Over this past weekend Raleigh's Busy Bee Cafe tapped two highly-rated beers from a couple of breweries most patrons know by name, according to updates on their Facebook page and website. The beers, Terrapin Rye Pale Ale and New Belgium Eric's Ale, have quite different personalities but have both been given high marks by Beer Advocate and RateBeer.com. Busy Bee's website describes the Terrapin brew as an "extreme version of an American Pale Ale" with a heavy rye malt that lingers in lieu of the hoppy bitterness. The New Belgium offering is named for a long-time brewer, Eric...

The all-new Kinder Soles, a flip-flop maker based in Raleigh, is hosting a launch party for its footwear line at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub this Thursday, May 20th from 6-9 pm. The event features food provided by local catering company Green Planet, that specializes in local, sustainable foods, and $3.50 pint specials. Live music will also be on hand, courtesy of back-porch bluegrass outfit Big Fat Gap. More details can be found on the Facebook event page. Kinder Soles, founded by Mark Saad and Chris Smith, focuses on eco-friendly shoes made from recycled materials. In addition, they provide a...

Craft beer lovers, rejoice! May 17-23 is American Craft Beer Week, and Raleigh's own Big Boss Brewery is kicking off the festivities with the re-release of its High Roller India Pale Ale.  The IPA, which Big Boss has not brewed in quite some time, will first be made available in the Big Boss Tasting Room starting next week. The brew will then be offered to draft accounts, and should start showing up in 6-packs before the end of the year.  The kickoff party, announced on the Big Boss Facebook page and website, is being held Monday, May 17th, starting at 6pm. The...

 Backyard Bistro 1235 Hurricane Alley Way, Raleigh Walking through the front doors of Backyard Bistro, your first impression might be that this is more of a restaurant than a bar, a place to take the family for dinner - and you'd be partially right. The Bistro, just across Trinity Road from the RBC Center, serves up some fantastic food and a family-friendly atmosphere. It's the little touches, though, that let you know that deep down Backyard Bistro has the soul of a sports bar.   Mini Tacos, one of Backyard's top sellers  For starters, there's the seating. In the...

Durham's newest sports bar and restaurant, Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, finally opened its doors on Tuesday of this week, and has already started to make a name in the Durham charity scene. First, Tobacco Road asked for readers' favorite local charity to benefit from its $50 donation per Bulls home run. Now, the restaurant is playing host to an after-work social for Band Together, a group that aims to raise funds and awareness for local charities through concerts and other musical events.  The social, sponsored by Hosted Solutions, is designed to spread the word about the...

The Durham Bulls baseball season is nearly three weeks in, and the ballpark's newest restaurant is finally ready to open its doors. According to a post on the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe blog, opening day is set for Tuesday, April 27th. The restaurant and sports bar will reside behind the park's Blue Monster in left field, in the shadow of the "Hit Bull, Win Steak" sign - although no word has been given whether Tobacco Road will be providing the fabled steaks. The post also announces a contest to benefit some worthy Durham charities, committing to donate $50 for each home run...

For the past few years, downtown Raleigh's Moore Square has played host to biweekly summer concert series Raleigh Downtown Live, booking (mostly) second-tier acts for free all-day shows in the park. This summer, though, it looks like the arrival