tjoad

There is an auction at the old The Warehouse on Cabarrus. I was not aware the City of Raleigh is buying the building, but according to Auctioneer's site it is. One of Raleigh's familiar nightspots has reached the end. The City of Raleigh is buying the building and we have been instructed to EMPTY THE BUILDING. We will be selling everything not involved in the closing, along with a truckload of beautiful equipment from a Guilford County restaurant recently closed (name withheld by request of the seller). I don't know if this is old news but it seems like a prime place for a RFP, even if the economy is in a slump.

Geary wrote an interesting article in the current Independent where he talks about Raleigh's budget. In it he points out how Crowder is proposing building the CEL Public Safety Center at the Reynolds Tower spot, if the Reynolds don't meet the deadline: ...Councilor Thomas Crowder, a Democrat, is eyeing a different downtown location for the central station. It's "the hole in the ground" on Hillsborough Street (opposite the Clarion Hotel) where developer Ted Reynolds has been unable to get a high-rise hotel-condominium project started during the seven years he's had options to buy the land from the city. It will be available in a few months if Reynolds' latest option expires and the city doesn't renew it, Crowder notes. Building there, he says, would save the city an estimated $6 million that Allen has budgeted to relocate the police temporarily while the current station is being replaced. Crowder's idea: Don't tear the old one down until the new one (on Hillsborough Street) is finished; then, sell the old one, with its prime location facing Nash Square, to a residential developer.

A new rendering for the proposed highrise at Clark & Oberlin from the TBJ.

Thaiphoon? The name alone will probably keep me from going there...

Cameron Village could soon expand ...a new project is being discussed this time even closer to Cameron Village at the (northeast) intersection of Oberlin Road and Clark Avenue. Buildings could range in height from 5 to 9 stories. "They're proposing nearly 300 units residential, 28,000 feet of retail," City Council Member, Russ Stephenson said. I was just talking about the lack of a residential element to CV, and here I find this . I really hope this happens, but it's still in the very early stages. I'm not sure who the developer is but they seem to be very willing to listen to what the neighborhood has to say, as they have already had public meetings. I have a hunch it will be closer to the 5 stories than to the 9.

NewRaleigh is reporting that Tasca Brava has opened in the former Bistro 607 spot. Next door, Brooklyn Heights Bar is also open. It seems certain Tasca Brava menu items will be available there from 5-9 pm. I had not heard anything about this switch and it's a shame Bistro 607 had to close. I think this is Tasca Brava's second relocation in the last few years? I hope this location works for them.

JK's was along Lassiter Mill, where the pedestrian crossing is. Ruth's Chris should open up there in July. I've heard they're looking for someone local for the Renaissance restaurant space.

You are correct sir. Village Tavern must be going to NH East. The only option in the current North Hills is the vacant Mama Fu's space, which I doubt would work for them.

1705 Prime has closed. Rocky Top Hospitality closed 1705Prime this week and will turn the North Raleigh space into a catering operation. The switch from Michael Dean's to 1705 Prime is something I can't understand. I suppose they had their reasons but I guess we will not know what they were. Now it's going to be a catering operation, which is understandable. However, what a waste of a beautiful restaurant space!

It's actually called Sono. Soma is from that Aldous Huxley novel .

From the N&O this last Saturday: In Raleigh, Rita's Water Ice will open this fall in the Shoppes at Oberlin Court, at 1028 Oberlin Road.

You mean Mura? They're owned by the same guy.

I had no idea Sono was open already. I'll check them out soon. In other news, another loss for Cameron Village. Apparently The Grape has closed. Here's the brief mention of it in the article: On a sad note, The Grape has closed after a year and a half in Cameron Village. The combination restaurant/wine bar/retail wine shop was the only Triangle area franchise of an Atlanta-based chain with a novel system of categorizing wines by a color-coded system according to their flavor profiles. I never went to The Grape because of all the bad things I heard about their service and management (or lack thereof). The concept itself was not the problem.

I've wondered why they went through the whole renovation and name change. Foster's seemed to be doing very well. Their block parties alone brought in huge crowds. I've heard comments from people who worked at Nelson's that these 'mechanical problems' are more financial in nature. The fact that they were not open for Valentine's Day (THE holiday for restaurants) sounds like there were some serious issues. Jmho.

Neomonde rumor is true!