The restaurateurs are coming. Last week, Kenny Gilbert — former Top Chef contender + private chef to Oprah — announced that he will be opening a new restaurant in North Raleigh early next year, joining the ranks of other food industry stars including Ford Fry and Katsuji Tanabe, who will open their doors soon in Cary + downtown Raleigh, respectively.
We’re excited to welcome these chefs to the 919 — joining the ranks of Ashley Christensen, who was named Outstanding Chef this year by the James Beard Foundation — and others who have moved to the City of Oaks, like Sean Fowler, Scott Crawford, Tom Cuomo + Oscar Diaz.
We wanted to get to know these chefs, and figured you would too. In the November issue of Raleigh Magazine, Jane Porter interviewed the trio + asked them why they chose to bring us their cooking. Here’s what to know:
Kenny Gilbert, Cut and Gather
📍13100 Falls of Neuse Road, North Raleigh
🍗wood-fired + Southern-style cuisine
⏰coming late 2019 or early 2020
Raleigh was on Kenny’s radar because his longtime friend Scott Crawford (of Jolie + Crawford and Son) opened his restaurants here: “I knew he wouldn’t be planting roots with his family if people [in Raleigh] didn’t appreciate good food … Being able to bring out a platter of food to share amongst loved ones, to me, is what it’s all about.”
Ford Fry, Superica
🌮Tex-Mex inspired menu, heavy with tacos + specialty margaritas
⏰expected fall 2021
“I love putting restaurants in cities I really like to go,” Ford says. “This one I thought was super cool, and it had great food. Cary was a good opportunity.”
Katsuji Tanabe, High Horse
🍲wood-fired grill with Japanese + Mexican influence
⏰opening by the end of the year
Katsuji says he is excited to relocate his family from L.A. to the Triangle: “Few places in America have real cuisine. The Carolinas have barbecue, watermelon, amazing fish. The farmers market here felt like the ones in Mexico. They have all this produce just laying there and you’re talking to the guy who grew the peaches.”
