Speedwagon, Benatar Coming to Cary
Heard it from a friend who heard it from another that on Thursday, September 2, Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre will host REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar. Don’t waste precious time getting tickets. They are $59.50 for reserved, $39.50 for lawn in advance.
Jason’s Deli Replacing Bear Rock at Crossroads
Great news for Crossroads Plaza in Cary! The Crossroads location of Bear Rock Cafe is the latest to close in the faltering chain. Luckily, though, the space will be occupied in the late spring by Jason’s Deli.
Meat House Brings First Rate Butcher Shop
It’s been at least eight long years since I walked into a retail store and was awestruck. That period of time ended when I recently visited The Meat House. The store is a national chain of butcher shops, but don’t be fooled. There isn’t a local merchant within at least 30 miles (maybe hundreds more) that remotely comes close to delivering the incredible product I saw.
The heart of the store is its meat counter, where a myriad of fresh meats are presented for the picking. Seafood is not available (except for some megashrimp), but pork, poultry, and a slew of red meat options are. I counted 10 variations on “steak”. The store also stocks a deep supply of frozen, difficult-to-find items such as venison, pheasant, duck, fois gras, ostrich, and more.
The Meat House is more than just a meat counter, though, as the specialty grocery items are larger in scope than expected. A new kind of tortilla chips I haven’t seen are delicious, as well as the three accompanying sample dips displayed (I especially liked the artichoke dip). The store also stocks prepared meals from Cafe 121 in Sanford. The meat prices are more in line with the Fresh Market, so it is noticeably cheaper than Whole Foods.
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While the Meat House’s standard meat counter is unmatched in the eastern half of the Triangle, the store really shines with its semi-prepared foods. I counted 25 different marinated meats, pinwheel steaks, kebabs, and the like. The store has a grill outside, and they constantly keep a chafing dish with two samples going at all times. I have tried 5 items now and each has been incredible. The chicken wings and the Sundried Tomato and Herb-marinated Chicken were fantastic, and so were a couple of marinated beef tips. The Burgundy Wine marinated Beef Tips, however, were so remarkable I have thought about them while trying to sleep. Not only are the marinades excellent for these items, but the quality and tenderness of the meat is so good that it shines through even the strong marinades.
If the store is a success, the owners will continue their pursuit of a North Raleigh location. I sent along my recommendation (of going in where Blockbuster on Wake Forest Road was), and it appears that their site selection criteria are on par with what will be a true success for Raleigh one day. The nearby Trader Joe’s opened with much fanfare a couple of years ago. However I never felt it was worth the drive to Cary. The Meat House, on the other hand, undoubtedly is.
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Patty Smyth and Scandal Coming to Cary
On April 15, Patty Smyth and Scandal will be playing at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary.
Rey’s Named to Top 50 Most Romantic
OpenTable has named Rey’s to its list of 50 Most Romantic Restaurants in America. The restaurant features “fine dining with a French Quarter flair”, and offers some of the best table service in the area. Rey’s is open for dinner nightly, except for Sunday, and is located in the old Ruth’s Chris location on Buck Jones Road.
No other restaurants in North Carolina made the list, although The Melting Pot chain, with locations on Wake Forest Road and at Southpoint in Durham, was named to the list.
Meat House Opens in Cary
The Meat House, a national butcher chain, is now open in Cary’s Saltbox Village. The store aims to replace our missing neighborhood butcher. As with Trader Joe’s, as soon as this site gets off the ground, the store eyes expansion in the North(ish) Raleigh area. The store is open from 9am to 7pm daily.
Cary Posts Sign Ordinance Survey
The Town of Cary, in the wake of the decision regarding the nutjob who painted an ugly message on the front of his house, wants to know what people think of their sign ordinance. They’ve posted a survey which is easy to complete.
Bakatsias To Open Cary Restaurant
The next chapter in the Giorgios Hospitality Group story comes by way of Triangle Business Journal today. The story reports that George Bakatsias is going to convert the restaurant at Preston Corners that formerly housed Chuck ‘em and Jaspers into a Mediterranean cafe. The restaurant will be named Giorgio, and will open next month.
Indigo Girls, Nathanson, Wells Highlight HopeFest
The Carolina HopeFest is coming Sunday to Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The concert features The Indigo Girls with Christa Wells and Matt Nathanson opening. Carolina HopeFest brings together singers/songwriters to benefit grassroots sustainable development in Africa. The fifth annual event will benefit the work of Chapel Hill-based nonprofit Nourish International, a student led movement aiming to eradicate global poverty. Proceeds will be matched by Nourish International’s chapters located across the country.
Tickets are $40 reserve, $25 lawn, and $15 student lawn (not including additional Ticketbastard fees).
HHGregg Opens Cary Store Sunday
The former Circuit City location at Crossroads is about to awaken with more electronics! The 115-store HHGregg will be opening to the public on Sunday. There is a private sale on Friday and Saturday, so hopefully some of those store-opening deals will be around on Sunday (like the 50” Samsung plasma for $700!).
Bloom Coming to Cary
Food Lion’s “upscale” line of stores, Bloom, will open a store in Cary this coming winter. The store will anchor the new Fairview Village shopping Center, located at the corner of Ten-Ten and Holly Springs Roads (map it).
Bloom’s merchandise is not what makes the store special. Rather it is the in-basket scanners, kiosks, and easy-to-reach shelving that makes Bloom interesting. It is nice to see a grocer who is trying some things outside of the carbon copy systems we see in most grocery stores.
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