Details on Bridgestreet, Will Gilson's Upcoming Cambridge Restaurant

Gilson's new restaurant, bridgestreet, will open by late spring/early summer.

Last week, BRT shared that Will Gilson (formerly of Garden at the Cellar and Adrian’s in Truro) had plans to take over the Bosphorous space in Inman Square for his own place, called bridgestreet. On Tuesday, Gilson secured a beer and wine license for his concept, a 110-seat, New-American-style restaurant on Cambridge Street. Yesterday, the chef filled me in on some more details about the concept, which should be opening by late spring/early summer.

The location was key for Gilson, who believes that Inman Square is the next Kendall Square, in terms of a dining boom. (Though, of course, with spots like East by Northeast and Trina’s Starlight Lounge, it’s got a bit of a head start). “Cambridge Street, I believe, is going to be one of the most important areas in the next few years in Cambridge,” Gilson says. “There’s a lot of young people living here, as well as folks living here for years. There’s a lot of development happening here and in Central Square.” As a result, he wants bridgestreet to be a neighborhood spot and a destination restaurant in one, with food that’s a bit more refined than the pubbier, comfort-style fare he became known for at Garden at the Cellar (this means no tater tots or foie gras doughnuts, folks).

Gilson's fish charcuterie (salmon pastrami, halibut rillette, bluefish pate, beet cured scallop) from his time at Adrian's. (Photo via Twitter/wdgilson)

Instead, expect shareable plates (both small and large-format) in an atmosphere anchored by a large, 12-14-person communal table. “It’s sort of a combination of some of the food I have always wanted to cook that didnt fit into the formula at Garden at the Cellar, and a lot of those things were dishes we experimented with in the Cape [at Adrian’s] this summer,” Gilson says. The menu will change often (and seasonally), and some dishes will be heavily vegetable-focused.

Another exciting component is an oyster and charcuterie bar, which will feature cured meats as well as the fish terrines and sausages that Gilson developed during his time at Adrian’s. The bar will also act as the garde manger area, and will provide a peek into the kitchen. Food prices will be on the relatively affordable side—Gilson says single-person entrees will top out at around $25—as will the wines and beer.

Now that he’s got the proper licensing, Gilson says construction should move fairly quickly, with the concept opening by late May or early June.

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