Lil’ Wayne Cancels Raleigh Date
The October 31 Lil’ Wayne show for the RBC Center has been cancelled . Tickets can be refunded through the point of purchase.
Time Warner Cable Adds Four HD Channels
Engadget HD reported tonight that Time Warner will add Discovery HD (260), Speed HD (273), ESPNU HD (288), and Bio HD (296). As the article explains, cities like San Antonio have 70 HD channels in their lineups, but this is a start.
In a related story, I spoke to a Time Warner Cable employee who said that they are shaking in their boots about AT&T’s U-Verse coming to Raleigh. They have sent out employees to map where each U-verse box is placed throughout the area. TWC will soon attempt to lock people into extended contracts with early withdrawal fees, so be ready for that call. (When they do call, I full intend to describe, in great detail, just what a P.O.S. their unreliable HD DVR is)
Get The Jump On HSM3 Tix
High School Musical 3 opens Friday, and theaters will certainly be swarmed this weekend (with people who “gotta have their star on the door”) as a result. It looks like the best way to get tickets is in advance thru Fandango. Advance tickets for North Hills’ theatre, for instance, are available for Friday , Saturday , and Sunday .
As with any day of the year, a fantastic way to display local movie times by movie (not by theater) is through a special Google search. The “Movie Times” link always lives in the tools section on the left, for future reference.
ComedyWorx Offers Low Price Laughs
On Peace Street, just below the RR crossing, is a nice downtown treasure, ComedyWorx . It’s Raleigh’s version of the two-team improve comedy laugh-off that is found in many cities. I can’t do a better job covering the place than Ginny From the Blog has. She’s a fan of the Big Fat & Stealthy team .
Art Garfunkel Coming to Meymandi
On February 6 Art Garfunkel will return to Meymandi Hall. His last trip was in 2006, I believe, and was with the N.C. Symphony. No details are available yet regarding the format of this performance.
La Farm Bakery Expands and Adds Cafe
In early 2009, nationally acclaimed La Farm Bakery will expand and introduce a café to their current bakery and retail store. “We’re excited to give our customers what they’ve been asking for – a bakery and a European style café, where customers may sit comfortably and treat themselves to Lionel’s handcrafted breads anytime – whether a croissant for breakfast, tartine at lunchtime or wine and cheese in the evening,” explained co-owner Missy Vatinet. Meanwhile, French trained Master Baker Lionel Vatinet explained that this expansion will enable him to produce even more artisanal breads and pastries, providing more selection for the Cary store, for wholesale customers such as Whole Foods Markets, and for customers around the nation that have breads express mailed. Vatinet is also delighted to bring a slice of his French life to North Carolina, “I’ve always looked forward to the day when La Farm Bakery could offer a full menu and be a gathering place for our customers at all hours of the day, just as a boulangerie is for every Frenchman.”
The sight and aroma of freshly baked bread will remain central to the bakery and dining experience at La Farm Bakery. A convivial French bakery and café setting unlike any other in the area, patrons will have full view of Master Baker Lionel Vatinet and his apprentices kneading, shaping and baking breads in their European hearth oven. The new café will feature a communal farmhouse table for 10, as well as seating at café tables for 50 indoors and 25 outdoors on the covered patio.
La Farm Bakery’s new menu will be a showcase for Vatinet’s artisanal breads. Morning sandwiches, or tartines – a toasted and melted open-faced sandwich – and decadent pastries, will be available from 7am to 10am, while the Afternoon/Evening menu, available until 9pm, will showcase soups, salads, cheese and charcuterie plates, tartines and pizzas. Thanks to the addition of a full kitchen, Eggs Benedict , Croque Madame and other classics will round out the French fare, as well as more seasonal European pastries, such as the classic Opera Cake . French wine selections will also be available.
La Farm Bakery’s casual style of service at breakfast, lunch and dinner will lend to the restaurant-in-a-bakery setting; after customers place their order with a cashier and barista and seat themselves, servers in white bakers’ hats and bistro aprons will serve their meal.
Broughton Keeps Magnet Status, Daniels Loses
The Wake County School board’s final ruling came today: Broughton will keep its magnet status, and Daniels will, in fact, lose its status. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Bloomsbury Bistro Renovates and Adds Mid-Level Menu
My favorite restaurant in Raleigh, Bloomsbury Bistro , has tweaked a few things, and yielded a fantastic result.
First, they did some renovations that included new lighting and paint. The most significant changes took place in the bar where they expanded the space and added several tall tables.
In celebration of the new look, Bloomsbury is offering an incredible 3-course menu at an even more incredible price; $50 per couple. Each person will get their own appetizer, entree, and dessert.
Personally I could throw a dart at the menu and be happy with my meal, however I am looking most forward to the Chicken Normandie: “Breast and thigh of roasted chicken over blue cheese gnocchi and haricots verts with green apples and smoked bacon in creamy cider-rosemary sauce.”
On the appetizer side, both the rabbit crepinette, and the corn and potato chowder look especially enticing. We were recently there and thoroughly enjoyed our dessert, the dark chocolate on chocolate tart with a macadamia nut Florentine cookie and whipped cream.
The menu is only available through the end of November, however.
Kennedy to Direct DRIFT
If you are in New York on November 3rd, you can catch Raleigh native Lauren Kennedy’s latest venture; an all-star benefit concert performance of DRIFT with music and lyrics by Jeremy Schonfeld. It will take place at the BB King Blues Club & Grill on 42nd St. in New York City. The event will star:
- Adam Pascal (Rent)
- Jarrod Emick (Tony Award winner: Damn Yankees),
- Adam Kantor (Rent)
- Julia Murney (Wicked)
- Kris Coleman (Jersey Boys)
- Karla Mosley (Expatriate)
- Terrence Mann (two time Tony Award nominee: Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables)
The concert also features Scott Coulter and Michelle Kinney. Produced by the PATH Fund, Inc. (“Rockers on Broadway”), the evening benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights and Atlanta’s Broadway Dreams Foundation will take place on Monday, November 3, 2008. Tickets are $60, with standing room available at $30.
With a rock score from acclaimed composer Jeremy Schonfeld, DRIFT weaves raw and gracefully honest songs together to tell the story of one man’s divorce and reconciliation. Originally released as a concept recording by Sh-K Boom Records, a book musical version of DRIFT (with collaborator Craig Pospisil) premiered at the 2005 New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF), and was subsequently produced in an award-winning full-scale production as part of the 2006 Festival. Tickets are available through Tickemaster.
After DRIFT, Kennedy will be preparing for the Broadway premiere of Vanities , beginning in February.
Komen BMW Drive Coming to Leith
BMW is once again sponsoring the BMW Ultimate Drive® supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and it will be hitting Leith BMW on November 22. BMW will donate $1 for every mile participants drive to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Since 1997, dedicated drivers have helped BMW donate more than $11 million to support breast cancer research.
This is a great opportunity to drive a BMW, especially the latest models such as the 1 Series, the M3, and the X6 Sports Activity Coupe. Bring a friend, too! It’s free, easy and very rewarding.
Coquette Set To Open Monday
Coquette , the newest venture from the Urban Food Group, will open in the former South space in North Hills on Monday at 5pm. The restaurant will be the Triangle’s first brasserie , and plans to serve breakfast on weekdays and brunch on the weekend. The chef is CIA graduate Rob Bland.
Read much more about this project thru excellent posts at varmintbites , including the preliminary menu .
Jibarra At One-Month Countdown
Upscale Mexican restaurant Jibarra is hoping to complete their move to downtown Raleigh in about a month. The restaurant will feature a greatest hits-type menu, reflecting the best dishes served during their two and a half year tenure in North Raleigh. The restaurant will also feature a new mid-price menu as well as an updated bar selection.
10/24 Note: I learned today that Jibarra will serve lunch Monday thru Friday and brunch on Sundays.
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