Tilted Kilt Coming to North Raleigh
Arizona-based chain Tilted Kilt is coming to the former Cooker and Taste of Thai location in North Raleigh. After a careful review of the Celtic-themed restaurant and pub, they are obviously obsessed about two things…and maybe the food. Classy.
Vesuvio’s Coming to Peachtree Market
Vesuvio’s
a casual Italian restaurant based in Roxboro, is set to open the newest restaurant in North Raleigh’s Peachtree Market. The restaurant will take the space formerly occupied by Bear Rock Café, Atlanta Bread Co., and CD Superstore. It difficult to tell if
the menu
(.pdf) will feature low-cost items such as pizza, stromboli, hot subs, etc or if the focus will be on
nice dinner entrees
. We’ll see in the spring!
Preview Ford Focus Electric on Saturday
Tomorrow (Saturday) the McDonald’s at 1299 Kildaire Farms Road will host a special visit from Ford with its
2012 Ford Focus Electric
, the company’s first ever all-electric passenger car. The event runs from 11am thru 3pm, so UNC fans will need to budget their time wisely.
The Cary McDonald’s opened in July 2009 with the restaurant’s first electric charging station, and the Dec. 3 event will showcase a newly upgraded CT 2000 Level II version. Other activities planned include free products from Burt’s Bees, holiday crafts, face painting and balloon art as well as a raffle to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Durham.
Raleigh is one of the first U.S. markets slated to receive the Focus Electric in 2012. Ford recently recognized the city for being among the 25 EV ready markets in the U.S. The Focus Electric initial markets were chosen based on several different criteria including existing hybrid purchase trends, utility company collaboration and local government commitment to electrification.
Chad D’Arcy, Ford Motor Company’s Focus Electric Marketing Manager, will be present to answer consumer and media questions about the vehicle. Additionally Crossroads Ford of Cary will also display hybrid and fuel efficient gasoline engine vehicles currently available in the Raleigh/Cary market.
Jolly’s Closing After 130 Years
Today
WRAL reported
that one of Raleigh’s oldest retail business will shut its doors.
Jolly’s Jewelers
opened its doors in 1881, but Frank Jolly Ragsdale is retiring, according to the report, and the business will close.
I have mixed emotions here. I was always a big fan of Ragsdale’s brother-in-law, the late Jerry Young, and followed him from Jolly’s in North Hills Mall to his own store in Cameron Village. He sold that store to Rocky Mount’s Clyde Bailey, and it still remains an excellent store. In the face of Cameron Village’s shift toward more chain retailers, Ragsdale moved Jolly’s to a showcase location in the new North Hills as one of the center’s first tenants. The location was highly visible and made a great statement about both the quality of shopping in North Hills and the center’s dedication to local retailers. However the interior of the store always felt awkward and cold, and I only entered one time.
Emotions aside, it is easy to believe that the jewelry business is terrible now. The price of gold ( chart ) has skyrocketed more than 700% in the last ten years. Couple that with a poor economy and you get a one-two punch that is sending many local dealers out of business.
Some also ponder the viability of brick & mortar retail in a shopping center like North Hills which is notorious for high ( really high) rents. We recently saw Tyler House’s closing, and one has to wonder if the dam isn’t finally breaking on the backs of many other high-end retailers.
What comes next for the space in North Hills? Another Italian restaurant? Just kidding. I always thought that corner would have been perfect location for a two-story Barnes & Noble as nice as Triangle Town Center’s. Alas B&N’s mistaken evaluation of the market (even before Amazon starting slicing them to pieces) concluded that the pitiful Crabtree store is enough for this part of Raleigh. Ironically a private book store just opened next door to Jolly’s, but I wouldn’t bet on their ability to expand into Jolly’s space.
Most likely another jeweler will take the space. Until that time, Jolly’s will begin their store clearance sale tomorrow.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Coming to RBC Center
David Menconi just reported that on Friday, January 27, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will return to the RBC Center. Reports are that the Peppers were good on the last tour (in stark contrast the the incredibly awful concert at Walnut Creek in ?2000? when the Foo Fighters blew them out of the water. Whatever happed to that “Taste The Pain”, Fugazi-covering band we loved so much, anyway?).
No Mo – Canes Pull Trigger
Today the Carolina Hurricanes released coach Paul Maurice. The first and third coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, going 384-391-145 with the team for 920 games. Word is that Kirk Muller will be the new hire coming later today.
Joel Lane Hosts “Colonial Christmas”
On Saturday, December 3, 2011, the Joel Lane Museum House will present “A Colonial Christmas” Open House. The house will be decorated with traditional greenery and will reflect the very different way in which colonists and early Americans celebrated the Christmas holiday. Information about the house and grounds will be offered by costumed docents; re-enactors will demonstrate scenes of 18 th -century life; the sounds of live music will fill the air; and other interpreters will entertain children using colonial games and crafts through the “Hands-on History” program.
The event runs 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and admission is free (donations requested).
Worlds Toughest Rodeo Returning to RBC Center
On Saturday, January 21, the
Worlds Toughest Rodeo
will come to the RBC Center. Tickets are on sale and range from $15 to $90.
City of Raleigh Collecting Used Cooking Oil, Grease
From the City of Raleigh website :
Looking for a way to get rid of all that cooking oil and grease left over from your Thanksgiving dinner? You can take advantage of the City of Raleigh’s curbside grease collection program.
For the third consecutive year, the City of Raleigh is collecting used grease and oils from residences and places of worship in the Capital City during the holiday season. To arrange for curbside collection of these materials, call the City’s Solid Waste Services Department at 996-6890 . The department is closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday but is open the rest of this week including Friday.The City of Raleigh is collecting the unwanted grease or cooking oil at no charge. The collected grease is converted to biofuels by Triangle Biofuels Industries.
The goal of the curbside grease collection program is to protect the environment by keeping cooking grease out of the City’s sewer system and preventing sewer overflows. In order to be collected, the oil must be placed in a sealable and preferably clear plastic container marked as “used cooking oil.” The curbside grease collection program ends on Jan. 13.
Lady Antebellum Coming to Raleigh
Mark your calendars! On Friday, June 8,
Lady Antebellum
will play an undetermined venue in Raleigh.
Clarkson/Nathanson Coming to DPAC
On January 31 the original American Idol,
Kelly Clarkson
, will play the DPAC in Durham. Matt Nathanson opens.
Tickets
start at $68.
Herbie Hancock Coming to UNC
On Thursday, March 22, modern jazz great Herbie Hancock returns to the area. The show will be at UNC’s Memorial Hall. It appears tickets are not yet available to the public, but the information
should appear here
when they are.
Elvis Costello Reschedules DPAC Date
There is good news for those hoping to see Elvis Costello back in September. He has
rescheduled the concert
to April 29.
Tickets
are on sale now.
Recent Stories
- North Carolina Loses The Great Teacher February 9, 2015
- City Lays Markings for Currituck Obstacle Course February 4, 2015
- History Making Heels and Wolfpack Prepare for Battle January 14, 2015
- 25 Predictions for 2015 January 5, 2015
- Raleigh’s 10 Biggest Stories of 2014 January 2, 2015
- 2014: The Rain Year January 2, 2015
- Tupelo Honey Sets New Casual Standard December 1, 2014
- 2013 Predictions. A Look Back November 18, 2014
- Wicked Taco Bringing Fresh-Mex to Western Blvd November 17, 2014
- DOT Unveils I-440 Widening Plans November 12, 2014
- County Power Shift Brings Major Changes to Raleigh’s Future November 5, 2014
- Jarrett Bay Store Coming to Crabtree September 25, 2014
- FirstWatch Coming to Glenwood Avenue September 9, 2014
- Big Shindig Releases Set Times September 5, 2014
- Appearance Commission to Review Residence Inn September 3, 2014
