Meet Me in Medford | Rosemary Gill of Milk Street Cooking School

By 4Squares Residential Group with Judi 411

When we're not immersed in real estate, you’ll find the 4Squares team in our kitchens—we're a team of serious home cooks. So when we discovered that Rosemary Gill, the Director of Cooking Education at the Milk Street Cooking School, was living right here in Medford, we were seriously geeking out!

But for Rosemary, it’s more than just a place to live—it’s home. Not only does she live here now, but she also grew up here. Her deep roots in the community make her passion for food and education even more special. She’s not just teaching world-class cooking techniques; she’s bringing that knowledge back to where it all began.

Because at the end of the day, there’s no place like home. We sat down with Rosemary to find out what makes Medford home sweet home for her.

We always start by asking, “What roads led you to Medford?” But in your case, it’s more of a homecoming. Tell us about your journey back.

Yes, I was born and raised in Medford, and now I’m back in the house where I grew up. My husband and I bought it from my parents in 2015.

We left for a while and lived in a few different places. My husband and I were in San Francisco while he was in medical training — he’s a palliative care doctor — but we came back when he got a job offer at Dana-Farber. 

My parents had bought this house in 1977 for a whisper. Medford was a different city then—different when I was growing up and different now. They were thinking about selling and moving to Vermont, where my younger sister is, so we called and said, “Can we rent for a year? We need to move fast and don’t want to rent an apartment elsewhere.” They were going to be in Vermont, so it made sense. And then we got here and were like, wait—Medford is amazing.

We don’t own a car. But we can walk to the commuter rail—one stop to North Station— and we’ll be at work. The Fells are a five-minute walk out the door. There’s a Hertz on Mystic Ave, so we just walk over or take the bus when we need a car. It’s perfect. I’m unabashed in my love for this place.

I went to Brooks when it was Brooks Hobbs—K through 8. I can still name all my elementary school teachers. Principal Shirley Katz—I loved her. Mrs. Rickenbacher for first grade—she used to pinch my cheeks.

Neighborhood-wise? I don’t really know! Technically, I’m between Tower Park, Hastings Park, and the high school. West Medford adjacent, but not West Medford Proper. 

Photos, clockwise from the top left: Canoeing on the Mystic River; the city's best, at the Magnificent Muffin; spring flowers at the Royall House and Hawaiian halo halo at Lola's Coffee and More, near the West Medford Commuter Rail Station.

It’s clear that you love living here; what makes Medford special for you?

I love living in Medford. I love it, and I have all the feels about it. The community is everything. I still have my “fake mom and dad” living down the street, and now I see the little kids in the neighborhood walking to the Brooks with their parents—just like I did. As much as things change, I also get to see things that stay the same, and that kind of continuity makes the change feel exciting instead of overwhelming. It’s like this perfect mix of tradition carrying on and evolving and also new traditions being established. 

One of my favorite things is that there are people here who have literally known me since the day I was born, but at the same time, I’m making deep friendships with people who are moving in because they’re just as excited to be here as I am. I love the enthusiasm—people here care. Even when there’s heated debate over local issues, I love that people in Medford are so passionate about politics, the schools, and the community. There’s such a strong sense of identity.

It would be so easy for Medford to feel like just a place I live, especially since I don’t have kids and my work isn’t tied to the city. But it doesn’t feel like that at all. It’s not just a bedroom community for me—I feel connected to it. And can we talk about the new library? If I could, I’d spend all day, every day there. I also love that we have free composting now—my compost gets picked up once a week, and that’s just one of those small things that makes me happy for the City and how it’s evolving.

Medford has its stubborn traditions. Some could still change and some should never change, but I also love seeing actual change happening. I love that our city council members and state reps respond. Every time I email, I get a personal, detailed response—whether or not we agree, they engage. That means something.

And the green space! So much of it. People always talk about the Fells, which is amazing, but walking along the Mystic River? Just as beautiful. One of my absolute favorite spots is right over the bridge from Dugger Park. In October and November, a row of trees turn the most incredible shades—bright red, yellow, and orange—whoever planted them, whether intentional or not, created something magical. The way the light hits them that time of year? It’s one of my favorite places in the whole city.

Dugger Park is one of Medford’s best-hidden gems! What are some other local favorites you'd recommend?

The library, the library, the library! It’s always at the top of my list. And, of course, Goldilox Bagels.

Then there’s the Brooks Estate—an oddly kept secret, even for someone who’s lived in Medford their whole life. I was born here, yet I didn’t set foot there until about five years ago. It really does feel like a hidden gem, even for the locals.

Another favorite spot of mine is Oak Grove Cemetery. I love walking through and looking at the old tombstones. A series of them near the Brooks Estate are fascinating—one, in particular, stands out. The headstone lists the person’s name along with “mathematician, astrologer, dreamer,” all carved into stone from the 1800s. Right next to him, his wife’s headstone reads “City Planner,” it also reads something like “advocate, poet.”

And then there are those eerie blue tinted tombstones scattered throughout Oak Grove. I don’t know what it is about them, but they make the whole place even more intriguing. It’s just one of my favorite places to walk.

What led you to work at Milk Street Cooking School?

When my boss, Christopher Kimball, started Milk Street, I was the third person he hired. He wanted education built into its foundation. My job? Launch an in-person cooking school, an online cooking school, and a nonprofit—all from the ground up. That was essentially my interview - “Want to do these three things?” I said yes right away.

And it made perfect sense. The core values of Milk Street are all about being lifelong learners. Chris spent a whole career perfecting how we cook a certain way, then traveled the world and realized—wait—how he made stew was completely different elsewhere. And in those places, his method was the “wrong” way. He became a beginner again. And he loved it.

That’s the ethos of Milk Street. When you travel, you keep your mind open. You may have learned to make stew one way, but somewhere else, they do it entirely differently. And both are right.

There’s always more to learn—we’ll never learn it all. That idea is at the core of Milk Street, running through it like a circulatory system. And at the heart of it? Our cooking school.

I was somewhere between employee two and four when we started, and we got to work immediately.. We held our first class in October 2016, and for years, we focused on in-person classees, and we were growing steadily—until the pandemic hit.

That changed everything. Now, as you know, we’re predominantly livestream-based. The shift made sense because Milk Street’s audience extends far beyond Boston. Many of our students couldn’t attend in person because they live in Arizona, Minnesota, and California—places well beyond commuting distance.

Livestreaming has given us two significant advantages. First, more of our audience can access our classes, no matter where they are. Second, we can bring in a much wider range of guest instructors. I can teach a finite number of things, but now we can invite chefs to teach directly from their home kitchens in India, Taiwan, Italy—wherever. And, when you’re learning a dish, wouldn’t you rather learn it from the person who grew up making it?

The majority of our events are now live-streamed—though, of course, they’re still open to Medford residents!

Our newest endeavor is culinary tours—taking people away for a week to learn on the ground.  Home cooks, restaurant chefs, farmers, foragers, even a 23rd-generation glass blower in Venice (glass is an important part of not just economic but culinary history there) —whoever makes the most sense for that location.

What are some of the hidden gems in Medford you’d like to share? 

Hidden gems in Medford? Oh, I’ve got plenty!

I love Lola’s, the new coffee spot in West Medford—it’s fantastic. And right across the street? The Magnificent Muffin Shop. Also amazing.

For nails, I go to Signature Nails, and Tanya is incredible. She’s the only one I trust—she even does my nails for TV when we’re filming. I’m getting them done on Thursday because we start filming that day, and my hands need to look good!

Now, if we’re talking true hidden gems… let’s talk about people’s home gardens!  One day in 2017 or so, I was walking on Summer Street, and I saw this amazing home garden – espelier fruit trees, winter squash growing up arbors and with each squash supported by its own basket, rows upon rows of paste tomatoes, a massive walnut tree, and more. It was delightful! And so I started looking more carefully whenever I walked. 

If you (respectfully) peek over fences, you’ll find these amazing home gardens all over Medford—not just in the community gardens but tucked away in backyards. I learned this trick when I lived in San Francisco—if you spot fig and citrus trees, chances are you’re in an old Italian neighborhood. When I moved back here, I started noticing the fig trees in Medford, wrapped in mattresses for the winter to protect them. You can literally trace immigration patterns by looking at what’s growing in people’s yards.

And, of course, The West Medford Community Center—an absolute gem. So is The Royall House and Slave Quarters on Main Street —their programming is incredible, and Ed, who’s been there for a few years now, is doing fantastic work.

Medford has a lot of history—and a lot of hidden treasures if you know where to look!

Our final question is, what would you tell your best friend if they wanted to move to that?

Welcome home. That's how I want people to feel here.

Ready to sharpen your skills in the kitchen? The Milk Street Cooking School offers a variety of in-person and online classes year-round, so you can learn from world-class instructors no matter where you are. Plus, their culinary travel experiences take learning to a whole new level—immersing you in global food cultures alongside expert chefs and home cooks.

Explore their upcoming classes and start your next cooking adventure today! For more information, you can also contact Rosie directly at rosie@177milkstreet.com.

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