Tag Archives: Cary

Dave & Buster’s Grand Opening Today in Cary Towne Center!

DB Sign

Yesterday I had a sneak peek at the new Dave & Buster’s in Cary set to open its doors to the public today, November 6th at 11am.  This is the Triangle’s first D&B. It is conveniently located in Cary Towne Center and is easily accessible from all points in the Triangle from I-40. This location is one of the largest ever built measuring in at 29,900-square-feet and features a larger dining area, a 360 degree bar with tons of televisions and of course lots and lots of games!

The Bar Area

bar shot

The Bar area  located directly in the middle of all the activity with seating on all sides  with easy viewing of a tv no matter which way you are facing. The 360-degree bar is outfitted with a massive wall of TVs on each side, ample seating for more than 500 people and an amped-up sound system with the ability to show any game or sporting event you can imagine through DirecTV.

seating 2

Large-screen high-definition televisions complete the perfect setting for watching your favorite sporting events and shows. They even have the ability to turn up the sound for different games in different seating areas during special events. Their are also plans to host trivia competitions on certain evenings during the games where diners can “Watch & Win” and earn prizes and other discounts on their food orders

Food & Drink Menu

drinks

Dave & Buster’s food menu offers American fare such as burgers, steaks, seafood, pasta, salads and more. Popular items include the Mountain O’Nachos, pretzel dogs, Black Jack BBQ chicken, bacon-wrapped beef medallions, the South Philly burger and the Lawnmower Salad.

drinks2

They also offers several signature cocktails like the Miami Ice Snow Cone, Cherry Berry Mojito and the Million Dollar Margarita and have a large selection of bottle beers with 10 beers on draft including North Carolina’s own Foothills beer.

Daily drink specials:
Monday: 1/2 price wine by the glass & $3 miller light drafts
Tuesday: 1/2 price Margaritas and 1/2 price Coronas, Dos Equis & Modelo
Wednesday: $3 domestic drafts & 1/2 price Walk the Planks
Thursday: 1/2 price Red Bull Cocktails
Friday: $2 Bud light pints & 1/2 price Jolley Ranchers
Sunday: $4 Bloody Mary’s & 1/2 price Cider Beers

desert

I can’t forget to mention the deserts too! I have a bit of a sweet tooth so I couldn’t help but sample their chocolate cake and bananas foster, both of which were delicious!

The Arcade

arcade shot

Of Course the main attraction at Dave & Buster’s for kids and adults alike is the arcade with over 140 fun interactive games. In addition to some of the classic video games like Pac-Man, which have been revamped into exciting multi-palyer versions on massive jumbo screens, there are numerous games of skill and old favorites like Skee Ball and Air Hockey (a cool 4 player version!).

the crane

Many of the games like “The Claw” provide a chance to win prizes or earn tickets towards prizes you can select in the prize redemption. The prize redemption area is stocked with everything from candy and plush stuffed animals to iPods and iPads.

big bass wheel

I grew up in the early 80’s where going to the arcade meant lugging around five pounds of quarters in your pocket. Well times have changed and playing games is a lot simpler at Dave & Buster’s. Players use plastic “Power Cards” that they add value to and simply swipe the card to activate the game you would like to play. The cards are rechargeable and can also be used to store the points earned towards the prizes available in the redemption area (points can be stored over multiple visits which is great).

College Student Discount
College students get $10 of FREE game play added to their power cards when they purchase $10 of game play simply by showing their official college I.D. at the time of purchase.

skee ball 2

I was thrilled to see the arcade had several Skee Ball games too and that these games used the classic wooden Skee Balls  just like the ones I remember at the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore where I grew up. I think this will be my “go to” game!

Private Parties

group space

In addition to the fun games, dining and bar area, Dave & Busters is outfitted with two private rooms that can be used separately or opened up to each other for private functions, meetings, or corporate events. The rooms feature State-of-the-art audio, visual and lighting systems, modular furniture and a mobile bar are available for private functions and can hold up to 60 people.

So, as you can see I was pretty impressed with this fun new addition to the Triangle and I think it will be well received by families and sports fans alike at this location in Cary. I look forward to going back soon to watch my Hokies play on the big screen!

Grand Opening Today! Wednesday, November 6th at 11am
Dave & Busters Cary location opens to the public today at 11am. For more information check out their website and follow them on twitter @DaveBustersCary.

Dave & Busters – Cary, NC
Cary Towne Center
1105 Walnut St., Suite E101
Cary, NC 27511 (map)
Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. to midnight
Friday – Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Website: http://www.daveandbusters.com

Leave a comment

Filed under Events

Weekend Picks! Nov. 1st-3rd

Untitled

Weekend Picks! Nov. 1st-3rd

I’ve been busy preparing for my first marathon so this week’s list of picks isn’t as comprehensive as in the past, but I still think I’ve picked some great stuff going on each day nonetheless. I’ll admit I added the City of Oaks Marathon as the lone event Sunday because I want everyone to come out and watch me run – just kidding! This will be my first marathon, but I really didn’t include it because I’m running it. In fact I happen to think being a spectator at a road race is actually a lot of fun and the cheering and encouragement from people along the course is really appreciated by the tired runners. No matter how you choose to spend it, I hope you have a great weekend!

Friday November 1st

Music & Coffee at Oak City Roasters – Downtown Raleigh
Jacob Dixon and Candice Young are the headlining musicians for November’s First Friday celebration at Oak City Roasters tonight. Oak City recently opened their new roastery location in the Boylean Heights Area of downtown Raleigh right next to the Boylean Street Brew Pub. Stop by tonight for an evening of great music and coffee and check out their new place!
https://www.facebook.com/OakCityRoasters

“Last Waltz” Outsiders Art Gallery Closing Sendoff! – Durham
Outsiders Art Gallery is closing and they want to go out with a last hurrah! So, on November 1, they are having their “Last Waltz” which will include an auction of one piece per artist that they’ve shown over the last four years. Please join them a night of art, a food truck mash-up with Only Burger, Pie Pushers & Ko Kyu and music performed by Matt Phillips and the Philharmonic, Katharine Whalen, The Blue Tailed Skinks, The Bulltown Strutters and special guests. $10 suggested donation at the door.
https://www.facebook.com/events/584242534976691/

Baguettaboutit Grand Opening Celebration – Raleigh
Another Triangle Food truck has opened a brick & mortar restaurant (don’t worry they will still do the food truck too!). Check out the Grand Opening Celebration of their Baguettaboutit’s new brick and mortar location Friday from 5-8pm. The event will feature several food trucks in the parking lot out front including American Meltdown, Captain Poncho’s Tacos, and Red Hot & Blue, Chick-N-Que and Sweet Traditions Cupcakes.
http://baguettaboutit.com/

Saturday November 2nd

Pop-Up Market at Sola Coffee & Cafe’ – North Raleigh
Sola Coffee & Café in North Raleigh is hosting their first Pop-Up Market this Saturday from 10am-2pm. At least 12 vendors will be set up in the parking lot outside selling and array of art, jewelry, vintage clothing and other handmade items. While you’re there I recommend popping inside for one of their great lattes made with locally roasted Counter Culture Coffee and trying one of their new gluten free scones.
http://solacoffee.com/

Whisk Grand Opening Celebration – Cary
To help kick off the opening of this locally owned & operated store and in anticipation of the upcoming holiday baking season the folks at Whisk are holding a Grand Opening Event all weekend long (Nov. 1st-3rd) . The event will feature a series of free in-store cooking demonstrations and special discounts on cookware & bakeware. I’m a huge local coffee fan (surprise!) so I am hoping to stop by Saturday for the free coffee cupping being hosted by local roaster Muddy Dog Coffee. For a full list of their cooking demonstrations see the link below.
http://www.whiskcarolina.com/event-classes-calendar/2013-11

Oktoberfest at West 94th Street Pub – Durham
Celebrate Oktoberfest at West 94th Street Pub in Durham this Saturday from 2-6pm. They will hold the event in the parking lot in front of the pub and will have live music, German Style food and local beer from LoneRider, Triangle Brewery, White Street Brewery, and Foothills Brewery. The event is a benefit for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC. Tickets are $5 per sample station of $15 to sample all stations. If you donate 5 canned food items you can sample all the stations for just $10.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/West-94th-St-Pub/216732515166

Sunday November 3rd

City of Oaks Marathon – Raleigh
Come on out and cheer on the runners of the half and full marathon this weekend! Bring a cowbell! This is a great way to spend Sunday morning outside on what is forecasted to be a beautiful day! I’ll be out there running my first marathon so keep an eye out for a guy wearing maroon Virginia Tech Hokies visor! If you snap a picture of me in the race feel free to tag me in it on instagram so we can all have a good laugh at how funny I look running!
http://www.cityofoaksmarathon.com/

3 Comments

Filed under Weekend Picks

Whisk Grand Opening Celebration in Cary ~ Nov. 1st-3rd

independently operated front door

Whisk ~ Cary, NC

Back in September a cool new kitchen & bakeware store opened in Cary’s Waverly Place (map).  I hear from my foodie friends that it is a home cook’s paradise with just about everything you could want for your home kitchen. In addition to all the useful gear, gadgets, and tools for your kitchen they also host a ton of great cooking classes each month.

knife case at whisk

Cooking Knives Dispaly

To help kick off the opening of theis locally owned & operated store and in anticipation of the upcoming holiday baking season the folks at Whisk are holding a Grand Opening Event this weekend (Nov. 1st-3rd) . The event will feature a series of free in-store cooking demonstrations and special discounts all weekend long. I’m a huge local coffee fan (surprise!) so I am hoping to stop by Saturday for the free coffee cupping being hosted by local roaster Muddy Dog Coffee.

bakeware 2

Bakeware

I’m also looking forward to checking out the other demonstrations and browsing all the cooking & bakeware gear to get ideas for holiday gifts. I could use a hand at cooking at home too so I look forward to learning more about future classes being offered at Whisk. For a full list of the Grand Opening Event cooking demonstrations scheduled check out their event page here. For more details about the grand opening event see the official announcement from Whisk below.

dan and diana saklad laughing

Dan and Diana Saklad of Whisk

Whisk Grand Opening Event in Cary – November 1st-3rd
The Triangle’s new store for cooks, “Whisk”, is hosting a three-day Grand Opening Event November 1st, 2nd and 3rd to kick off the holiday baking season. The quality kitchenware store, offering in-store cooking classes, opened this past September in Cary. Whisk has been enthusiastically welcomed by the community and is fast becoming a destination for Triangle cooks.

The Whisk Grand Opening will feature a variety of free, holiday-focused mini-cooking classes. Shoppers can follow their nose to the in-store kitchen classroom and check out what’s cooking. Free giveaways, product demonstrations and sampling will take place all weekend long. A special promotion offering complimentary reusable Whisk shopping bags will allow customers to receive 20% off bakeware items for the 3-day event.

“We have been thrilled with the response since our opening just five weeks ago,” stated owner Dan Saklad. “So many customers have told us that we are the absolute best kitchen store they have ever visited – and that has been our goal from inception. This grand opening celebration is Whisk’s formal debut into the Triangle’s retail scene.”

Open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am until 6 pm, and on Sundays from Noon until 5 pm, Whisk is located upstairs in the Waverly Place shopping center at 316 Colonades Way in Cary. There are 15 new cooking classes being offered in November, with seven of those focusing on Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving classes cover everything from the perfect pumpkin pie to healthy holiday eating to the clever use of leftovers.

Whisk is a full service, independently-owned kitchen store featuring a spectacular variety of quality kitchenware, as well as in-store cooking classes for all levels and interests. Specialized services at Whisk include knife sharpening, bridal registry, private parties, and corporate team building events.  For more information, visit www.whiskcarolina.com.

whisk-logo

Whisk
316 Coloades Way
Cary, NC 27518 (map)
Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM
Sunday 12-5PM

Website: http://www.whiskcarolina.com/
Twitter: @WhiskCarolina
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiskCarolina

Leave a comment

Filed under Businesses, Food

Weekend Picks! May 24-26th

weaver

Jazz & More Brunch Sundays at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro

Holiday weekends are usually a little slower in the Triangle event wise, but you can still find some fun things to check out this weekend. This weekend there are some great live music performances to check out. Here my top picks for things to do this Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy!

Friday May 24th

Live Music! Chris Titchner at Sola Coffee
If you are looking for some great live music, you don’t need to look any further than Sola Coffee in North Raleigh. They typically have live local music each Friday and Saturday night starting at 7:30pm. This Friday Sola is host to Chris Titchner (Acoustic Guitar &  lyric-driven tunes).

When: Friday 7:30pm
Where: Sola Coffee & Cafe, 7705 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh
More Info: website

Saturday May 25th

2nd Sip… Wine, Beer and Music Fest at “Sip…a Wine Store”
Join Sip…a wine store for their 2nd annual Wine, Beer and Music Festival. Each Festival event highlights a winery or wine region, a brewery, a local musician or band, and an event inspired special. This year’s Festivals promise to be even bigger and better with added events and the Huble Pig Food Truck. Music/Beer/Wine.

Tickets are $5.  Children, DDs are free. Wine and beer sold separately.

When: Saturday 4-8pm
Where: Sip…a wine store, 1059 Darrington Drive, Cary
More Info: website

Caged Bird Society 25th Annual Pet Bird Fair and Show
If you like birds this event is for you. The pet bird fair at the NC State fairgrounds this weekend will feature a large bird display area, birds from around the world , raffle, food & drink, and a large Selection of vendors.

When: Saturday 9am-5pm
Where: Kerr Scott Building at NC State Fairground
More Info: website

Sunday May 26th

Live Jazz & More Brunch at Weaver Street Market – Carrboro
Each Sunday during the summer you can enjoy a fun Sunday morning sitting in the shade taking in some free tunes at the Weaver Street Market in Carrboro. Free music every Sunday from 11-1. This weeks featured musicians are  Dana & Susan Robinson. Bring a blanket or chairs and relax.

When: Sunday 11am-1pm
Where: Lawn in front of Weaver Street Market in Carrboro
More Info: website

Wake Forest Six Sundays Music Series
Bring the kids, friends, a picnic, and a blanket! Town of Wake Forest, the Six Sundays in Spring concert series returns for 2013 on consecutive Sundays from April 28 through June 2. This week’s headlining musician is Ghezzi. These FREE concerts are held at E. Carroll Joyner Park Amphitheater. Opening bands starting at 3 pm, with the main acts starting at 5 pm and ending at 7 pm. Food vendors will there include VFW food trailer, the Lemon TreeSweet Traditions by LeAne (cupcakes) and Lumpy’s Ice Cream!

When: Sunday 5-7pm
Where: E. Carrol Joyner Park,  701 Harris Road, Wake Forest
More Info: website

Leave a comment

Filed under Weekend Picks

Jitters Coffee ~ Local Coffee On The Go In Cary!

photo9

Jitters Coffee ~ Cary, NC

Update: Jitters is now closed. The owners have opened up a coffee shop at a new location called  Racin Java in Fuquay Varina. Visit their facebook page here.

I love to explore locally owned coffee shops in the Triangle and recently my coffee adventures took me to a unique little drive thru coffee shop in Cary called Jitters Coffee. Jitters is located in the entrance to the Food Lion shopping center parking lot off Kildaire Farm road just outside of downtown Cary. There are two things that make this little coffee shop so unique. The first is that it is a drive-thru coffee business that operates out of what I would describe as a coffee “hut”. You pull up to Jitters in your car and a friendly barista takes your order, creates your drink and hands it to you through a window. The second thing is Jitters is the only place in Cary that serves locally roasted Carrboro Coffee.

photo8

Jitters Latte made with Carrboro Coffee

Don’t let the small size of Jitters fool you. They offer a full selection of coffee and espresso drinks that rivals the menu of any larger coffee shop. They even have fruit smoothies and a host of flavored shots to add to your favorite hot or cold beverage and offer various seasonal specialty drinks throughout the year. Their menu even features a frozen espresso drink called a “Granita” which is similar to a frappe but has a lot less calories. I had a sample of their Granita on my first visit and it was delicious. Of course my two favorite coffee drinks are lattes and cortados, and on this occasion I had a perfectly crafted latte (pictured above) and it even had some cool latte art action going on.

photojitters

The Drive-Thru Window at Jitters

Jitters has been serving the faithful coffee crowd in Cary for several years now but is under new Management as of October 2012. That’s when local residents Jennifer Vaaler and Brett Coleman took over the business. Since taking the reigns, Jennifer & Brett have brought new inspiration to Jitters by offering locally roasted Carrboro Coffee, which is one of my favorite coffee roasters – their espresso is amazing! They have also been updating the landscaping around the coffee hut by planting a cool little garden out front surrounding the larger than life coffee mug fountain. They even added some cool tropical banana plants along the backside of the hut making Jitters feel and look like a little coffee oasis.

photo11

Jitters ~ A Coffee Oasis!

When it comes to great coffee spots, it is the little things the count. For example, while I was at Jitters taking pictures I saw several regulars pull up, Jenn & Brett knew them by name and began making them their “usual” drinks without even having to be asked. A neat little finishing touch on each hot drink is an easy to remove lady bug sticker on the “to go” cup lid to keep the steam in and the coffee warm. I highly recommend local coffee fans check out Jitters if you are looking for a new place to grab your coffee on the go or just want to try something new. I think you will be glad you did!

(Jitters is open 6:30am until 4pm Monday through Friday, 8am-3pm Saturday, and closed Sundays.)

Jitters Coffee
920 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC 27511
Website: http://jitterscarync.wordpress.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JittersCary/info
Twitter: @JittersCaryNC

2 Comments

Filed under Businesses, Coffee