Barbecue purists will want to take note that there's a new restaurant in Wake Forest cooking all its meat on wood: Fire Pit BBQ.

Owner Ted Patterson has spent 40 years working in construction. Two connections made him interested in opening a restaurant. First, he has designed and built many of Giorgios Bakastais' restaurants from Vita to Girasole and Gatehouse Tavern, which are right next door to Fire Pit BBQ in the Gateway Commons shopping center. Second, his next door neighbor is Keith Allen, the barbecue legend behind Allen & Son. They live on a hill surrounding by hickory trees.

Patterson describes his restaurant as "eclectic with a purity of intent." They only cook on wood, hickory and oak in fact. There is no gas line. "We're committed," he says.

They serve pulled pork, beef brisket, half or quarter chickens, housemade sausage and a St. Louis-style ribs. They are open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Sunday.

For more information, call 919-562-0020 or go to www.firepitnc.com

You can get a sneek preview of the new Aldi in Wake Forest on Wednesday, March 28, when it opens for a special half-day preview.

The store, located at 2132 S. Main St., will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering free samples and tastings.

The store will officially open Thursday.

A new Aldi is opening in Durham on Wednesday with free samples for customers.

The store, located at 7906 N.C. Highway 751 South in Durham, will open at 11 a.m.

The Durham store is part of a recent expansion in the Triangle. Last November, Aldi opened a third Raleigh location. And a Wake Forest store is scheduled to open later this year. Cary and Fuquay-Varina also have Aldi stores.

The new Triangle stores are among 80 new Aldi stores to open in the past year in the United States. The chain has more than 1,100 stores in 31 states.

The discount German grocery with U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., is one of my favorite places to buy produce and items that rarely have coupons.

Among the ways Aldi keeps its prices low:

The stores are smaller than most supermarkets and offer mostly Aldi-brand products. Customers bring their own bags and pay 25-cents for a cart, which is refunded when you return it. Customers bag their own groceries. Stores accept cash and debit cards but no credit cards.

If you're a lover of thrift stores, as I am, you'll be happy to know that the Triangle is getting another new thrifty shopping venue this week.

Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina is opening the store at 10 a.m. today, Oct. 27, at 5151 N.C. Highway 42, Garner.

It's the first Goodwill in Garner and the 33rd store in the area, according to Becky Lytle, spokeswoman for Goodwill Industries.

The new Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Raleigh, which opens Saturday,  April 30, will feature works by artists Dan Steinhilber and Naoko Ito, both of whom use recycled and reclaimed materials in their art.

Read more about the new museum here.