There has been a little bit of news recently announced about some restaurants in the area.

• Bentley’s, in the parking lot of the Target in Cary, has closed. Restaurant owner Lou Moshakos has not announced a new concept for the place, but said that he has been working hard expanding his Carolina Ale House concept and dealing with his food group’s recent acquisitions of several Wilmington restaurants. Perhaps an Eddie Romanelli’s would go well in that space???
• The rooftop Carolina Ale House planned for the former Pine State office building will open this coming Summer, according to TBJ .
• Canteen 18, a Southwest concept by 18 Seaboard owner Jason Smith, will open in March in the former Nowell’s space in Cameron Village.
• Chick-Fil-A’s long-awaited store in Cameron Village has been completely replanned, according to Sue Stock’s Friday column. Instead of being in the former dry cleaner’s location behind McDonald’s, the store will instead be built in the Rite-Aid parking lot, at the corner of Cameron and Woodburn. This will work much better than the other site, as the site plan called for bizarre routing of the drive-thru traffic. I guess we can put those Harris Teeter to Cameron/Woodburn rumors to rest?
• Fins has closed, and will reopen as “ bu*ku ” this week. They plan on serving “global street food” (which probably means that I will spend a ton of money and leave hungry, if it is like every other tapas place I’ve been to.) Of grave concern is this passage on their website. If this is going to be anything but another loud (very loud) Red Room, I’ll be surprised. I usually like to keep my head-bobbing places separate from my $30-a-head restaurants, but I’ll certainly give it a try!
  • A dynamic, urban approach to late night food and entertainment will invite guests to take in an act over dessert and a nightcap; or healthy, fresh street-food fare in a casual upscale setting, as local and touring DJs, artists and bands welcome night-owls to bob their heads, sing along or dance to progressive and traditional sounds and beats .
• Sawasdee , a fantastic Thai restaurant, has opened a second location. It is in Pleasant Valley Promenade on Glenwood Avenue, in the former location of Gino Russo’s and Sedona.
• Solas is now serving brunch on Sundays.
• Feeling a little New Orleans in your blood? Battistella’s Kitchen has reopened in the former Ramada Inn, high on the hill overlooking the Glenwood Ave/I-440 interchange (access via Arrow Dr. from inbound Glenwood Ave.)
• Briggs Hardware (Atlantic/Six Forks) is now stocking cheeses and dressings from the Angus Barn’s gift shop.
• Bloomsbury Bistro has revived their 3-course tasting menu thru February 11, which is one of the best deals in Raleigh. For $50 per couple, each person gets an appetizer and full-size entree of their choice, as well as a Bistro Dessert Sampler (featuring 4 different items) for two. The offer is only available to members of “ Toler’s Table ”, the restaurant’s VIP club. Signup is free and available through the Bistro’s website.