West Bridge’s Matthew Gaudet Makes Triumphant Return to Cambridge With Freepoint Kitchen & Cocktails

A noted Boston chef who has spent the last year on the North Shore will make his return to the metro area with a restaurant slated to open within a new Cambridge hotel. Matthew Gaudet, former chef and co-owner of the dearly departed West Bridge in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, has partnered with the Freepoint Hotel (220 Alewife Brook Pkwy.) and will open Freepoint Kitchen & Cocktails inside the lobby this April.

Gaudet has been away from the Cambridge restaurant world while working to open SuperFine, a counter service pizza-and-more restaurant in Manchester-by-the-Sea; it debuted in late 2016. His return to the Boston area coincides with the opening of this new hotel, and he has a globally-inspired menu in the works for Freepoint Kitchen & Cocktails. The restaurant will draw inspiration from Gaudet’s past travels and global cuisine, and it will feature a casual spin on both small plates and shareable dishes for breakfast and dinner.

Per a release, possible menu items include shakshuka and a raspberry vanilla buttermilk Dutch baby on the breakfast menu; small plates such as bacon-roasted nuts, pistachio popcorn, and charcuterie; and larger shared plates such as a house-roasted pork Cubano, warm whipped herbed ricotta, and Irish whiskey-cured salmon.

On the beverage side, Alex Howell will be “beverage consigliere,” and he’ll be featuring bourbon and brown liquors on his list. Expect to find some classic cocktails, such as the Aviation and Blood & Sand, along with a Manhattan menu full of variations, a house version, and a design-your-own option.

The restaurant will seat 13 at the bar and will have an adjoining casual lounge filled with communal high-top tables, sofas, and rugs. Additionally, the restaurant will have a glass-enclosed outdoor space off the bar and lounge area with fire pits and seating.

This opening comes a little more than two years after the closure of West Bridge. In addition to Freepoint Kitchen, Gaudet is also working to open a second SuperFine location in Marblehead.

• SuperFine Is Opening Imminently on the North Shore [EBOS]
• West Bridge Will Close at the End of the Month [EBOS]