Languedoc: The hits keep coming! Languedoc is a classic French bistro on Broad Street. I have set scenes in many books here—this is where Isabel’s baby shower is held in Winter Storms and it’s where Vivi and Willa go for a mother-daughter dinner in Golden Girl. The Languedoc is elegant yet relaxed; you can eat escargot in your Patagonia puffy vest （lots of people do this）。 I always order the cheeseburger with garlic fries; paired with the chopped salad as a starter and the sweet inspirations sundae for dessert, it’s the perfect meal. The downstairs dining room and the bar, helmed by the great Jimmy Jaksic, are my preferred spots, although the upstairs dining rooms are cozy and charming. Website: Languedocbistro.com; Instagram: @languedocbistro.
Millie’s: We’ve talked about Sconset on the east end of the island but we haven’t yet talked about Madaket on the west end. Madaket is primarily residential—a drive out to Smith’s Point will take you past the tiny summer cottages （such as Wee Bit in my novel Golden Girl）。 It is the place to watch the sunset, and the vistas over Madaket harbor will immediately improve your Instagram. The epicenter of fun in Madaket is the Millie’s universe. Millie’s is probably best described as a Tex-Mex-inspired restaurant with a heavy Nantucket influence. All of the menu items are named after places on Nantucket. I always start with the Altar Rock, chips with salsa, guac, and their incredible queso. Then I move on to either the Wauwinet, which is a luscious Caesar topped with grilled shrimp and served tossed in a creamy lime dressing, or the Esther Island, a seared-scallop taco with purple cabbage slaw. Millie’s has a ton of outdoor seating as well as upstairs and downstairs indoor seating, but there is always a wait, which can be frustrating. I suggest going before you get too hungry! There’s an ice cream stand for after your meal as well as a small market where you can provision for trips out to Smith’s Point! Website: Milliesnantucket.com; Instagram: @milliesnantucket.
Chanticleer: The Chanticleer, out in Sconset, has a long-standing tradition of elegant French dining. I think it’s fair to say that back in the day, it was a bit stuffy. （The original owner did not allow music in the dining room, for example.） However, since being bought by Nantucket restaurateur Susan Handy （of Black-Eyed Susan’s, featured in my novel Here’s to Us）， it has achieved the perfect balance of classic and modern. The front garden, anchored by the iconic carousel horse, is one of the most delightful places to eat in the summer. There are also two indoor dining rooms as well as a sunporch. （I prefer the cozy, clubby dining room to the right.） In addition to more formal French fare, there’s an outstanding burger on the menu （I’m not embarrassed to say this is what I usually order）。 The restaurant used to attract an older clientele, but that has completely changed—it is now popular with savvy millennials, and I am so here for it. Website: Chanticleernantucket.com; Instagram: @chanticleernantucket.
Petrichor: A hidden gem. This wine bar located in mid-island has outstanding food, including my favorite fried-chicken sandwich on the island, and it does a terrific business at brunch. Highly recommended, and after dinner and some thoughtfully curated wines, you can walk right over to Island Kitchen for dessert! Website: Petrichorwinebar.com; Instagram: @petrichorwinebar.
Island Kitchen: Also located in mid-island, Island Kitchen is exactly that, a terrific and cozy local spot where the food is outstanding and the ice cream is even better. The ice cream flavors change with the season, but in years past, I have been a huge fan of the lemon soufflé and the peach and biscuits. There was a time a few years ago when my daughter was obsessed with their charcoal ice cream. （It was delicious.） Island Kitchen ice cream can also be found at the Counter on Main Street in Nantucket Pharmacy and at my beloved Surfside Beach Shack. Website: Nantucketislandkitchen.com; Instagram: @iknantucket.
Sea Grille: A classic, family-run seafood restaurant and islander favorite! The Sea Grille is my choice for best lobster roll and best lobster bisque. I like to sit in the fun front-bar area and order from the bar menu! The food is crazy good. Website: Theseagrille.com; Instagram: @theseagrille.
Get it to go!
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.