by Leo Suarez

Fall Backwards For The 2012 Fall Restaurant Roundup

Fiction Kitchen on Dawson Street.

The restaurant waves keep crashing in and this Fall, there are some new options for you and quite a few announcements of things to come in the Downtown Raleigh foodie pipeline. Most of the new places are setting up in previously empty retail spaces rather then closed spaces. Downtown just hasn’t tapped out yet.

As always, make sure to bookmark the DT Raleigh Eats list when you need to find something new. Onto the roundup.

  • Pictured above is the signage for an upcoming 100% vegetarian restaurant on Dawson Street. Fiction Kitchen hopes to open within the next few months and could use your help through their Kickstarter campaign.
  • Zinda has now opened in one of the ground floor spaces in PNC Plaza. The new Asian restaurant expands Eschelon Hospitality’s takeover of the 300 block of Fayetteville Street.
  • Bida Manda, a Laotian restaurant, is now open on Blount Street across from Moore Square. Bida Manda replaces the former Fai Thai restaurant in the same space that closed in July 2011.
  • Work continues on the new spaces at Seaboard Station where a coffee shop, Blend and Grind, and a burger shop, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, are planned.
  • A collaboration between the folks behind Dos Taquitos and The Hibernian will result in Dos Taquitos Xoco which will open in the former space of The Diner in Glenwood South. The new restaurant is being worked on today and expected to open this fall.
  • Not satisfied yet, those behind The Hibernian are working on another pub along Person Street near Piebird. Work on the former Rosie’s Plate will bring a neighborhood beer and wine bar around Spring of next year.
  • Bolt Bistro and Bar is really taking shape and the sign is up on the space along Fayetteville Street. The sign still says opening Summer 2012 so hopefully the slip in the schedule isn’t too bad.
  • The house at 610 Glenwood Avenue has had major renovation work done to it and a new bar, View Bar, is set to open there. You can follow the progress up until opening on their Facebook page.
  • Across the street at 603 Glenwood Avenue, work continues on another bar for the renovated house at the corner of Glenwood and Johnson Street.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

Bolt Bistro and Bar coming soon

Bolt Bistro and Bar will open soon in the space formerly occupied by The Mint on Fayetteville Street. By open soon, I mean “Late Summer” according to the new sign posted in the space windows. According to the restaurant’s website:

The concept of Bolt is to bring a sleek, clean, approachable, affordable, dining experience to Downtown Raleigh.

Bolt has teamed up with International Culinary Superstar Penny Davidi! Penny and our chefs are working on a local infused menu from North Carolina.

The sign also has a little rendering of the outdoor seating space. Could Bolt finally create a lively outdoor seating scene that The Mint could not?

Bolt Bistro and Bar coming soon

by Leo Suarez

Spring 2012 Restaurant Roundup

Oro restaurant in Downtown Raleigh

Summer isn’t quite here yet so keep enjoying the fabulous weather we’re having before the heat arrives. While you’re out exploring, a few new eats are in the works as well as some upcoming ones that continue to test our patience. Ever since the winter update, there hasn’t been as much movement on the eats list as some of the past seasons.

You can still find new places to eat on the ever growing Eats list though. Here’s the latest tips and openings to look forward to:

  • Oro has opened this past weekend and the tapas menu looks very tempting. They are located in the PNC Plaza building at the corner of Martin and Wilmington Street. (photo above)
  • With the Nature Research Center opening in April, the Daily Planet Cafe on Jones Street is open with the museum’s hours. It may not be for a night out but with local ingredients and beer, it could make for a solid lunch.
  • Blue Mango in Glenwood South has opened in the 222 building.
  • The Raleigh Times is expanding, adding more seats and a rooftop area.
  • A Laotian restaurant, Bida Manda, is planned to open at the former location of Fai Thai on Blount Street.
  • Zinda, the Pan-Asian restaurant coming to the PNC building, is still covered up and waiting to open. According to their Twitter, they are now hiring:

https://twitter.com/#!/ZindaRaleigh/status/202048507710935040

by Leo Suarez

Renovations For Libations in Glenwood South

603 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh

Approved back in December 2011, the house in the picture above, located at 603 Glenwood Avenue, is being heavily renovated for a new bar with outdoor seating. While passing by I asked some of the gentlemen working on the renovations about the new bar. They mentioned that this was being done by the owner of 606, the club across the street, and that the bar would be styled like a speakeasy.

Another thing to note about the picture is that you can see the comprehensive plan in action. Look at those wide sidewalks!

by Leo Suarez

The State of Seaboard Station

Seaboard Station

Seaboard Station sits at the northern end of downtown Raleigh and is a unique area compared to Glenwood South or Fayetteville Street. Over the last few years, the area seems to be riding with the downtown revitalization wave but there’s just something that’s holding it back. Why don’t people come to Seaboard and stay for awhile? I’ve always felt like the area was convenient for quickly getting there, but just the same, easy enough to get right out.

The Shops at Seaboard Station website plays on the locally owned theme of restaurants and services. 18 Seaboard and J. Betski’s have been serving at Seaboard for a few years now and the recently opened Tyler’s Taproom seems to be an instant favorite. While not included on their website, Sunflower’s needs a big nod for doing business here for almost thirty years.

In retail, Seaboard is creating a little variety for shoppers. Logan Trading Co. may be the anchor tenant and the family-owned garden shop has been open since 1991. Over the last few years, places like Seaboard Wine, Ace Hardware, and O2 Fitness have moved in to diversify the list of services.

But the most dramatic story in recent history may be what happened in 2007. A grocery store, Capital City Grocery, opened in Seaboard Station with high anticipation. The news was all over it, saying it was the pinnacle of downtown Raleigh’s re-birth. However, over time the hype died down and reviews were mixed about the store. For whatever reason, the grocery store closed and re-opened in 2008, only to close permanently later that year.

Around that same time, condo projects were even planned for Seaboard Station. The 111 Seaboard condos were planned along Seaboard Avenue but that project never came to be. Now, the empty building will not be razed for development but renovated for more retail spaces.

Today, Seaboard Station has a few new tenants in addition to the previously mentioned with plenty of empty space for more.

Empty Storefronts at Seaboard Station
Empty Storefronts at Seaboard Station

The events, the largest probably being the Music on the Porch series during the warmer months, have been fine but what will it take for Seaboard Station to naturally be a hub of activity?

The area has some natural obstacles all around it. To the south, the black hole that is the state government complex will almost never contribute more than a steady lunch crowd. The customer base to the east is not growing much with Peace College and the Mordecai and Oakwood neighborhoods. The area is also cut off somewhat with the train tracks to the north and Capital Blvd to the west. The area is somewhat isolated.

Seaboard’s contribution to downtown is not urban at all so its suburban nature makes it compete with other places of similar style. The vast parking lots make it easier for cars to go in and out so it is now competing with other shopping centers around the city. If I have to drive to Seaboard Station, then why choose that area if getting to someplace better outside of downtown is just as easy now that I’ve made the decision to drive? You can see it in the map below.

In my opinion, Seaboard Station cannot do it alone and needs to be tied into a few other projects in order for it to be a place to stay awhile. The Blount Street Commons project that essentially stalled when the economy went bad a few years ago needs to be re-energized in some way. More residents need to move into the northern end of downtown to feed Seaboard. The Capital Blvd Corridor study will also be a huge factor in realizing Seaboard’s potential. This study also includes a Peace Street corridor redesign which could greatly improve Peace Street.

The location is great but the barriers are too restrictive at the moment for Seaboard Station. The current stop on the R-Line is another plus but even greater connectivity is needed for this area to feel like an integral part of downtown Raleigh.