Foodie News: Insomnia Cookies comes to Cary, Durham Food Truck Rodeo next weekend

The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that months after the restaurant Mandolin closed along the edge of the Hayes Barton neighborhood (2519 Fairview Rd.), La Victoria Cocina Mexicana, with a location in Cary, will open their second location in that spot. La Victoria is a sister restaurant to La Buena Vida, Fonda Lupita and Tacos Number Juan, all part of the fast-growing local JalMex Hospitality Group. Look for them to open this fall. Get familiar with them here.

Looking for hand crafted cocktails, curated whiskeys, fine wine, champagne, craft beer or artisanal mocktails? Well, your spot just opened in the heart of Apex. Aqua Vitae is in soft open mode at 2701 Lawnview Lane. No food just yet, so strictly a liquid diet. Thanks to reader Brad Borges for this tip. Visit them here.

Over in Cary, Mike DePersia of DePersia & Associates tipped me off to the fact that the former Dame’s Chicken and Waffles space in the Bass Pro Shop Shopping center on Harrison Avenue will soon be home to a full serve Indian concept called Spice Trail. They will remodel and plan to open in a few months. Stay tuned.

Just when one cookie place closes (see below), another growing, at least that is what David McCreary shared with me with the announcement that Insomnia Cookies is officially expanding to Cary! The popular late-night bakery is opening a location at 107 Edinburgh South Dr, Suite 141 in MacGregor Village shopping center. No word on an open date. Visit Insomnia here.

Over in Holly Springs, David McCreary shared with me that Flying Biscuit Cafe will open on June 1 in Oakview Commons shopping center at 161 Oakview Commons Drive, Suite 105. They’ll be serving up breakfast, brunch and lunch with a Southern twist. This will be the 6th Triangle-area location for the chain out of Georgia. Visit Flying Biscuit here.

You may have heard that the Triangle’s location of Andretti Indoor Karting & Games opened recently. You may now be asking why I mention it here. Well in addition to their super fast karts and arcade games, they have a pretty impressive food and drink menu. I’m talking chicken & rice bowls, flatbreads, tacos, burgers and a full menu of shareables. Finish it off with cocktails and craft beer (after you finish driving of course and before you jump in your Uber). Check out the menus here.

Chapelboro reported this week that Crumbl Cookies has closed its Franklin Street location after just over three years in business.

More news that our dessert options are dwindling – Mike DePersia shared that after a 13-year run, Dairy Queen in Morrisville has closed.

The Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo continues in 2026 on these remaining dates from noon to 4 p.m. – May 31 and Sept. 27. At each event, you’ll find food and drink at over 30 food trucks as well as inflatables and family fun for all ages. The rodeos are hosted at Durham Central Park (500 Foster Street, Durham). Go ahead and mark your calendar for them. Get all the details here.

Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don’t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on Street Food Finder here.

NC Sugar Rush, a dessert-only event, is taking place this Sunday, May 24, at downtown Raleigh’s City Plaza from noon until 6 p.m. Come out and enjoy six hours of sugar like no other with an event dedicated solely to your sweet tooth.

Italian Ice, Pineapple Smoothies, Funnel Cakes, Ice Cream, Popsicles, Cookies, Cupcakes, Cookie Dough, Vegan Treats, Beignets, Mini Donuts, Belgian Waffles and much more (even treats for pets). Get all the sweet details here.

The Downtown Cary Park along with the Cary Farmers Market is hosting a high-end dinner at the park on Sunday, May 24 called Gather: A Seasonal Supper. Tickets are $150 and guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails from Flour & Barrel and Side Door Cocktail Bar, a wood-fired main course by Jake Wood of Lawrence Barbecue, and breads and desserts by Christopher McLaurin of Lutra Bakery. All of this is set inside the beautiful Gathering House inside the park. Dietary restrictions and allergies can be accommodated. Get tickets and all the details here.

Boatman Spirits Co. has partnered with several Raleigh restaurants and bars to launch the Local Spirit Cocktail Competition, a series of friendly cocktail contests across downtown Raleigh designed to highlight North Carolina spirits. The next one will be at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 24 at Longleaf Swine. Beyond Boatman, the participating businesses include Mala Pata, William & Company, Transfer Co. Food Hall, Foundation and Longleaf Swine.

The rules are simple: whoever is hosting the contest does not compete but gets to choose a local spirit that must be used in the cocktails and a unique house rule for that event. Five bartenders will compete, including Aaron Lambert of Boatman Spirits Co., Hope Levinson of Mala Pata, Doug Wheeler of Transfer Co Food Hall, Patrick Dunmire of Foundation and Nolan Ruhmke from William & Company. Visit Boatman here.

On Sunday, May 31, chef Saif Rahman will welcome Aaron Salita and Conor Delaney of Crawford & Son to Peregrine for a Kamayan Dinner. If you are not familiar, it is a Filipino tradition where food is laid directly on banana leaves, shared without utensils, eaten together. This evening honors Salita’s Filipino heritage and the bond he shares with Rahman; two immigrants who have spent their lives in kitchens, who both speak the language of live fire and the joy of feeding people well. In the spirit of Kamayan, they have reimagined a tradition — the whole-roasted pig becomes a whole lamb on the spit, a bridge between Filipino communal feasting and Saif’s Muslim and South Asian roots. The $175 fee includes the feast as well as three beer/cocktails. Visit Peregrine here.

Tickets are on sale for Raisin’ The Roof, the opening event in this year’s Chefs for Change fundraising series benefiting Families Moving Forward, Durham’s primary emergency shelter for families with children. The 2026 mixer will take place on June 4 at 6 p.m. at ReCity Network in Durham (112 Broadway St.).

This lively community gathering will have a retro block party feel and feature small plates prepared by celebrated local chefs, including Seth Gross and CeCe Lopez of Bull City Burger and Brewery; Aaron Louv of NanaSteak; Serena and Toriano of Boricua Soul; Rahul Nikam of Viceroy; and introducing Riche and Perry of Flaming Hills Hot Pot. Dessert will be provided by The Parlour. Guests will enjoy an evening of incredible food, interactive games and activities, and a live DJ set by DJ NABS. Tickets are just $60 and can be purchased here.

Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 Dinner in the Meadow event on September 13 for a fundraiser that supports the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, a non-profit organization that helps small farms in North Carolina. Get tickets and all the details here.

For thousands of kids in central and eastern North Carolina, the last day of school won’t be the happy event you and I remember. There’s a quiet struggle going on in their homes.

Their parents are trying to navigate low wages, high housing and medical costs, and rising food prices — amid cutbacks to federal food assistance. 

The end of school breakfast and lunch programs for the summer could bring them to a crisis point. More of our neighbors have already been turning to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and our partner agencies lately. We expect those numbers to grow once school is out. Summer can be a tough time for kids facing food insecurity … but it doesn’t have to be, when we work together. Thank you for helping kids spend their vacation playing and growing! Make This a Hunger-Free Summer.