The folks behind Bluebird and Hawthorne & Wood have opened a new Spanish tapas bar called Próximo in the Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe Space, marking a return of higher-end dining to the section of Franklin Street many restaurateurs have avoided in recent years. Próximo serves straightforward tapas with slight twists — the costillas (pork ribs), for example, come served alongside verjus-spiked apples, while the atun escabeche (tuna) is paired with sunchokes and dill. Of course, there are plenty of Spanish wines available by the bottle or glass, as well as wine-based cocktails, sherries, vermouths, ports, beers, and ciders.  

Named after the (in)famous, adjacent bridge (yes, that one), the Can Opener is a brand new food truck park that sees some of the area’s most popular mobile kitchens joining forces. With a coffee and craft beer bar and food served all day from trucks like Gussy’s, Chick-n-Que, NC Bulkogi, Queen Eggxpress, and Andia’s Ice Cream, it’s quickly becoming one of the hottest spots in town.

Fans of the late, lamented Bar Lusconi can rejoice — it’s been resurrected (sort of) by one of the original owners on South Roxboro Street. The new iteration, Delafia, has many of the same vibes — funky wines from small producers, a rapidly changing list, and a gritty, speakeasy vibe. Delafia also has a pretty extensive retail selection, as well as a large patio.

From the owners behind Bar Virgile, High Dive brings upscale dive bar vibes, games, cocktails, and more to this downtown basement space (which, ironically, was also once an arcade bar). Think classic beers like Sam Adams and Stella on tap, simple cocktails, pool table, darts, and a jukebox. Food options are divey as well — customers can help themselves to freshly popped popcorn or order a basket of nachos.

Step through the front door of Chef Oscar Diaz’s Aaktun and into an unassuming coffee shop, but take a short walk down the hallway on the left to be suddenly transported into a lush, jungly dining room that looks as though it was transported straight from Tulum to Durham. Diaz’s new all-day eatery serves coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Mexican-accented tiki drinks in this new space right next door to Mezcalito. The impossibly fluffy dinner rolls come with a sweet chilli butter, there are mains like pork belly adobo and tempura fish tacos, and on the Mar Bar menu, the ceviche de coco (local North Carolina fish, tropical leche de tiger, choclo, onion, and corn nuts) is a stunner. Beware when ordering the Conch Out tiki cocktail (with two kinds of rum, tropical juices, and Aperol) — it comes in a giant ceramic conch shell big enough to serve two.

The recently opened Khao Sen is bringing the kind of flavors more often found in Cary and Morrisville to the outer Wake County suburbs and so far the public seems to be loving it. Located in Fuquay-Varina, Khao Sen’s faithful Thai menu revolves around both rice (Khao) and noodle (Sen) dishes and avoids typical Americanized dishes like pad Thai or generic “green curry”. Instead, try the khao soi, a Northern-Thai curry with chicken in a fragrant broth alongside egg noodles and herbs. The ba mii moo daeng is akin to a Thai version of a meat-and-three, with slow-roasted pork shoulder, pork and shrimp dumplings, bok choy, cilantro, scallion, and crispy wontons, egg noodles, and served with a side of pork broth. There are spicy chicken wings, handmade spring rolls, and a very autumnal dish — the kuay tiew neur, a brothy soup with rice noodles, sliced New York strip steak, stewed beef, beef tendon, beef balls, cilantro, scallion, and Chinese broccoli.

Perhaps Raleigh’s most-anticipated restaurant opening of the year so far, the pasta water is boiling and the doors are officially open at Figulina. Helmed by former Poole’s chef-de-cuisine David Ellis, Figulina focuses on handcrafted pasta as the vehicle to explore local ingredients and Southern cuisine. There’s a nori bucatini with crab, chili, and black garlic, rigatoni with braised sweet potato, and cappelleti with short ribs and mushroom conserva. Pastas pair with a small plates menu of items such as lamb rillette and charred savoy cabbage. The cocktail menu is heavily influenced by Italian amari, and the wine menu is pulled together by local photographer and Italian wine expert Jeff Bramwell.

The Triangle just can’t get enough burger joints it would seem, and LaGana is the most recent entry in the game, albeit this time with a Latin spin on the American classic. The abbreviated menu offers the signature Textbook Burger along with one called the Mr. Thick, plus rotating monthly specials (opening specials include the My Bahn and Shroom Roll), yucca fries, and two cakes.

Hand roll-style sushi and bowls of piping hot ramen are the name of the game at Daijobu. Open for lunch and dinner, the menu has selections like scallop with yukari furikake or toro tuna with green onion hand rolls, bowls of tonkotsu, spicy tan tan, and miso ramen, and a selection of shareable small plates. This is a mix and match kind of spot, perfect for a date night or evening out with friends.

The latest offering from prolific North Carolina restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias is part upscale food market and part all-day cafe. The menu offers classic European and American cafe cuisine, with a slight nod to Bakatsias’s Greek heritage (chicken souvlaki, Greek meatballs, and a quiche filled with sweet potato, zucchini, onion, dill, feta, and Manouri cheese). There is a full coffee bar, as well as grab-and-go meals and a Sunday brunch.