Meet the Owners
Kate Jacoby, Pastry Chef and General Manager, and Rich Landau, Executive Chef, are the owners of Horizons. Rich and Kate were both born and raised in the Philadelphia area. When Rich first became vegetarian, he was often frustrated with the limited culinary options that were available to him. As a result, Rich frequently found himself in the kitchen, at home or in the restaurants in where he worked, experimenting with food and inventing new dishes to satisfy his demanding palate. With his self-taught skills now honed, he opened his first restaurant, Horizons Café, in Willow Grove, PA in April 1994.
Kate studied French and Sociology at Georgetown, but chose to join Rich in the kitchen in 2001. She developed her own approach to vegan baking and began to shape the style of service she envisioned for the front of house.
After twelve years and two expansions, Horizons Café outgrew its space in Willow Grove. Rich and Kate decided it was time to take Horizons to a downtown location and fill one of Philadelphia's most conspicuous voids: upscale, vegan dining. In February 2006, they opened Horizons in Center City.
Over the years, Horizons has become a major contributor to the dining scene in Philadelphia. Rich and Kate are proud to have helped shape a more positive perception of vegetarianism and veganism in the region. They published their first cookbook in December 2003, and the second, Horizons: New Vegan Cuisine, in December 2007. They have made various radio and television appearances, including NPR's "A Chef's Table," CN8's "Your Morning," NBC's "10! Show," FOX's "Good Day," PHL17's "Better Philly," and CBS's "What's Brewing?" They have also spoken at national catering conventions to promote their approach to rethinking vegan cuisine.
In 2006, Horizons was awarded "3 Bells" by Philadelphia Inquirer Restaurant Critic Craig LaBan. That same year, they were named "Restaurant of the Year" by VegNews Magazine. Since then, Horizons continues to be celebrated on a local and national level as one of the pioneers of vegan cooking. Horizons has been recognized by PETA as one of the Top 8 Vegetarian Restaurants in North America, by Philadelphia Magazine as one of the Top 50 Restaurants in Philadelphia, by the New York Times as one of Philadelphia's Best New Restaurants. Horizons made culinary history on November 4th, 2009 by cooking the first vegan dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.
Rich and Kate were married in September 2004. They find inspiration in global travel, spending time outdoors by the water's edge, and tasting new foods. Their son Rio Jacoby-Landau was born in November 2007 and is already an adventurous traveler with a curious palate. They currently reside in Philadelphia, near the restaurant.
Our Kitchen Team
The members of our kitchen team are passionate about great cooking, and work tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver delicious food from concept to completion. You may never meet these dedicated men and women, but once you have a Horizons meal, you'll glimpse their culinary passion.