Downtown Raleigh retail updates

[carynative]

Gandolfos is great, but I'm concerned that the fence around the RBC site will deter people from visiting. The guy at America's Pita Grill said they would be revising their menu soon. They've recently renovated the interior, and it looks much better. The sign for Dos Toquitos is still up on Wilmington Street.

[Tayfromcarolina]

I think between Yancey's and Fins there will be some serious eating going on. lol. Fins may be a bit pricey though from what I've seen and heard. Yanceys is supposedly going to have an lunch buffet for like $ 8 dollars or something like that. If so fins may have to watch out.

Also Bank of America is getting a upscale eatery also. Renovations are underway througout the lobby of that building.

[ncwebguy]

I also forgot the Mint in One Exchange. It doesn't look like much is going on there.... I have been waiting for a sign as to what is going into BoA, but so far, just the construction.

Has anyone heard anything about "The Kitchen" that was going in the old Heilig-Levine building next to Riveara? It seems that has been slow, and the fence isn't going away on Hargett any time soon either.

Yesterday I also noticed *two* "financing by RBC" signs on F Street -- in the old Halmark Space and (I think) next to the Capitol Room. Good to see them stepping up to the plate in downtown revitalization efforts!

[tjoad]

I asked Ms. Christensen about it at Raleigh Times the other night but she didn't seem too sure about The Kitchen being at that spot. They might be looking for something else to fill up that spot.

[carynative]

That area has the potential to draw from a large lunch crowd from the state govt complex (there are practically no places for lunch down there) and from the federal courthouse areas as its a very close, convenient walk from there.

[ChiefJoJo]

Morning Times is now open on Sunday's too--ignore what the website says.

I went by Crema yesterday and it was empty in the afternoon, pretty good coffee though.

[RaleighRob]

Morning Times is now open on Sunday's too--ignore what the website says.

That's cool...I'm always looking for new brunch places for the weekend.

[RaleighRob]

^^ Just tried it. For some reason, I was expecting (based on the name) for the place to have a more substantial breakfast/brunch menu. It's basically just a coffee house in reality. A bagel here, a muffin there, but that's it.

Nice though. Maybe I'll go again if I just want coffee or a snack.

[ChiefJoJo]

BTW, I noticed Sidetrack Brewpub has a website up!!! Looks like they still need investors to meet the schedule of opening by March 07. That is about 2 blocks from my place. I sure hope they can make it by spring, because it's a really cool spot overlooking DT and is right across the street from Bloomsbury Estates and a short walk from Boylan Heights. This place has potential.

Nice view and outdoor patio:

[ncwebguy]

The Morning Times houses Times Bar's kitchen, so they could have a more substantial breakfast menu -- eggs, fruit, pancakes, waffles, breakfast meats, etc. -- but seems happy to be just a coffee shop with pastries and bagels. Crema will start offering this soon, if they are not already, as well.

If the Bloomsbury people were smart, they'd invest in Sidetrack to make sure nothing gets built into the air above it! If Sidetrack delivers what they're promising on their menu, it could be a good "comfort food" restaurant not present downtow for dinner (unlike Big Ed's).

[ChiefJoJo]

Big Easy is now open for lunch and dinner!

[Justin6882]

^Went by there for lunch today - wasn't all that crowded, but the menu is pretty extensive - New Orleans style dishes as well as sandwiches/hamburgers. A lot of specialty drinks as well. The food I had was okay, the club (can't really mess that up) - and a friend of mine got the shrimp po boy, it was a little on the cool side.

The servers just need a little time to warm up and they'll be much better, I'm sure. I'll give this place another try at dinner time, hopefully the ambiance will be a little better then as well.

[ncwebguy]

I walked by last night and saw three people at the bar. The menu posted on the window leaned toward sandwiches and appetizers. I don't know if that was just the lunch menu, or if dinner will offer more of that and less entrees. I also realized how close Big Easy and Slims are to each other.

Yancey's has signs in the window discussing their "philsophy" -- $8 lunch buffet, reasonable dinner prices, a sunday brunch with entertainment, and a friendly atmosphere. I hope they can deliver!! They don't have tables in place, but seem to be far along with the kitchen, etc.

Fins has started putting in walls, etc. but appears to be a few months from opening.

There are now *three* coffee shops open on Sundays near F Street -- Morning Times (open every day till 5 now), Crema (open till 5 on Sunday I think, open till 10 Friday and Saturday), and Port City Java, open till 3 on Sunday, and 10 Friday and Saturday.

[Jones_]

Went by Capital Grocery tonight....while its not really downtown, imo, more like Cameron is to downtown, I want to stress to everyone how important it is to help out the little guy...the store is well stocked with most things you could need, and it is very tidy...its fairly slow there now so it beats waiting in line at HT or fighting for parking at HT or Fresh Market. I plan on being a regular and hope everyone who lives downtown, or in Oakwood, Mordecai, Boylan Heights or vicinity, will make the trip....btw, the Mahi looked way better than anywhere else, and the wine selection was pretty good (sorry Seaboard!). Seaboard station is important to downtown, but perhaps needs several condo and apartment buildings nearby....oh duh, Blount St will solve that....

[tjoad]

Anyone know what's going on at the old Est Est Est?

[ChiefJoJo]

I might have to check out the Capital Grocery today.

[ChiefJoJo]

N&O Article on the Seaboard Station complex.

[Justin6882]

Anyone know what's going on at the old Est Est Est?

I walked by there yesterday and it didn't look like anything was going on. They put up the brown paper after they closed the restaurant down.

[ChiefJoJo]

I've gotta think it won't be long before someone moves in that space.

[RaleighRob]

I might have to check out the Capital Grocery today.

I finally got a chance to try it out. Its big plusses are that it has a good location and the size makes it ideal for quick running in to get last minute items. A good community grocery, overall.

However, I did have my diasspointments in it.

I was kinda surprised at the huge number of items I could not find there! Plus items that I could find, but I usually buy cheaper store brand versions at other grocery stores (like colas for example)...and this place does not have that, therefore I paid higher for those items than I normally would have. In particular the produce section was quite lacking and tiny, and they really really need to increase the frozen food options.

I realize they are smaller and will not have everything a Harris Teeter, or even a Whole Foods, will have. But there was actually a good amount of unused space that they could fit in more items.

In the 21st century, a grocery store cannot survive without a large amount of variety...that's just a fact.

Hopefully, they'll improve upon this soon.

[ChiefJoJo]

Yancey's just opened this week BTW. The Indy has a good article on Fins, which is opening a new location at PE II at the corner of Wilmington and Davie...

A second Fins will be opening this spring at Two Progress Plaza at the corner of Davie and Wilmington streets in downtown Raleigh. Lisa D'Auvray likes to call them Fins/South and Fins/North, but they may change the North Raleigh location to something like Fins Japanese. (Fins Dorsal, maybe?) Fins/North will have to adapt when its younger sibling arrives: "We'll make it more approachable, lower the price point, change the focus a little bit on the food, more geared toward Japanese." (But it might be harder to get D'Auvray's personal attention for that tasting menu: Go now!)

The downtown spot will seat 275, three times that of the current restaurant, and boast a much larger bar. D'Auvray has put a lot of investment in the kitchen: "I don't want any limitations."

[ChiefJoJo]

I noticed Prime Only is now open in the former South End Brewery space.

[tjoad]

Looks like Club Mosquito is now open in the warehouse district.

http://www.clubmosquito.com/

[ncwebguy]

Last night I finally ate at The Big Easy. It has a *ton* of character for a former Hardees location. The red beans and rice I got was really good, and the service was attentive without being agressive. This may be due to the fact that there were only six or seven other people there at 8 on a Monday. It would be more interesting if the staff had a hint of New Orleans -- I asked if I should get the red beans and rice or the half shrimp/half oyster po' boy and was told "they're both good" instead of "red beans and rice on Monday is a tradition." They changed the one tv from the State/Michigan basketball game to Monday Night Football, but that may have been at the request of the two people at the bar.

I walked by Mosquito and it seemed closed, though I was on the Harrington side. A lot of downtown was quiet, which may be due to the fact that people rarely go out on Mondays. Yancy's had the most people anywhere outside of Glenwood South, a few more than Woody's City Market. I didn't feel dressed up enough to go in, wearing jeans and a rugby shirt.

Also open is a high-end cookie store in City Market, between Tony's Cafe and the alley to the parking lot. They have coffee and drinks, but no seating. It seems to be a cookie version of Peche Chocolate and Wine, serving walk-in customers and corporate/gift giving customers.

October Station, a high end restaurant/bar is open/close to opening in 510 Glenwood, where Crazy Vine was for a few months. On the west side of West Street between North and Tucker, Primp Salonbar, a chiropractor, and The Dirty (fronts Tucker) are open, but none were open around 9:30 Monday night. There were a few people at Times Bar, the Capitol Room, and

Vic's.

For construction/destruction, the auto repair shop on Glenwood next to Helios was leveled, 222 looks like they are starting to pour supports or a foundation, and the crew at RBC Plaza was loud. The plywood has come off the fence on the Hargett side of the Heilig-Levine complex. The storefronts look really well done, but there was no "coming soon" or "available" signs in the windows. However, there is an "available" sign in the old Ladies' fashion store at the SW corner of Hargett and Wilmington. Work is ongoing in the nearby former bail bonds place. Dos Taquitos Centro has plenty of seating upstairs, which I don't think was utilized as Sunrise Biscuit Station.

[Justin6882]

That "October Station" website is ridiculous.