Renowned Boston chef Barbara Lynch is bringing her culinary prowess to the North Shore as she takes over waterfront favorite The Rudder on Rocky Neck in Gloucester. Confirming local scuttlebutt, Lynch recently posted a photo of the restaurant to her Instagram account with the caption, “Stay tuned THE RUDDER.”
In the photo, trash is piled in front of the red clapboard building, suggesting Lynch and her team are in the process of making the space their own for whatever the future holds (Lynch’s media team declined to share any further details at this time). In response to comments on the post, Lynch, who lives across town in the Annisquam neighborhood of Gloucester, praised the building’s “good bones” and expressed excitement to welcome friends to her new dining spot.
Locals hit the comments to share their excitement at the prospect of a Cape Ann outpost of Lynch’s restaurant empire.
Lynch grew up in South Boston where she got her first cooking job in a neighborhood rectory at the age of 13. After training under some of Boston’s most notable chefs and traveling to Europe to further her culinary education, she eventually opened upscale French restaurant No. 9 Park in Boston’s Beacon Hill in 1998. The restaurant quickly received rave reviews and was named one of the country’s top 25 new restaurants by Bon Appetit.
Since then she has expanded her business to include B&G Oysters and The Butcher Shop in Boston’s South End, and then cocktail bar Drink, the Italian diner-inspired Sportello, and fine dining restaurant Menton in the Fort Point area. She has received plentiful accolades from local and national publications, The James Beard Foundation, dining guides, and universities.
The Rudder is perched on the waterfront on Rocky Neck, Gloucester’s venerable art colony. The indoor dining room features low-slung ceilings and cozy seating. Deck seating overlooks charming Smith Cove, with views of the working waterfront and the sailboats moored in the cove. An attached dock allows diners to arrive by boat.