This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

Last year it was Doolin’s in Durham and Doherty’s in Cary. Hibernian opened a new location in North Raleigh while, just up the road, Saints & Scholars gave the area its first half-Irish, half-Mediterranean menu. In Wake Forest, Pat Murnane’s opened in the old Oh’ Mulligans space.

Now Chapel Hill is riding the wave. Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub (206 W. Franklin St.; 919-240-4560; fitzgeraldschapelhill.com), which opened last week on Franklin Street, is the second location of a popular Charlotte watering hole.

The new pub builds on the winning formula of the original: 24 beers on tap, lots of sports TVs, and a menu that covers all the expected bases from Reuben to fish and chips. The unexpected, too, with options including a Hawaiian entree salad, chicken “Riggies” (grilled with sweet and spicy peppers) and a selection of six variations on the slider theme.

Fitzgerald’s serves lunch on Saturday and Sunday (opening at noon for the time being), and dinner nightly.

Elsewhere, Murphy’s Law (in the form of construction complications) has delayed a couple of other Irish pub openings.

Sprinkler system changes necessitated by an interior makeover have pushed back the opening of a second Trali in Morrisville. Originally slated for March, it’s now looking like early- to mid-June.

Work continues on bringing the original Hibernian on Glenwood South back from the ashes, too. Owner Niall Hanley hopes to reopen a bigger, better version of the pub with a rooftop patio later this year.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

Two articles in today's Chapel Hill News highlight Chapel Hill's shrinking African American population.

In our lead story today, staff writer Tammy Grub reports on work of a new group trying to preserve the character of the historically black Northside community. In 1980, 1,159 black residents called the area home; by 2010, there were just 690.

We have long reported the trend and those who attribute it to student encroachment, gentrification and other causes. To be fair, many of the older residents have died and passed on property to multiple heirs who have chosen to sell. At the same time, some community leaders say black middle class homebuyers moving to the region have chosen to live in other areas, such as Durham, where there is a large, thriving black community and cultural scene.

But an essay by UNC business professor Michael Jacobs on today's editorial page points to another reason for black flight.

Of the 25 largest counties in North Carolina, only two saw declines in their black population in the past decade -- and Orange County saw the biggest drop. The professor, a former U.S. Treasury official, says high taxes, overreliance on property taxes, and high government expenditures have made Orange County unaffordable to people of moderate and less means.

The professor did not mention the rural buffer, the ring around the urban southern part of the county past which water and sewer lines may not go. Critics say the buffer, which has preserved Orange County's rural character, has also artificially constrained housing supply, further driving up costs.

And last night, Carrboro aldermen grappled with their own affordability dilemma as the renovations and new owners of Collins Crossing challenge one of that town's affordable rental communities. The aldermen have formed a task force to look for answers, though the mayor says it is too late to affect what happens at Collins Crossing, the former Abbey Court condominiums.

Orange County's cost of living is the story right now, and for years to come. Work is under way to course correct: infrastructure is coming to the county's economic development districts to lure industry. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are embracing mixed use to help shift the tax base. But it will take more to hold on to and grow Orange County's shrinking racial diversity. The question is whether our leaders and the public that elects them are willing to take it on.

Tell us what you think at editor@newsobserver.com. Let's keep the conversation going.

Chapel Hill’s Town Council joined UNC students Monday in support of early voting and student voting rights.

An N.C. House bill would shorten early voting periods, end same-day voter registration and require students to vote in their home county or by absentee ballot. A second, Senate bill would keep parents from claiming students as dependents on their taxes if they register to vote in another county or register their vehicles at a different address.

Shelby Hudspeth, director of state and external affairs for UNC’s Student Body, said the proposed legislation would negatively affect student voting rights and create a tax burden on parents. Similar resolutions have been sent to more than a hundred House and Senate members, news outlets and others, she said.

“UNC students consider the town of Chapel Hill their home. Many of us are active in the community, whether it’s through volunteering, having a job on Franklin Street or spending time on Franklin Street, so we feel that we should be able to participate actively through voting in elections here,” she said.

Before the council voted, Council member Matt Czajkowski pointed out that the town's support probably wouldn’t carry any authority with the state.

“Do you think that the town of Chapel Hill endorsing this will strengthen or weaken your position with (House) Speaker (Thom) Tillis and (Senate) President (Pro Tem Phil) Berger? If it were up to me, for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t start here,” he said.

Sutton's Drug Store celebrates its 90th anniversary on Wednesday. Owner John Woodard credits dedication and responding to the changing needs of customers as reasons for the Chapel Hill pharmacy's lasting success.

Has your company been around as long as Sutton's? We want to hear what you've done to stay in business.

Share your success story in the comments field of this blog post.

Two Chapel Hill 2020 leaders will be honored Wednesday at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh for their service to the community.

George Cianciolo and Rosemary Waldorf, who served as Chapel Hill 2020 co-chairs, are among five winners of this year’s Governor’s Medallion Award. They also won the Key Volunteer Award (group/team category) and the Governor’s Service Award (group/team category) at an April 15 ceremony hosted by the Volunteer Center of Durham. The volunteer center manages the program in Durham and Orange counties.

According to a news release, town officials nominated them “for their extraordinary commitment to making Chapel Hill 2020 a plan that unifies the community and reflects our collective needs.”

They led more than 10,000 people in a yearlong discussion of Chapel Hill’s future in dozens of community meetings, events and in newspaper articles.

“George and Rosemary are truly deserving of these awards,” Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said. “Their commitment and leadership played a major role in Chapel Hill 2020’s success, and it is wonderful to see their service recognized.”

Waldorf is project manager for Bryan Properties and former mayor of Chapel Hill. Cianciolo is a Duke University associate professor of pathology and former chairman of the town Planning Board.

Residents can comment Thursday on the goals for the Central West (Estes-MLK) planning process in a drop-by session at the Chapel Hill Public Library.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Meeting Room B. The Central West Focus Area Steering Committee has defined several important goals, including connectivity, pedestrian and bicycle safety, identity and sense of place, mixed uses, diversity, and environmental sustainability.

Steering Committee members and town staff will be at the event to answer questions and listen to concerns. The committee is drafting a small-area plan to guide development and potential rezonings.

For more information about the Central West Focus Area process, go online to www.townofchapelhill.org/centralwest.

EVOS restaurants are serving up free organic milkshakes for anyone who stops in on Earth Day, April 22.

The restaurant, which serves natural and organic foods in a casual setting, has one location in the Triangle at 1800 E. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill.

Foster's Market in Chapel Hill will be hosting monthly farm dinners, and the first one is 6:30 p.m. Friday.

This Friday's dinner will feature winemaker Leslie Renaud of Lincourt Winery and ingredients from these farms: Lyon Farm in Creedmoor; Lane Angus Ranch in Gates, N.C.; Latta Egg Farm and Maple View Farm, both in Hillsborough.

Friday's menu includes pimento cheese deviled eggs, salad with farm market vegetables and lemon herb vinaigrette, braised beef brisket with red wine wild mushroom demi-glace, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus and carrots, buttery yeast rolls and for dessert, strawberry and rhubarb tart with Maple View ice cream.

The dinner costs $25 per person. Wine pairings cost an additional $12. For reservations, call 919-967-3663. The restaurant is at 750 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill.

Coming up this Saturday, Whole Foods stores in the Triangle will be handing out free eco-friendly cleaners in exchange for a conventional version from your cleaning cupboard.

In honor of Earth Day, the stores will be replacing your laundry detergent, dish liquid or all-purpose cleaner with a natural version from the GreenShield Organic line of products.

Your bottle can be new or nearly empty so if you've been contemplating a switch to green cleaning, this swap is a great way to try an organic product with no out-of-pocket expense.

The exchange runs from:

When you're musing over the menu at your favorite spot this weekend, take a moment to reflect on the luxury of living in a “foodie” city.

Livability.com named Chapel Hill seventh among the nation’s Top 10 Foodie Cities and third in the South. You can read more about it at: http://bit.ly/153qlBl.

“Chapel Hill's culinary scene combines the staples of great Southern cuisine, the intricacy of Asian fusion and the simplicity of a sandwich,” Livability.com’s writers said.
“Residents strongly support local restaurants in Chapel Hill, where foodies don't just have favorite chefs but favorite farmers. A bounty of local farms – more than 100 within a 50-mile radius of Chapel Hill – supply restaurants with fresh ingredients from pork shanks and short ribs to lamb and cheese,” they said.

The rankings, released Thursday, were based on a high ratio of top-rated restaurants and chefs to the number of residents in cities with populations under 250,000. The rankings also looked at “signature indigenous foods that help define the culinary scene and the availability of fresh, quality ingredients.”

The top three cities: Decatur, Ga., Hoboken, N.J., and Bloomington, Ind.