Plaza Cafe Open
The Plaza Cafe is now open. It is located in the base of the Progress Energy I tower.
In other news, assembly is going smoothly on the plaza’s pavilions and light towers. As seen in one of the photos, the towers have a brushed chrome finish and will be topped with swirly metal masses with triangular hoods.
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Top 50 Food Magazine Puts Triangle in Nutshell
This morning Dean at the
VarmintBites
site had a good find. Last month Andrea Weigl at the N&O put together a mini magazine highlighting the
Top 50 food places and icons in the Triangle
. It is an excellent collection for newcomers and natives alike.
After perusing the publication, it becomes apparent that this area has an excellent food scene; so much so that 50 items really doesn’t cover the whole story! There is no mention of Scott Howell, George Bakatsias, the Greek Festival, Fins, 42nd Street, Fiesta Grill, An, Goodberry’s, and Chapel Hill Food Group. That’s not a criticism of the publication, however, just a statement about how good things really are in this area. My only criticism is the inclusion of Allen & Son BBQ, which is quite possibly the only inedible pork I’ve ever encountered.
Great job, Andrea!
Raleigh To Get Solar Plant
It looks like Raleigh will be the first city in North Carolina to get a solar plant of this kind:
Progress Energy Carolinas has signed an agreement with Southern Energy and NxGen Power to build, own and operate a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) array and sell the output to Progress Energy Carolinas for distribution to its customers. The proposed PV array would be located on City of Raleigh property at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant (NRWWTP).
The project, which was approved by the Raleigh City Council, will be the first utility-scale solar power project located on local government property in North Carolina. This is also the fifth and largest solar array project announced by Progress Energy Carolinas, bringing the total amount of solar-generated electricity scheduled to be purchased by the company to more than 5 megawatts.
“We are committed to aggressively and responsibly pursuing renewable energy resources, such as solar power, as part of a balanced approach to meeting our region’s growing energy demand,” said Lloyd Yates, president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Carolinas. “This project continues our long history of partnering with local communities, and we are pleased to help advance this innovative technology.”
The Raleigh City Council voted unanimously July 7, 2009, to authorize city staff to begin negotiating a lease agreement with Southern Energy and NxGen Power for about 10 acres at the NRWWTP, located at the northwest corner of Brownfield and Battlebridge roads. No city capital investment will be required for this project. The lease agreement will return to the Raleigh City Council for a final vote later this year.
Delbert McClinton to Headline Raleigh Wide Open 4
Yesterday Mayor Meeker announced that Delbert McClinton will be headlining the day-long Raleigh Wide Open 4 festival to be held October 24. The celebration of downtown’s revival this year focuses on the new City Plaza, which will officially open at Noon the day before, Friday October 23.
The Umstead Presents Entomology Artist Marley
The
Umstead Hotel & Spa
(warning: music) recently began a fascinating exhibit in its Art + Nature Series. The artist is
Christopher Marley
, a renowned entomologist, who sources rare butterflies and insects from all over the world and creates art with them.
Marley will be here July 16 th to give an illustrated talk about his world travels in pursuit of artful butterflies and insects. Mingle with Chris and other guests for an interactive discussion about his work, inspirations and technique. There will be wine, light hors d’oeuvres and a glimpse into this artist’s passion for the living world.
The event will take place on Thursday, July 16 th from 5:30-7:30pm. Space is limited and tickets cost $35 per person. Call 919-447-4065 by July 14 th to reserve your spot.
As part of the event, The Umstead Hotel and Spa is offering a special rate for all Art + Nature Lecture attendees of $129. To make a guestroom reservation, call the hotel (919-447-4050) and mention booking code “BUGS0709”.
Marley’s exhibit will be on display through mid-August, and art tours are available upon request.
7C’s Cafe Replaces SuperKroger’s Bear Rock
Recently the Bear Rock Cafe in Creekside Crossing (the SuperKroger shopping center at Six Forks and Wake Forest Roads) closed and was replaced by
7C’s Cafe
(Warning: music –
I wonder if they paid royalties for that licensed, haggard music on their site
!).
The menu
(warning: music) features sandwiches and salads inspired by “a world of cultures”. Prices generally hover in the $7 to $9 range for lunch, and jump a few dollars at dinner. I haven’t gotten a chances to dine there, but I will surely try their grilled ham & cheese, shrimp po’boy, and American Southwest grilled chicken sandwich.
In the meantime I’ll try to figure out the meaning of the restaurant’s name, and the literal use of “c” instead of “sea”.
(
I’m an idiot
)
Time Warner Cable Rolls Out Start Over
Yesterday Time Warner Cable rolled out a new service called Start Over. It allows viewers to restart a select program from the beginning even if they didn’t record it. Currently the service is only available on the following channels:
- Boomerang
- Biography
- Fine Living
- Fox Movie Channel
- Hallmark Channel
- National Geographic
- Noggin
- Showtime
- TMC
- TruTV
When tuning to one of these channels mid-show, a window pops up and offers users a chance to watch from the beginning. Start Over is completely independent of one’s DVR functions, so it does not include fast forward functions the DVRs possess.
The service is likely to not only roll out to other channels soon, but will probably eventually become the “cloud DVR” service that will replace today’s DVRs. This would simplify TWC’s user equipment operations as well as allow them to placate Hollywood by giving TWC the power to inhibit fast forwarding through commercials. Users would benefit because they wouldn’t have to worry about storage space or remembering to record shows in advance. They will just be able to pick shows from menus. Users also wouldn’t have to exchange equipment at the TWC office. The premium cloud DVR service could simply be activated over the network.
N.C. State Fair Announces Concert Lineup
Today the N.C. State Fair announced its concert lineup for this year’s big event. It includes, well, two people that I’ve heard of:
- Thu, Oct. 15: Jason Michael Carroll $5
- Fri, Oct. 16: Third Day $15
- Sat, Oct 17: Kellie Pickler $10
- Sun, Oct. 18: Nat & Alex Wolff $10
- Mon, Oct. 19: Jamey Johnson $5
- Tue, Oct. 20: The Temptations $10
- Wed, Oct. 21: Julianne Hough $5
- Thu, Oct. 22: TBA
- Fri, Oct. 23: Jeremy Camp and Tenth Avenue North $10
- Sat, Oct. 24: Blake Shelton $10
- Sun, Oct. 25: Eric Church $5
Ticket charges are in addition to general admission to the State Fair. Tickets will be available on August 3 at 10am. Advance ride tickets are also available on line.
Serena’s Song to Return to Raleigh
July 12 marks the return of
Serena’s Song
to Raleigh. The wheelchair-accessible hot air balloon will be offering free rides to those with disabilities on July 12 from 5:30 to 8:30 at Spring Forest Road Park.
Aerosmith Postpones
Due to an “artist injury”, the Aerosmith, ZZ Top concerts for Raleigh’s Walnut Creek (tomorrow night) and Charlotte have been postponed. This is not a permanent vacation, as a new date will be announced soon. Tickets for these show will be honored at the rescheduled dates for fans who don’t want to miss a thing.
George’s Garage Shuts Doors
It’s been a nice 15 year ride for George’s Garage , but according to TBJ , the restaurant has closed. The restaurant’s website reports that a bold, new concept” will be coming soon to the space. Giorgios Bakatsias’ group has historically been focused on Durham and Orange Counties, though it did have one restaurant for a couple of years once upon a time in North Raleigh, Cafe Giorgios. Currently the group includes Parizade (yum), Vita , Vin Rouge , Nasher Museum Cafe , Bin Fifty-Four , Spice Street , and G Loft Lounge .
Any Specials Tonight?
Raleigh Specials Tonight
is a new website focused on corralling all of the daily specials in Raleigh, especially downtown, in one spot. The site just started last month, and has a nice collection of data so far. There is a lot of promise here, as daily specials throughout the Triangle often go unappreciated.
Charlie Goodnights Offers Free Shows
Voted as one of the “Ten Great Places to Sit Down and Watch Stand-Up” by USA Today , Goodnight’s Comedy Club is offering some free shows monthly through the end of the year to keep customers laughing straight through the recession.
The Goodnight’s Free For All shows will be held one day each month beginning in July. The dates and show headliners are as follows:
- Sunday, July 12 – John Kirby
- Wednesday, Aug. 19 – Open Mic All-Stars
- Sunday, Sept. 20 – Greg Warren
- Sunday, Oct. 25 – Brad Reeder
- Sunday, Nov. 29 – Ronnie Bullard
- Sunday, Dec. 20 – Brian Shirley
Brad Reeder, owner of Goodnight’s Comedy Club, said he hopes the free shows will help lift morale in the community when there is an abundance of bad news about the economy.
“Laughter is the best medicine, and everyone deserves a chance to leave the negative news behind and enjoy themselves for a night,” Reeder said.
Goodnight’s Free For All tickets are now available, and can be reserved by calling the box office at (919) 828-5233 or visiting www.goodnightscomedy.com . Free For All tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with a limit of four tickets per order.
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