Though it’s named for the fastest animal on the planet, the upcoming Raleigh restaurant Peregrine tells a slower story, a journey spanning many years and countless miles.
It begins for Saif Rahman and Patrick Shanahan at the same place on opposite sides of the earth — grandmother’s house.
Peregrine is the new restaurant from former Vidrio chef Saif Rahman and Watts & Ward co-owner Patrick Shanahan, opening in early 2025 in the massive North Raleigh development The Exchange. Saif will serve as executive chef and Shanahan, an artist and filmmaker by trade , will lead the design and Peregrine’s beverage program.
Serving a menu blending global cuisines, Peregrine will feature dishes telling the story of Rahman’s upbringing in Bangladesh, his culinary training in New York City, and his move to North Carolina, where he’s made his home. For Rahman, the 2021 North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association Chef of the Year, this will be his first restaurant of his own.
“This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” Rahman said. “I’ve worked for so many people and I’ve always done their food. This one is my food, my story, my heritage, tracing where I’ve been and where I’m going.”