Eats & tweets
The line was out the door during the opening stretch for Butternut Squash, the new vegetarian restaurant in University Square. No wonder: The buzz was overall good from Chowhound reviews and word of mouth. Praises for the vegan offerings and curries. Definitely a place to try something different.
The restaurant is sending out tweets of its daily specials at twitter.com/BNSChapelHill. The latest reads: “Todays pizza special is wilted spinach and caramelized onion with goats cheese on whole wheat pizza base and marinara sauce. YUMâ€
R&R celebrates
R&R Grill, in the Bank of America Building, is holding its grand opening this Friday. Ribbon cutting and all at 11 a.m. In addition to trying to revive the old Papagayos space as a lunch and dinner spot, the “traditional American†restaurant is also aiming at the late-night crowd and promises after-midnight food. The $1 million renovation includes a major upfit for the 3,000-square-foot “Sunset Terrace.†rnrgrill.com.
Free jolt
If you find yourself on the east side of Chapel Hill and in need of a shot of espresso next Tuesday (Aug. 18) or Saturday (Aug. 22), swing by 3Cups for some free samples of their new espresso selection and a primer on the beans. 3cups.net
Farm dinner
John and Cindy Soehner’s Eco Farm is the featured local flavor for the Panzanella Farm Dinner on Monday, Aug. 24 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Next month, the restaurant features Chapel Hill Creamery. panzanella.com
Big props
Sandwhich recently has received recognition from two pretty high-profile forums — Vanity Fair and Huffington Post.
The Vanity Fair mention is in a piece titled “Our Favorite Sandwiches Across the Country†and gives a shout-out to the grass-fed beef meatloaf with crispy bacon and balsamic glaze. Huffington cites Sandwhich as a big reason Chapel Hill is among the “10 Best Cities for Local Food.†Chef and co-owner Hich Elbetri says it’s gratifying to have the national press acknowledge that “people around here love eating foods that are made by a real person, by hand.†sandwhich.biz