Featured Restaurant News
The News & Observer reported that Café Royale, Raleigh’s newest all-day restaurant, opened this week in Raleigh’s The Exchange. Patrick Shanahan and Robby Opperman are joined in this venture with Frederique Leonard, whose French perspective helps guide this new all-day restaurant into the punk rock café that it is. The pink-walled café is filled with light and surrounded by windows where pastries and lattes seamlessly transition to salads, wine, evening cocktails and charcuterie. Visit them here.
Wake County Restaurant News
The much-anticipated Gallicchio’s Market & Eatery opened yesterday in the former (ish) Delicatessen spot at 702 N. Person Street. At the helm is chef Stacy Murphy, who you may know from the Pounded Pig Food Truck, but her background includes extensive experience in New Orleans’ kitchens as well as the Italian markets and food she grew up around in the Northeast. Check them out on Instagram here.
Now that Hotel Indigo Raleigh (the round hotel in Downtown Raleigh) is open, it is important to note that at the top of the hotel, High Ground Lounge is the newest destination for drinks and nightlife. Located on the 20th floor, the bar and restaurant pair panoramic views of the city skyline with elevated Southern cuisine and the warm, welcoming hospitality synonymous with the region. The menu offers a contemporary take on familiar Southern flavors, with dishes inspired by North Carolina and the broader South, complemented by craft cocktails and a curated beverage program. Check it out here.
Anna and Chuan Tsay of Heirloom Brewshop announced this week that they have acquired Bida Manda, the highly acclaimed Laotian restaurant and bar located at 222 S. Blount Street in the heart of downtown Raleigh. They thanked Vanvisa Nolintha for creating such an unforgettable part of Raleigh for the past 14 years, as they plan to maintain business continuity while listening and learning from the Bida Manda team without disturbing the things people have grown to love over fourteen years. Visit Bida Manda here and Heirloom Brewshop here.
In North Hills, I got word this week that Standard Beer + Food NHID is now open for lunch seven days a week. Additionally, Standard NHID is offering happy hour specials from 4 to 6pm every weekday. Visit Standard NHID here.
In North Raleigh, I got word from reader Barb LeBlanc that signage is up for the newest location of the Flying Biscuit in the Falls Village shopping center next to the Anchor Bar – at 6609 Falls of the Neuse Road. They are scheduled to open in early 2027. Visit Flying Biscuit here.
David McCreary shared with us that Limra Mediterranean Restaurant is now open at 3109 McChesney Hill Loop at Peterson Station in Holly Springs. The eatery serves 100% halal cuisine, featuring flame-grilled kabobs, wraps, bowls, platters, salads, and more. Check them out on Instagram here.
If that is not enough international cuisine news for Holly Springs, we learned this week that a new Indian dining experience will open this fall. Malli — Indian Reimagined (131 Oakview Commons Drive) will bring an elevated yet welcoming approach to Indian cuisine centered around food, hospitality, connection and celebration. Founded by Arunkumar Vijayakumar, Rajesh Arumugam and Bharath Pepaala, it was created to bring the authentic, full flavors of India into a refined, contemporary dining experience while remaining warm, generous and approachable. Look for them to open this fall. Follow along on Instagram here.
Meat & Bite, a casual, halal-friendly fast-casual restaurant located at 2908 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, right across from NC State’s main campus, announced this week that they are opening a second location at 3608 Davis Drive in Morrisville. If you haven’t dined there before, it is a unique blend where they fuse the flavors of the Mediterranean, American, and Tex-Mex cuisines into one mouthwatering menu. There’s no word on the opening date of the second location, but you can visit them on Hillsborough Street and online here.
We first told you about this at the beginning of last month, but Raleigh Magazine shared the opening date, Oct. 15, for downtown Raleigh’s newest watering hole – Low Bar Lounge – in the former IMURJ space beneath Whiskey Kitchen. It is brought to us by Whiskey Kitchen co-owners Jeff Mickel and Michael Thor. The space is a throwback to a particular kind of bar—and a particular kind of bar night—low on pretense and high on life according to the magazine. Where you’ll meet up with friends or make friends. A place to hang out and be in community. Nothing up on their social media feeds as of yet, so visit their site here.
We would be remiss if we didn’t direct you to the North Carolina State Fair (October 15-25) and all this year’s yumminess. Check out the map (plan accordingly) and see all the new offerings here. And don’t forget the Weekday Lunch Pass Program, where you can visit the fair on weekdays between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. without paying a permanent admission fee.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
Compa Pizza & Pasta and Bull City Burger Outpost will soon join the new Latta Park development in North Durham. Compa is a new Italian concept created exclusively for Latta Park by Pomodoro Italian Kitchen owners Carlo and Josephine Finazzo, featuring handmade pasta and pizza. Bull City Burger Outpost is an expansion of Seth Gross’s Bull City Burger and Brewery, with beer-garden-style outdoor seating, a yard-game lawn and soft serve. They will also expand into breakfast, adding biscuit sandwiches and a coffee bar. Look for openings in early 2027. Follow Bull City on Instagram here and follow Pomodoro on Instagram here.
At RTP, Triangle Business Journal shared the news that a new restaurant focused on “comfort-food bowls” is coming to Hub RTP. They confirmed that Little Barrow is moving into the space across from Cheeni Indian Food Emporium. The menu features build-your-own grain bowls with bases such as brown rice and sweet potato noodles and protein options such as baked chicken fingers and sirloin steak. Sides include Brussels sprouts, charred broccoli and gluten free mac and cheese. Top it off with a variety of sauces. Congrats to Bruce Kramer, founder of Little Barrow. Look for them to open in 2027.
Brothers Nick and Bryce Dampf of Dampf Good BBQ — the Michelin-recommended Texas-style barbecue food truck — made the decision this week not to open their first brick-and-mortar spot in Durham. We will keep an eye on where they look next, but in the meantime, you can visit their truck over at Phillips Farm in Cary at 6800 Good Hope Church Road. Visit them here.
In Chapel Hill, we got word that Mr. Dumpling had their grand opening on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 239 S. Elliott Road. They are a modern Chinese restaurant specializing in handmade dumplings and authentic Sichuan cuisine, where they focus on fresh ingredients, traditional recipes, and bold flavors to bring a true taste of China to your table. They also have a location in Apex. Get to know them here.
Closings
Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Ziggi’s Coffee will close its Clayton location on Oct. 31.
The News & Observer reported that health smoothie store The Bomb Bar in Raleigh’s Gateway Plaza closed last Friday, right before their two-year mark.
Food Trucks
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
On Thursday, Oct. 15 from 4:30-6:45 p.m., the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club is hosting “An Evening in Seoul” — a one-night-only immersive dining event inspired by the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Maybe Happy Ending, appearing at Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) from Oct. 13–18. The dinner experience includes a Korean fusion menu, jazz tunes from Hunky Dory Durham and more. Seating is limited for this exclusive event. Tickets are $225, plus tax and service charge, and may be purchased via OpenTable here.
Chef Sera Cuni and her team over at The Root Cellar in Chapel Hill are taking part in a Yellowstone Dinner on Oct. 29, where four incredible chefs are taking over Holl & Stone Farm in Garner. Chefs Sera Cuni of The Root Cellar, Bill Hartley of Postal Fish Company and JDub’s Po’Boys, Ryan Butler of Smoke Ropers, and Lynn Wells of Thyme Well Spent and Our State Magazine will each helm their own station, giving guests the chance to wander the farm, fill their plates and experience a menu built around smoke, fire, Southern ingredients and a little Wild West inspiration. Get your tickets for any of these events and all the details here.
Tickets are officially on sale for the 2026 Chefs for Change Annual Gala & Auction to benefit Families Moving Forward. Reserve your spot now to join them on Thursday, Nov. 5, as they gather at The Cookery for an unforgettable evening of exquisite food, inspiring stories, and abundant opportunities to make a meaningful difference for families and children experiencing homelessness in Durham! And because it’s Chefs for Change, they’ve invited an exceptional lineup of friends—the crème de la crème of the Durham culinary scene—to share their passion for food and Families Moving Forward: Matt Kelly of Nanas Rockwood; Chris Garrett of Seraphine; Aaron Benjamin of Gocciolina; Alex Catotti and Erin Kobler of Restaurant Cornelia and The Vinter and the Baker; and, Chris McLaurin of Lutra Cafe and Bakery. Get your tickets here.
Tickets are now on sale for the third Rawleigh Oyster Fest, presented by Earp’s Seafood Market, returning Saturday, Nov. 7. This year’s event, themed “Smoke & Shuck,” expands the festival’s signature chef-and-oyster-farm pairings to include North Carolina pitmasters for the first time, bringing barbecue into the mix alongside raw oysters. It will be held at Raleigh Iron Works. Rawleigh Oyster Fest has sold out both of its previous events — its launch in November 2025, which sold all 550 tickets, and a spring 2026 edition that sold out in just five days. The event is organized by Eduardo Mera of Mera Brothers Oysters, Katie Dombrowski, communications administrator for the City of Raleigh, and Max Trujillo of the NC F&B Podcast. Together, the two previous events raised approximately $12,500 for the Frankie Lemmon School and Development Center and the N.C. Coastal Federation. Get tickets and all the details here.
The Trophy Trot 5K returns for its 10th year on Thanksgiving morning (Nov. 26) to Dorothea Dix Park, benefiting Healing Transitions, a Raleigh nonprofit that provides recovery services for people struggling with addiction. The race has grown into a beloved holiday tradition, and 2025 was its biggest year yet: nearly 3,000 runners and walkers signed up, and the race donated about $60,000 to Healing Transitions, up from $42,000 the year before. Since 2016, the annual race, hosted by nOG Run Club and Trophy Brewing Co., has raised more than $210,000 for the nonprofit. Register here.
Food Bank Corner
Help your neighbor. Yes, your neighbor. Did you know that right now, one in seven people in central and eastern North Carolina don’t have enough to eat. That’s where the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina comes in. Your tax-deductible gift helps provide food and hope to families, children, and seniors right here in our community. Together, we can help people in our community during their greatest time of need. Give here.
Dining and Cooking