Big things continue to happen in downtown Raleigh. I know my buddy Gordon Brown is excited to see that Parkside Restaurant is now open adjacent to Nash Square at 301 W. Martin St. Executive chef Matt Scofield, formerly of Sitti and Neomonde, has crafted an ode to comfort food with some twists, according to WRAL. Congrats to Scofield and Todd Henderson.

And on the other corner of Nash Square, the News & Observer reported this week that Aug. 8 is the date the garage doors will be rolled up at downtown Raleigh’s newest watering hole and restaurant, Whiskey Kitchen. It is described as a chef’s barroom serving Southern food, as well as more than 200 whiskeys, wine and beer.

Wake County Restaurant News

And if that is not enough downtown Raleigh food news for you, thanks to a tip from Matthew Andrako, we learned that Living Kitchen is now open at 555 Fayetteville St., in the Charter Square building. Living Kitchen is described as an organic, plant-based, and mostly raw restaurant that first opened in Charlotte, NC.

Also in Raleigh, H-Street Kitchen opened its doors this week on Hillsborough Street in the old Varsity Theatre.

In north Raleigh, got word from James Borden’s Development Beat that permits were issued for a new location of the Metro Diner, once featured on the Guy Fieri show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." The Metro will soon be opening in the Fresh Market-anchored Sutton Square shopping center on Falls of Neuse Road. The chain has 12 locations in Florida, and a handful more across east coast states.

Over in Cary, Gonza Tacos Y Tequila announced via their Facebook page that they are opening their 5th location - this one in Cary’s Waverly Place. Look for them to open in the spring 2017.

And down in Garner, the police chief himself, Chief Zuidema, shared via Twitter that both a Chipotle and Famous Toastery are coming to the White Oak shopping center near the intersection of Highway 70 and Interstate 40.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

We got word from Charlie Farris and Clint Winslow that they have set a date of Wednesday, Aug.17, for the opening of their third Jersey Mike’s location - this one near the intersection of Hwy. 54 and Interstate 40 in the Falconbridge shopping center just down from Mardi Gras bowling. Congrats to Charlie & Clint.

Closings

None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

The next edition of the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo (evening edition) is this Sunday, August 7th from 4 to 9pm. Over 50 trucks from across NC. Please note the evening hours.

And a couple of new food trucks have hit the streets of the Triangle. The first is Spanglish which features Puerto Rican food with southern charm. The other new food truck is called Las Gringas and features authentic Mexican food.

Events

The 10th anniversary edition of Beer, Bourbon and BBQ returns returns to the Triangle this weekend. Head to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheater for 60 beers, 40 bourbons and all the barbecue you can eat!

On Aug. 8, both locations of Sassool Mediterranean Cafe will celebrate the birthday of their namesake, Cecilia “Sassool” Saleh. The day will feature lots of activities and special menu items, with a percentage of sales being donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation for cancer. Get info about the Raleigh and Cary locations.

The good folks over at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance recently announced the dates for the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant week - it will be held this year August 15-21. Go ahead and mark your calendar.

Got word that Panciuto is hosting an outdoor cookout on Aug. 16 to benefit Girls Rock NC! Noodles, pork tacos, beer and rock 'n' roll - all for a good cause. What more do you want? The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Eno River Farmers’ Market Pavilion and tickets are $50. Reserve tickets by calling Panciuto at 919-732-6261.

Piedmont’s new executive chef John May will welcome chef Jay Pierce of The Marshall Free House in Greensboro for a seven-course celebration of sustainably raised NC shrimp on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m.. The $65 per person menu is also available with beer pairings for $85. Contact 919-683-1213 for reservations.

Tickets to TerraVita are now on sale. And you better jump fast, as many of these events will (and are already) sell out soon. Trust me. If you aren’t familiar with TerraVita, it is arguably the premier “foodie event” in the southeast and it will take place Sept. 28 through Oct. 1 right here in Chapel Hill. In a nutshell, it is a multi-day celebration that brings together top chefs, food artisans, sommeliers, baristas, brewers, educators, distillers, cookbook authors and industry luminaries from across the Southeast to celebrate culinary excellence and sustainability in food and drink.

The 2016 North Carolina Chef Showdown, featuring some of the most creative chefs from around North Carolina, will take place on Aug. 29. It will be held in conjunction with the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Expo taking place in Raleigh. The event will feature 12 savory chefs and four pastry chefs from across the state who will compete for the titles NCRLA Chef and Pastry Chef of the Year. Tickets are on sale now through Aug. 15 for $125.

The third annual Triangle Oktoberfest will take place at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Sept. 23 and 24. Enjoy family-friendly activities such as music from the Little German Band, dancing, traditional Bavarian food and fare, wiener dog races, “Rock-toberfest” concerts by Four Founders and West Street Band, children’s play area, and prizes for German attire. Children 16 and younger are free. Friday tickets: $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. Saturday tickets: $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.

Food Bank Corner

We are delighted to share that the final results are in and, thanks to you, we've met the goal of providing 3.3 million meals through our Stop Summer Hunger food and funds drive! Your generosity, along with an outpouring of support from compassionate folks just like you, ensured that children had meals and families had groceries for the past several weeks and will continue to receive the support they need until school resumes again. Thank you for helping to provide relief to those we serve, thank you for your partnership, and thank you for your kind support. We are truly grateful! See the results here.