West Bridge’s Matthew Gaudet Is Bringing Pizza & Ribs to the North Shore

Chef Matthew Gaudet’s Ribs. / Photo provided

If you miss chef Matthew Gaudet’s cooking at his eclectic, forward-thinking West Bridge, plan to visit the North Shore this summer. Over the weekend, Gaudet introduced his newest concept, Superfine Food, on social media.

“I’m very excited about this project and [it] means a lot to me,” Gaudet says.

Located on Route 127 in Manchester-by-the-Sea—within walking distance from the Commuter Rail station and Singing Beach—the counter-service spot will resurrect some of West Bridge’s more casual menu items. It will feature Gaudet’s ribs, burgers, composed salads and roasted vegetables, plus a daily barbecue special (brisket, pulled pork, maybe West Bridge’s smoked lamb neck and swordfish collar) and pizza, with slow-fermented dough made from the Cambridge restaurant’s starter.

“We will be utilizing the area’s farms for toppings, as well as Josh [Smith]’s meat at New England Charcuterie and fresh cheeses from Luca [Mignogna] at Wolf Meadow farm,” Gaudet says.

“This isn’t your same old pizza shop,” he adds. He’s awaiting approval from the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission for a full liquor license. The bar will eventually be stocked with “cool wines, and maybe some cool beers,” and a solid Scotch and bourbon selection.

The casual spot will seat 40, with some standing room, too. “I hope to have guest dinners and monthly workshops for kids and adults,” Gaudet says.

The chef, formerly a Cambridge resident, is relocating to his wife’s native North Shore later this year. In 2012, he and fellow Aquitaine alum Alexis Gelburd-Kilmer opened West Bridge in then-newly-booming Kendall Square.

With his technique and style developed at New York institutions like Eleven Madison Park, the French Laundry, Jean-Georges, and Aquavit, Gaudet created a rustic yet stylish lineup of small plates, shareables, and signatures, like the ribs, and a whimsical egg-in-a-jar. In 2013, Food & Wine named him a Best New Chef, and West Bridge earned a Top 20 position on Boston magazine’s list of best restaurants last year.

In December, Gaudet and Gelburd-Kilmer announced West Bridge would close so they could pursue new opportunities. Gaudet has been looking for North Shore real estate for more than a year, he says, though he didn’t shutter West Bridge because of the new venture.

“But my efforts to move on was always in play,” he says. “I wanted another outlet. After having a child, it mellows a lot of people out,” says the chef, who has a two-year-old daughter. “[West Bridge] was who I wanted to be five years ago, and it’s not necessarily who I want to be today. What I really appreciate is everything having the best products, without the pomp and circumstance. There’s a giant quality of life thing for the restaurant industry, and we have to decide what’s right for us. I started to stop eating with my eyes as a chef, and think more about deliciousness. I don’t want to sit over fussy dishes and swoops and swirls.”

Mamaleh’s Delicatessen, a classic Jewish-style deli from State Park owners Alon Munzer, Rachel Miller Munzer, and Tyler and Rachel Sundet, is taking over the One Kendall Square space this year. The team is hosting a job fair today to fill positions.

Superfine Food has claimed its space on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Gaudet is hopeful the casual, beachside restaurant could open in time for the Fourth of July.

25 Union St., Manchester-by-the-Sea.