600,000 Face Food Insecurity as Three Triangle Restaurants Earn Michelin Bibs

Residents deciding where to eat in Raleigh, Durham and Carrboro will have more choices soon, including Maggiano's Little Italy moving into the Crabtree Valley Mall space vacated by Brio Italian Grille. Millie's Homemade Ice Cream plans to open its first North Carolina shop at 325 Blake St. in City Market before the end of the year, and South Block is preparing to enter the Raleigh market at 4121 Main at North Hills St.

At the 2026 Michelin Guide American South ceremony in Nashville on Wednesday, Ajja in Raleigh, Ideal's in Durham, and Tesoro in Carrboro each received a new Bib Gourmand designation. Prime Barbecue, Mala Pata and Sam Jones BBQ kept their Bib Gourmand status from last year, and 16 other Triangle restaurants retained Michelin recommended listings, including Brewery Bhavana, Poole's, Stanbury and The Fearrington House Restaurant. Tesoro is an 18-seat pasta-focused restaurant.

Maggiano's will be the second Triangle location for the chain, which has one at Streets at Southpoint in Durham. The chain is known for large, family-style portions, and no opening date has been announced. South Block, known for acai bowls and smoothies, has three locations in the Charlotte area. No opening date has been set for that location either.

The food picture is not uniform across the region. The Food Bank is marking Tackling Hunger Month and says more than 600,000 neighbors are not always sure where their next meal will come from. The bank states that every $25 provides 75 meals.

Other openings and closings include Grain & Berry at 2017 Creekside Landing Drive in Apex, a second North Carolina location after Holly Springs; M Kikkei, formerly M Pocha, holding an invitation-only soft opening October 24 and a grand opening October 29 at 101 E. Chapel Hill St. in Durham; Tavolo Italian Eatery open at MOSAIC at Chatham Park in Pittsboro; and Sushioki in Research Triangle Park shut permanently after eight years. Winston's Grille in Raleigh marks its 40th anniversary this year, having been founded in 1986 by Wil O'Neal and Charles Winston Jr.

The event calendar includes the Chapel Hill Biscuit Festival on Sunday, October 25, at American Legion Post 6, with proceeds benefiting SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals; the Chefs for Change Gala & Auction at The Cookery on November 5, benefiting Families Moving Forward; and the third Rawleigh Oyster Fest on November 7 at Raleigh Iron Works, which added a $60 Half Shell ticket with nine oysters after organizers heard from people who felt priced out. The previous two editions sold out and together raised about $12,500. The Trophy Trot 5K returns for its 10th year at Dix Park on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, benefiting Healing Transitions; nearly 3,000 people signed up last year, and the race donated about $60,000, up from $42,000 the year before.