Wicked Island Bakery: Home of the infamous morning buns. Full disclosure: In the summer of 2021, my daughter worked at Wicked Island Bakery, and therefore I heard endless sagas about the morning buns. (It might be a stretch to say I could write a novel about the morning buns, but this will definitely be the topic of my daughter’s college essay.) When I dropped off my daughter, who was then age fifteen, at six a.m., there was already a line of people waiting for the bakery to open. Once, a man saw my daughter get out of the car and he hurried out of his car, because he thought she was there to get in line. It’s that bad and worse. The morning buns are hand-crafted cinnamon rolls that are produced in batches of thirty, and they take forty-five minutes to make. The frenzy is caused by how delicious they are, yes, but it’s also the law of supply and demand in action (there is a six-bun-per-customer limit in the summer). The stories I heard about Adults Behaving Badly in regard to the morning buns prompt me now to remind everyone that civility and kindness are always mandatory, especially when you’re dealing with people in the service industry and especially when those people are teenagers working summer jobs. We adults must lead by example. Period. Wicked Island Bakery also has outrageously delicious ham-and-cheese croissants as well as the almond croissants that I used in this novel! And it’s where you can procure Amy’s Cookies, adorable sugar cookies decorated in any number of charming ways by #girlboss Dr. Amy Hinson. (Amy served as my forensics expert for Golden Girl.) Website: Wickedislandbakery.com; Instagram: @wickedislandbakery.
Born and Bread: This is where I get my sourdough. (They also have an addictive olive sourdough on certain days.) The bread is baked fresh and sliced right there. Terrific sandwiches as well, including Lizbet’s favorite, the ABC grilled cheese! It’s right downtown on Centre Street. Website: Bornandbreadnantucket.com; Instagram: @bornandbreadnantucket.
Lemon Press: Do you love fresh-pressed juices, kombucha, acai bowls, avocado toast? If so, then you must make a visit to Main Street superstar Lemon Press. It provides a breakfast or lunch of champions—fresh, healthy, delicious. And it’s owned and operated by two women! The line can be quite long, since this place is super-popular for a reason, so bring a book (or buy one—Mitchell’s Book Corner is right across the street!). Website: Lemonpressnantucket.com; Instagram: @lemonpressnantucket.
The Beet: While we’re supporting women entrepreneurs and eating delicious and healthy food, why not stop at the Beet? The menu is fun fusion; I know people who are devotees of the Kung Fu Fighter salad, and I adore the chicken burger. Website: Thebeetnantucket.com; Instagram: @thebeetnantucket.
Walter’s and Stubby’s: Both Walter’s and Stubby’s are on the Strip, which is the block between Easy Street and Water Street known for inexpensive, fast, and delicious eats. Easy Street Cantina is on the Strip, as are Steamboat Pizza and the Juice Bar (you’ll know the Juice Bar by the hundreds of people waiting in line). My two favorite stops on the Strip are Walter’s and Stubby’s. Walter’s has made-to-order hot and cold sandwiches, including the best Reuben on the island (you heard it here). Stubby’s is, as Edie says in the novel, Nantucket’s version of McDonald’s. It’s known for its waffle fries—they come highly recommended—and they also have excellent fast-food-type burgers and chicken sandwiches. Stubby’s stays open until two a.m., making it very popular with a late-night crowd, and this past year, some marketing genius finally created a hoodie that says ENDED UP AT STUBBY’S. More than one of these hang in my own mudroom! Website: Stubbysnantucket.com; Instagram: @stubbysnantucket.
Lolaburger: There might not be words to describe how much I love Lolaburger. I love it so much, and it is the most requested dinner treat in my household (so much for Cringe Cooking!). It’s a luxe burger joint with the best grilled-chicken sandwich on the island (it comes with Swiss, bacon, and avocado). They are also known for their truffle fries (divine!). And they have milkshakes. They do have indoor and outdoor dining with bar service but I prefer to call in my order and pick up. The wait can be up to an hour on busy evenings, so you’ve been warned! (But, oh, it’s worth it.) Website: Lolaburger.com; Instagram: @lolaburger.restaurants.
167 Raw food truck: This is the food truck next to the fabulous fish market. It has the best tuna burger on the island. You can order online and pick it up on your way to the beach. Highly recommended! You can also get fish tacos, carnitas tacos, lobster rolls, and their famous ceviche and guacamole. Website to order in advance: 167rawtakeout.com.
Something Natural: An island institution. It was, perhaps, my discovery of Something Natural herb bread in my first summer, 1993, that made me want to move to Nantucket. The sandwiches at Something Natural are the stuff of legends; they’re huge—a whole sandwich can easily feed two people. The cookies are also huge, also legendary. Something Natural has a garden setting with picnic tables if you want to bike up Cliff Road and eat there, or you can phone in an order to go and head to the beach. My usual order is the avocado, cheddar, and chutney on herb bread, which might sound weird, but it tastes like summertime to me. You can buy loaves of their breads at the Cliff Road location or at the Stop and Shop. My kids are partial to the Portuguese bread, which makes the best toast. Website: Somethingnatural.com; Instagram: @somethingnaturalack.
Thai House and Siam to Go: Takeout Thai food of the highest quality. I like the spring rolls better at the Thai House but the shrimp pad thai better at Siam to Go. Nantucket can sometimes feel wanting when it comes to authentic, inexpensive food from other cultures, so I am grateful for these two places. Websites: Ackthaihouse.com, siamtogonantucket.com; Instagram: @thaihouse_nantucket.
The Boathouse: There was a time when everyone who worked at the Boathouse knew my middle child by name, he ate there so often. In addition to burgers and fried-chicken sandwiches, it has outstanding tacos and burritos. Everything is fresh and reasonably priced. A lot of times, if I’m going out and I have hungry kids to feed, I’ll order dinner for them here and everyone is thrilled. Website: Boathousenantucket.com; Instagram: @boat_house_nantucket.
Sophie T’s: A classic, family-run pizza parlor that has long been our go-to for pizza and subs (for a stretch of maybe ten years, every sleepover party involved a run to Sophie T’s). I love the ACK Mack pizza, a play on a Big Mac with ground beef, American cheese, onions, pickles, and a sesame crust, drizzled with special sauce. It’s delicious! Website: Sophietspizza.com; Instagram: @sophietspizza.
I Love the Nightlife, I’ve Got to Boogie!