Chef Matthew Gaudet was drawn to his first restaurant job at the early age of 15; he washed dishes part time in order to save money for his first car. The fast-paced, congenial and creative industry quickly embedded itself in Gaudet’s system. After spending a summer at the Grouse Mountain Grill in the scenic Beaver Creek, Colorado, he was officially hooked.
While training at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, Gaudet worked in the Cambridge, MA mainstay Chez Henri. Soon thereafter, New York came calling and he took one of his first positions at the prestigious Eleven Madison Park in the heart of Manhattan during its opening year. From there, he continued to hone his craft moving to Jean-Georges before returning to Eleven Madison to become sous chef within Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. A few years later, he was tapped to be a sous chef at the esteemed Aquavit under award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson. Following this unforgettable experience, he became sous chef for 71 Clinton and then worked as the sous chef for Tocqueville, perfecting European cuisine with an American sensibility.
After nine years in the Big Apple, it was time for Gaudet to return home to Boston and to his family and friends. He took on the position of Chef de Cuisine at Brasserie Jo in Back Bay, working directly with Jean Joho to help captain the 200-seat institution. In 2009, he moved over to join the team at the Aquitaine Group where he served as Chef de Cuisine of the original Aquitaine in the South End. It was in the kitchen at Aquitaine where Gaudet defined his own cooking style by building on the foundations of French gastronomy, adding local products and international flavors wherever appropriate. In the spring of 2012, Gaudet opened West Bridge with partner Alexis Gelburd-Kimler where he showcases his talents for French cuisine, while continuing the tradition of utilizing local products and a refined, contemporary style.
In its first year, West Bridge and Chef Gaudet received many accolades. After receiving an amazing 3 ½ out of 4-star review from the Boston Globe the national press caught on. GQ’s Alan Richman named them one of the 12 Best New Restaurants, Bon Appetit added West Bridge to their Top 50 New Restaurants of 2013 and Food & Wine Magazine named Matthew as one of their Best New Chefs 2013. After almost four years, the partners then sold West Bridge to pursue new adventures in new parts of the world.
In 2016, Matthew created Superfine with his two partners, a product driven, fast casual concept on the North Shore of Massachusetts in the coastal towns of Manchester-by-the-Sea as well a second in Marblehead and a third in Newburyport. With a small menu of local and simply prepared foods for people all ages, Superfine is a household name. The multi-unit restaurant features pizzas, ribs, burgers, seafood and lots and lots of vegetables.
In 2017 he opened Kitchen & Cocktails at the Freepoint Hotel in Cambridge, Mass.