When one door closes, another opens—literally. Five years after Top Chef alum Katsuji Tanabe’s High Horse bowed at City Market, the bold, boundary-pushing concept is riding back in—this time as a standalone stunner in a brand-new building set to bow next summer at Horseshoe at Hub RTP in partnership with Raleigh restaurateur Anthony Rapillo.
The serendipitous revival comes after the pair was approached by RTP to open a concept there—marking their third joint venture, following DTR’s Flour & Barrel and La Taqueria at Boxyard, with the restored speakeasy underneath Sir Walter Apartments also in the works. “Anthony and I have been blessed for putting in the hard work and people reaching out to us, believing in our product and standards,” muses Tanabe.
While the OG High Horse’s historic digs lent a lived-in charm, the new ~5K-square-foot space promises an entirely fresh feel. Think a standalone show kitchen anchoring the room; soaring steeple-style ceilings with exposed piping; an indoor-outdoor-service cocktail bar slinging throwbacks like cosmos, lemon drops and scratchmade G&Ts—plus a sizable patio overlooking the Horseshoe courtyard.
And, yes, the signature live-fire cooking will remain the star, spanning lunch, dinner and brunch, with a focus on food that’s simple, fun and elegant—sans any gimmicks. Expect returning stars like skillet cornbread and cotton candy, alongside newcomers like a houseground burger; NC grouper finished with a country ham vinaigrette; warm tableside spinach salad; and a seafood platter that trades raw selects for charcoal-cooked mussels, clams and crab legs served swimming in juices ready for sopping with Japanese rice or fresh pasta…