May 26, 2026 — Tuesday Edition

Happy Tuesday, Durham. Memorial Day weekend is in the rearview, the grill is still warm, and the week ahead has a little bit of everything — a blockbuster opening, some big City Hall moves, and Hamilton holding court at DPAC. Let's get into it.

City Council pumps the brakes on data centers. Durham City Council approved a 60-day moratorium on data center development last week, joining a growing list of NC municipalities hitting pause. More than 30 residents spoke during public comment — a sign of just how much attention these projects are drawing around energy use and neighborhood impact. The moratorium gives council time to develop a longer-term framework. (WRAL)

$4.5 million for affordable housing. In the same session, council voted to fund a plan that will develop roughly 270 new units and help stabilize 135 households. The money targets both new construction and preservation of existing affordable homes — plus direct services for low-income residents. (Durham City)

The state budget squeeze hits home. North Carolina is the only state in the country without a current-year budget, and Durham is feeling it. At a recent town hall, county and school officials warned the impasse could cost public school positions and health care access. Meanwhile, a Republican-led House committee is pushing a constitutional amendment to cap local property tax increases — the primary revenue lever for cities like ours. (Indy Week)

Little Barb's Bakery leaving Durham Food Hall — but not Durham. May 31 is the last day for their Food Hall location, but the team's Instagram tease says they "aren't going too far and won't be gone for long." Stay tuned. (@little_barbs_bakery)

Chef Michael Lee has spent years building one of the Triangle's most respected restaurant groups — M Sushi, M Pocha, M Kokko, and more. Now he's doing something different. M Hansik, which opened this month inside the Wye Junction development at 501 Washington Street, is his most personal project yet: a modern Korean fine-dining restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Plum.

The roughly 4,100-square-foot restaurant takes a tasting-menu approach to Korean cuisine, with Lee drawing on traditional techniques and his own heritage to create dishes that feel both rooted and inventive. It sits alongside Timber Pizza and Atomic Clock Brewing at Wye Junction, adding to what's quietly becoming one of downtown's most interesting food-and-drink clusters.

This matters beyond the menu. Durham's Korean food scene has exploded in the past year — from Dosirak's wildly popular pop-ups at Remy's to the upcoming Dosirak Outpost convenience store on West Main. M Hansik represents the fine-dining anchor of that movement, and Lee has invested seriously in kitchen talent (the head chef posting advertised $85K–$90K). If you've been waiting for a reason to dress up on a weeknight, this is it.

Address: 501 Washington St., Durham (Wye Junction)

Website: mhansik.m-restaurants.com

Price: $$$$ (tasting menu format)

Reservations: Check website for availability

Dosirak Outpost is coming. Kristine Suh's Korean pop-up at Remy's Lounge was so successful she's opening a brick-and-mortar Korean convenience store at 307 W. Main St. — Downtown Durham Inc.'s incubator space for women and minority-owned businesses. Follow along at @dosirakdurham.

Red Phone Booth targets June opening. Durham's first speakeasy-style cocktail lounge is taking shape at 125 Orange St. Enter through an actual red phone booth, dial a secret code, and find Italian small plates, Neapolitan pizza, and craft cocktails behind the door. Memberships are open now at redphonebooth.com.

Kamayan Dinner at Peregrine, May 31. Chef Saif Rahman welcomes Crawford & Son's Aaron Salita and Conor Delaney for a Filipino-inspired communal feast — whole lamb on the spit, banana-leaf spread, no utensils. $175 includes food and three drinks. Reserve at peregrineraleigh.com.

Einstein Bros. Bagels headed to Chapel Hill. Signage is up in the former Bruegger's spot at Eastgate Crossing. Both brands are under the Panera umbrella, so think of it as a rebrand with a new menu.

Hamilton at DPAC — Wed 5/27 through Sun 5/31 | Multiple showtimes (Wed–Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 1:30 & 7:30 PM, Sun 1:00 & 7:00 PM) | DPAC, 123 Vivian St. | Tickets at dpacnc.com | The room where it happens is Durham this week.

Durham Food Truck Rodeo — Sun 5/31 | Noon–4 PM | Durham Central Park, 500 Foster St. | FREE | 30+ trucks, inflatables, family fun. One of only two rodeos left this year (next: Sept 27). Details here.

Al Strong Presents: Jazz on the Roof — Thu 5/28 | 7–9:30 PM | The Durham Hotel rooftop | An institution. Bring someone you like.

Canvases & Corks — Wed 5/27 | 6–9 PM | The Durham Hotel | Paint, sip, unwind midweek.

Durham Farmers Market — Sat 5/31 | 8 AM–Noon (also Wed 3–6 PM) | Durham Central Park Pavilion, 501 Foster St. | Peak spring produce season. durhamfarmersmarket.com

Sunday Set with DJ Jarvis — Sun 5/31 | 5–10 PM | The Durham Hotel | Close out the weekend with good vibes on the roof.

The Bulls are on the road this week, heading to Norfolk for a six-game series against the Tides (May 26–31). After wrapping up a homestand against Nashville, they'll be back at the DBAP in early June. Check milb.com/durham for game times and the latest standings.

The week starts warm — highs in the mid-80s Tuesday through Wednesday — before a front drops us into the upper 60s by Saturday and Sunday. If you're hitting the Food Truck Rodeo on Sunday, you might actually want a light layer (68° high, 54° low). The early-week heat is perfect for rooftop drinks at The Durham Hotel; the weekend cool-down is ideal for the Farmers Market and outdoor exploring.

"How the Lack of a State Budget Is Hitting Durham County" — Indy Week's deep dive into why NC's budget impasse is more than a Raleigh problem. Durham schools, health care, and local tax authority are all on the line, and this piece lays out the stakes clearly. Worth 10 minutes if you care about where your property taxes go. Read it here.

This one's for the pop-up cooks, the incubator tenants, and the six-month-lease dreamers. Kristine Suh started Dosirak in the back kitchen of a bar, once a month, feeding people Korean comfort food until the line stretched down Main Street. Now she's got her own storefront — in a space specifically designed to launch women and minority-owned businesses in downtown Durham. That's how this city works at its best: someone cooks something great, the community shows up, and doors open. Keep showing up, Durham.

Made with 💙 in Durham, NC

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