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

People who took their dads to Shula’s 347 in the Sheraton Chapel Hill for a Father’s Day steak dinner on Sunday were in for a big surprise. The night before, hotel management had converted the restaurant into One Blue Hill (One Europa Drive; 919-969-2157), a contemporary Southern concept.

The fact that it’s a hotel restaurant obliged to serve its guests necessitated the overnight conversion, and the dining room makeover is still a work in progress. I’m guessing a lot of memorabilia from NFL coaching legend Don Shula, the previous restaurant’s namesake, will have to come down.

But chef Ches McLane, a veteran of more than 30 years in hotel kitchens from Santa Fe to Knoxville, already has his menu in place. The chef’s preference for sourcing locally is reflected in an inaugural offering that includes pecan-crusted Ashley Farms chicken, Heritage Farms pork chop, and local sweet potato cheesecake.

Other temptations include black-eyed pea hummus with icebox pickles, chicken and potato gnocchi “dumplings,” and an open face grilled pimento cheese sandwich topped with arugula salad.

And, of course, the obligatory shrimp and grits. McLane amps his version up with smoked kielbasa and bacon.

One Blue Hill serves lunch and dinner daily. Breakfast which had formerly been served in the hotel lobby, will move to the One Blue Hill dining room this weekend. The restaurant doesn’t have a website yet, but you can follow them on Twitter: @OneBlueHillNC

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.

Go HERE to read Greg's review.

Here's some welcome news for club-crawling gourmands who spend a lot of after-dark hours prowling downtown Raleigh's nightclub district. Opening this week is Garland, the long-awaited street-level restaurant component of the Kings Barcade complex on Martin Street -- although its initial incarnation will be as a night-time takeout window specializing in food to be eaten on the go.

The restaurant's full dining room should be open with expanded hours by this fall, under the direction of Kings co-owner (and Birds of Avalon guitarist) Cheetie Kumar, a longtime veteran of The Rockford. See N&O restaurant columnist Greg Cox's blog for more details about Garland's menu offerings.

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

After several successful trial runs, Garland (14 W. Martin St.; 919-833-6886; garlandraleigh.com) formally opens its doors this week in downtown Raleigh.

Well, not its doors, exactly. The dining room is still getting a makeover from its previous incarnation as Martin Street Pizza, and is expected to be ready by fall.

In the meantime, the first phase of the concept takes the form of a walkup window, sidewalk tables and a ledge along the storefront where people can grab a quick bite without sitting down.

“I got the idea from northern Spain, where little shops sell food that you eat standing up,” says owner Cheetie Kumar, a noted local musician whose credits also include mixologist for Neptune’s Parlour downstairs.

The versatile Kumar looks to another continent for inspiration for her menu, which covers a lot of territory with fewer than a dozen listings. Contemporary riffs on Asian fare range from bibimbap-inspired rice bowls with kimchee-style pickles to potato croquettes stuffed with shredded fresh coconut, cashew and raisins.

Indian cuisine is particularly well-represented, as are vegetarian options. Roti rolls, a twist on a popular street food that goes by the name of Frankies in India, are offered in both Heritage Farms pork and tofu versions. You can get chicken 65 or its cauliflower cousin. Wash either down with a beer or, if you like, slip downstairs to Neptune’s Parlour for one of Cheetie Kumar’s creations.

Initially, Garland will serve dinner only, Tuesday-Saturday nights. In the coming weeks, Kumar plans to expand hours to include lunch and late night.

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.

Go HERE to read Greg's review of Ashee Ethiopian Cuisine in Cary.

And I forgot to post a link to last Friday's review. Greg gave 3 1/2 stars to Oro in downtown Raleigh. Go HERE to read that review.

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

Downtown Cary’s appeal as a dining destination got noticeably brighter on Tuesday, when Academy Street Bistro (200 S. Academy St.; 919-377-0509; academystbistro.comacademystbistro.com) opened its doors for the first time. The restaurant is the first venture for owner/chef Brian Fitzgerald, a Culinary Institute of America grad who cut his culinary teeth in New York (including Maxim’s and, most recently, the Harvard Club).

Fitzgerald has given the former Klara’s space a fresh new look (but wisely kept the attractive patio), setting a suitably upscale-casual mood for his French-inflected contemporary menu.

But don’t take “French-inflected” to mean stuffy of tradition-bound. Mixed in among the likes of goujonette of lemon sole, roasted vegetable Napoleon, diver scallops with carrot ginger puree, and grilled sirloin steak with truffled twice-baked potatoes, you’ll also find a cheeseburger.

Granted, the cheese is Vermont white cheddar, and it’s served on a brioche bun with caramelized onions, applewood-smoked bacon and a side of classic fries. But still.

The wine-list is appropriately bistro-sized: a dozen or so by the glass, and a handful by the bottle. The taps that once dispensed Czech beers at Klara’s are now for the most part devoted to local brews.

For now, Academy Street is open for dinner only, Tuesday-Saturday. Chef Fitzgerald plans to add lunch service in two weeks, followed a couple weeks later by Sunday brunch.

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.

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

J.P. LaRussa and his wife, Gwynne, opened Acme Pizza Co. (204 Village Walk Drive; 919-552-8800; acmepizzaco.org) last week in the former All Aboard Pizza space. They’re still offering the New York style pies that were that restaurant’s calling card, but Acme’s specialty is Chicago-style deep dish stuffed pizzas.

The style fills an underserved niche in the Triangle, and is a natural for Acme’s owners. The LaRussas hail from the San Francisco Bay area, where J.P. worked for more than 20 years for a small chain called Zachary’s Chicago Pizza.

“They brought Chicago-style to the Bay area,” says LaRussa. “It’s like a real pie, baked in a two-inch deep pan with the filling between two layers of thin dough, and sauce on top.”

It’s a lot of filling, too, whether you opt for the Meat Head (pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage, sliced meatball, crumbled bacon and mozzarella) or something “lighter.” The Greek, say, with roasted red bell peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, green olives, feta and Monterey Jack. Novices are advised that these hefty pies take 30-35 minutes to bake.

Ordering ahead is encouraged, but you could also profitably fill the half hour wait with a glass of wine or a draft beer from a soon-to-be-expanded selection that already includes local brews from Aviator, Carolina Brewing and Natty Greene’s.

The menu also lists calzones, stromboli, grinders, half-pound grilled-to-order burgers and a modest selection of appetizers and pastas. Given LaRussa’s experience and the paucity of Chicago-style pizzerias in the area, though, it’s a good bet that transplants from the Windy City are already setting their GPS for Holly Springs.

Acme Pizza Co. is open for lunch and dinner daily.

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.

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.

Go HERE to read the review.

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

A second location for Chocolate Boutique (3308 Village Market Place; 919-332-0960; mychocolateboutique.com) will open today, with Grand Opening festivities from 4-8 p.m. The original shop is in North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village.

Offering a wide assortment of truffles and other house-made confections, Chocolate Boutique hosts chocolate parties and caters weddings and special events.

The shop is is the newest entry in a lineup of restaurants and food shops clustered around the new cinema complex in Park West Village.

Which Wich and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill are already serving the before- and after-the-movie crowd. Scheduled to open in coming months are Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, Firebirds Wood-Fired Grill and WG Kitchen and Bar - an Ohio-based chain offering wine shop, wine bar and bistro under one roof.

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.