Wave Kitchen is excellent. It just is.
What makes it so is surely the extraordinary culinary skill of Executive Chef Thiago Paixão. But in addition to the exceptional food, the experience you have when you visit Wave Kitchen in Gloucester is the product of the talented husband and husband team of Kurt and Rick Hosman. The couple together have an astounding breadth and depth of hospitality experience that has culminated in the inevitability of a place of their own. And while restaurants and bars seem to open and close monthly here on Cape Ann, these two are surviving — and thriving.
The road leading to Drift, and now Wave Kitchen, began where it ends—in Gloucester. While Kurt grew up in Manchester (class of ’86!), his mother was born and raised in Gloucester by a father who was a lobsterman and a mother who worked cutting fish at Gorton’s. It is this connection to the history and spirit of Gloucester’s seaport that inspired Kurt’s vision for Wave Kitchen.
Rick grew up in Atlanta but in 1997 moved to the east coast.
Both men enjoyed successful careers in hospitality a part of which was Kurt’s key involvement in the opening of the Beauport Hotel in the summer of 2016. Once the hotel arrived both Kurt and Rick felt Gloucester changing. They found that people were beginning to see Gloucester as more than just a blue-collar fishing town.
When the fishing industry began to weaken in Gloucester, it was devastating, and the town struggled to redefine itself. Now seemed like a chance for a new chapter in the story of Gloucester, one that gave folks a place to go to enjoy spending their free time while appreciating this amazing historic seaport. And so, it is with this belief that the couple took their combined talents, life’s savings, and, as they say “two gay men with some style” — and dove into Drift.
They opened in 2018. And for the past seven years, Drift has been a vibrant addition to the Gloucester scene. They are known for having killer drinks and great live music. Weekend evenings are packed, loud, and lively. The bar has flourished. During Covid, an opportunity to expand the space presented itself. The couple banked on Covid not lasting forever and took yet another leap of faith. They built out the new space and added a small kitchen as bars were now required by law to also serve food post-Covid. And while this worked and Drift continued to thrive and enjoy its established reputation as a great place for artisanal cocktails and local music, the food was limited.
Enter Thiago Paixão. Kurt and Rick decided they wanted more than typical bar food. Instead, they wanted to open a restaurant that again, reflected the essence of Gloucester, naturally this would include fresh seafood — but next generation.
And it began with Thiago. Born and raised in the mountainous city of Resplendor on the eastern coast of Brazil, Thiago’s love of food and family led to a passion for cooking. He is entirely self-taught, pulling on what he learned in his family’s beloved kitchen, cooking with tropical flavors, vibrant colors, open-fire cooking, and warm and exciting South American spices. The deep culinary traditions of his region inform many of his most special dishes. While working under various excellent chefs here on the North Shore, Thiago was given the opportunity to work with renowned sushi chef Sang Hyun Lee of Sushi Sang Lee.
It was this new addition to his culinary repertoire that led to what has become Thiago’s unique style of cooking, using fresh seafood in an exciting new way.
Highlights from the current menu include entrees such as “Passion Fruit Glazed Salmon,” which has bright and bold tropical flavors with gorgeous salmon over a heavenly patty of crispy rice, and “The Taste of Brazil,” with Picanha beef with a vibrant and herby chimichurri sauce that comes with truffle potato wedges that will make your toes curl.
My fellow diners and I also tried two sushi rolls and there was a lively debate as to which was more extraordinary. I was blown away by the “Pacific Breeze” with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, cucumber, topped with tuna, avocado and sliced mango with a pineapple-chili sauce and scallions, while Erika Brown voted for the “Pineapple Delight,” which is totally unlike any sushi roll I have ever had—tempura shrimp, mango, carrots, cucumber, and avocado wrapped in soy paper and topped with pineapple salsa, sweet chili, microgreens, scallions, and toasted coconut. Yes, they taste as good as they sound.
It is refreshing to see locals who cherish the spirit and history of Gloucester translate it into something that inspires, delights, and celebrates the future of Gloucester while honoring its past. Thank you to Kurt and Rick for having the heart, vision — and courage to take the leap.
Wave Kitchen at Drift / 3 Main St. Gloucester / (978) 879-4201 driftgloucester.com. Reservations encouraged.
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