May 12, 2025 Update: In an email to guests, Mandolin has decided to suspend their lunch service to focus on dinner and brunch. 🙁 With its locally sourced ingredients and refined menu, Mandolin’s lunch offerings are both elegant and approachable. Ideal for a relaxed yet efficient meal, reservations are available, ensuring you’ll be in and out for a reasonable working lunch or meeting that impresses your invited dining mates.
Lucky 32: Southern Comfort on Your Schedule (Ok, a Quick Trip to Cary)
Lucky 32’s efficient lunch service paired with scratch-made Southern classics makes it perfect for a quick break or a longer afternoon unwind, especially if you opt to dine at their spacious bar (my go-to seating preference) or patio. This Greensboro-based concept took a while to return to offering lunch hours post-COVID but I’m so glad this is back in their regular rotation so when I find myself in Cary or near 64/US-1 on the way back to work in Raleigh, this is where I’m heading. (And, they’re on OpenTable!)
Flatbreads, Friends, and Fast Service at Bella Monica (West Raleigh)
Known for their comforting Italian fare, Bella Monica’s generous pasta portions and signature flatbreads make for a satisfying midday indulgence. For those looking for lighter bites, I have featured their salads as some of my favorites in town in the past. 🥗 And, of course, you know I love an OpenTable reservation to walk in with confidence that a table is waiting for me during the busy lunch hour.
Open That Bottle Night: Where Will You Celebrate?
Ever find yourself holding onto a special bottle of wine for just the right occasion—only for that occasion to never quite come or you just let the bottle go to waste before savoring it? That’s exactly why “Open That Bottle Night” exists! This annual celebration, created by two Wall Street Journal wine columnists, is all about making the moment special instead of waiting for one to come along.
This year, Open That Bottle Night falls on Saturday, Feb. 22, making it the perfect excuse to gather friends, visit a favorite restaurant, or finally uncork that vintage you’ve been saving solo in some well-deserved downtime. Over on Raleigh Food & Wine, I took a deeper dive into the history of the event, plus shared some fantastic local spots where you can make the most of it.
Listen Up: Can We Save Christmas (Trees)?
Calling all my fellow podcast listeners! WUNC’s “The Broadside” host Anisa Khalifa examines one story happening in the heart of the American South each week. From news to arts and culture, The Broadside dives into issues that might not be on a front page, but deserve a closer look. This holiday season, something is threatening to wipe out America’s favorite Christmas tree, many of which are grown in Western North Carolina. Tune in for the story!
Featured Getaway: Visit Wilmington for Holidays on Water
Experience the historic charm of downtown Wilmington during Holidays on Water. Enjoy colorful lights along the Riverwalk and main streets, tour decorated historic homes by candlelight, watch live performances, and experience riverfront drone light shows. Shop holiday markets and local boutiques and taste festive flavors at award-winning restaurants. Find special lodging offers and plan your visit at
HolidaysOnWaterNC.com.
Featured Getaway: Celebrate the Season on the Coast with Holidays on Water
‘Tis the season for a holiday getaway to Wilmington. Just a short drive away, experience Holidays on Water in historic downtown. Visitors can enjoy lights along the Riverwalk and main streets, candlelight home tours, live performances and riverfront drone light shows. Make a weekend out of it with special lodging offers. Plan your visit today at HolidaysOnWaterNC.com.
This feature is brought to you by Raleigh Weekend and Raleigh Food & Wine as part of a paid promotion with Wilmington and Beaches CVB. We work with partners we trust and value and are excited to share these updates with you! These partners help us deliver our weekly newsletters at no cost to you.
Get Your Fill of Raleigh’s Food and Drink Scene at RaleighFoodandWine.com
Hey, friends! Raleigh Weekend founder Lisa Jeffries Nobling popping in to check in with y’all. Although I’m always “here,” proofreading our team’s content each week and offering ideas for upcoming events, I’ve stepped away from being a contributing weekly host for some time, and it’s given me a little time to relaunch RaleighFoodandWine.com. Raleigh Food & Wine is the longtime home for the food festivals and experiential events I helped shepherd in the 2010s and now has evolved into a curation business providing local food and beverage experiences to suit the needs of our clients and food and beverage partners. Think: a bourbon tasting for 50 of a non-profit’s most engaged donors or a made-in-NC product market that does double duty as an employee appreciation event for 300. And while that’s how we make money, I’m thrilled to be able to use the brand to bring you the latest on Raleigh’s culinary scene. From restaurant openings and events to local chef highlights and exclusive tasting opportunities, Raleigh Food and Wine is your go-to for all things delicious in our city. Whether you’re looking for a new date-night spot or the latest wine shop opening, I’ve got you covered. Check it out and join me in celebrating all the flavors our city has to offer!
Here are a few of the headlines I’ve offered lately:
RH Celebrates the Unveiling of RH Raleigh, The Gallery at North Hills (Pictured here for this post!)
Stella’s on West Brings Dive Bar Nostalgia to Glenwood South in Former Pink Boot Space
I look forward to bringing more of these features into the Raleigh Weekend feed in the coming months. If you have a request or something you’d like to see us highlight in the future, let me know in the comments below or simply by replying to our weekly newsletter. (Seriously, it comes right to my inbox.)
Thank you for reading, enjoy your weekend! 🥂