This is a sampling of stories from the Business Journal’s Restaurant Roundup weekly email. To have these emails delivered for free, subscribe to Restaurant Roundup at  www.wilmingtonbiz.com.

Front Street Brewery taps into fresh hops
FRONT STREET BREWERY brewmaster Kevin Kozak has decided to obtain fresh hops for a new beer due this fall. The Citra hops, which Kozak will receive within 24 hours after they are harvested from the ground in Washington state, will give fresh flavor and wonderful aroma to the low-alcohol pale ale Kozak has in mind.

In other Front Street news, the brewery in June tapped Vintage Hall, a Black Imperial IPA (India pale ale) created by the winner of the brewery’s February homebrew competition. Amateur beer maker James Lafferty, a Marine based in Jacksonville, took the contest’s pale ale/IPA gold medal and best in show award.

Port City Java perks up
PORT CITY JAVA recently finished its fourth Wilmington store renovation since last year with its Porters Neck location overhaul. A second restroom and larger dining area are among changes at the 8211 Market St. shop, in the Porters Neck Shopping Center. New cabinetry, a new drive-thru menu board and new equipment, namely a Nouva Seminelli espresso machine, are among the fresh additions. The semi-automatic Nouva Seminelli machines going into Port City Java stores get baristas more involved in the espresso-making process, allowing them to put recent coffee-preparation training to work. The company’s downtown, Barclay Commons and South 17th Street shops also have been remodeled.

Chavez heads up Manna kitchen
After quietly reorganizing the Manna kitchen following the mysterious departure of chef Jacob Hilbert in May, MANNA owner Billy Mellon announced the promotion of young sous chef Jameson Chavez to chef de cuisine. And Mellon shared news many Wilmington diners have been awaiting: chef Kyle Lee McKnight, most previously of Circa 1922, is back in the Port City mix, working as Manna’s executive sous chef.

Grits & Glory lets chefs cut loose
Marc’s on Market sous chef Tyson Amick has teamed up with longtime friend and Le Catalan sous chef Allen Roberts to write about the pair’s cooking experiments online for the website GRITS & GLORY.

Through the site, the two are also staging “underground” dinner parties open to guests selected at random.

Amick said that Grits & Glory is a project separate from his and Roberts’ restaurant work.

Getting to sample the underground supper club dishes requires sending the pair an email via www.gritsandglory.com. Amick and Roberts randomly select guests from the list. Attendees may offer a donation for their meals, but profit is not these cooks’ motivation.
– Liz Biro

Marrakesh restaurant shuts down
The Turkish, Moroccan and North African MARRAKESH restaurant on Front Street closed suddenly in late June after being open for about six weeks. Immediately after the closure, carpenters, vendors, cooks and wait staff said they were trying to collect payment from the owner.

State labor officials also said that some wage payment claims from restaurant employees had been filed.
– Alison Lee Satake

Other comings and goings
* Wilmington-based Fuzzy Peach frozen yogurt bar recently announced the signing of agreements for six franchised units. The company’s frozen treats will be found this summer in Southport, Leland, Topsail, Cape Carteret and this fall in New Bern and Morehead City. The openings raises the Fuzzy Peach to a total of 11 locations – bringing the company closer to its goal of opening 25 new locations in 2012.

* Twenty five televisions, 25 beer taps, 200-300 bottles of beer but no burgers and nothing deep-fried. That’s the unlikely combination at Jax 5th Avenue Deli and Ale House coming in early August to the former Carol’s Silver Diner, 5046 New Centre Drive.

* When Uptown BBQ opened in summer 2011, owner Dwayne Page had big plans. But by fall of that year, the doors were locked, and signs promised a reopening. Scheduled return dates came and went. Finally, a “for lease” sign has gone up in front of the 4023 Market St. building that originally hosted Taco Bell and later Folks Cafe.

– Liz Biro and Meredith Burns