NC Restaurants Archives - Clairemont Communications

In the spirit of holiday giving, “Clients Who Care” is a blog series that recognizes some of the recent acts of kindness and caring demonstrated by Clairemont clients. We hope these stories inspire you to be charitable this holiday season and throughout 2015. Happy Holidays!

In the months leading up to T.MAC opening its doors in Cary on October 5, 2014, I became familiar with several key numbers related to the casual, neighborhood restaurant. One hundred beers on draft, 40 local craft beers, 75 HDTVs, 7,150 square feet and seating for 183 guests were all part of frequent conversations. However, in my opinion, the most impressive number was revealed on Giving Tuesday almost two months after the restaurant opened its doors to guests.

The number is 8,000. It’s the amount of money T.MAC raised for two Triangle-based non-profit organizations during a campaign that ran in conjunction with the restaurant’s opening. Life Experiences in Cary and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) of the Triangle were both presented with a check for $4,000. In case you’re wondering, JDRF plans to use the money to support its annual walk held in October and Life Experiences says the money will help with its day-to-day operational expenses.

I feel it’s important to point out that these sizable donations are about more than getting news coverage during what some consider to be the “giving season.” The people behind T.MAC believe it is just as important to a be good community partner as it is to offer a fun and enjoyable dining experience to guests — a message I feel was demonstrated when the restaurant donated $8,000 two organizations that do so much for the local community.

At a time of year when many of us are reflecting on 2014, I cannot help but to look ahead and wonder what T.MAC’s impressive numbers will be in 2015 as it continues to give back to the community it serves.

If you’re a foodie living in the Raleigh-Durham metro area, you’re excited for what this week has in store. Triangle Restaurant Week is back and area restaurants are serving up delicious menus – many of which feature some of 2014’s hottest food trends.

Labeled, “a celebration of culinary excellence,” Triangle Restaurant Week is a weeklong event with participating restaurants offering special three-course and five course-course lunch and dinner menu options and wallet-friendly fixed pricing.

With more than 70 top restaurants from Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas partaking in this twice-yearly epicurean event, it’s no surprise that they are featuring delectable fare as well as offerings that have been dubbed some of the hottest menu trends for 2014.

Each year, the National Restaurant Association surveys chefs from across the country on which foods, cuisines, beverages and culinary themes will be the upcoming year’s biggest menu trends. The 2014 What’s Hot culinary forecast surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs from the American Culinary Federation, asking participants to label more than 250 items as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news” or “perennial favorite.”

What the National Restaurant Association found is that, “the top restaurant menu trends for 2014 focus on local sourcing, environmental sustainability and nutrition.” Locally sourced meats and seafood, locally grown produce and environmental sustainability are the highest-ranking trends, and can be found in a number of Triangle Restaurant Week menus.

Raleigh’s 18 Seaboard focuses of North Carolina ingredients, and nearly all of its Triangle Restaurant Week menu offerings include locally sourced products. At Local 22 Kitchen and Bar in Durham, everything served is sourced within 30 miles of its location. Other on-trend Triangle Restaurant Week participants include, Battistellas, Mia Francesca Trattori, Piedmont Restaurant, Lucky 32, Little Hen and more.

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Tag: NC Restaurants

Clients Who Care: T.MAC

TRW features Top Menu Trends