Nestled next to and living in the shadow of locally-renowned Lyon Street Cafe is Nantucket Baking Company. And although it may be flying under the radar, its lack of fame has no bearing on the quality of their goods. Their emphasis is mainly on freshly baked goods that are locally made.

When I first entered the shop, I was astonished by the plethora of bread types and bakery items, suddenly becoming overwhelmed and unable to choose. Ten minutes later, I narrowed down my choices to the Red Bean and Vegetable Soup, their Trail Mix Bar, and the Everything Cookie, each one covering a different base with flavor.

The trail mix bar was flavorful to say the least, with dried fruit and oats embedded deeply within it. Being neither too sweetened nor too thick and chewy, the bar was surprisingly light considering what nutrient-rich ingredients were in it. If I hadn’t been sufficiently filled up by the time I finished the bar, I would’ve eaten at least 20 more of them. The trail mix bar was a refreshing twist on the typical nutty, fruity combination, making me savor each bite all the more.

While it may not be an “everyone” cookie, it most definitely takes after its name by truly being an “everything” cookie. Each chew seemed to signify a different classic cookie flavor; each chew morphed from one cookie type to the next. Initially, the chocolate flavor would stand out the most, making the overall taste become that of a chocolate chip cookie, which, from there, would turn into a nutty cookie with accents of dried cherry, eventually ending up with an oatmeal and coconut blend cookie. What actually shocked me about the “Everything Cookie” was how prominent each ingredient was in its own right, all managing to play nicely together all within the same cookie.

While Nantucket Bakery does specialize in various loaves of bread and baked goods, another food option they offer is their daily homemade soup which happened to be their Red Bean and Vegetable soup the day that I went.

After coercing my dad into trying a spoonful of the soup, his only words were, “It’s okay.” Dismayed by his lack of enthusiasm, I dejectedly decided to try the soup he had just rejected, preparing for the worst. One spoonful in, and I was absolutely smitten. The soup— a medley of beans, rice, and vegetables in a robust broth— had an almost homey taste that indulged my craving for happy, comfort food. Although the soup was not spicy in any way, the creators of it somehow managed to enhance the soup’s taste with a flavorful warm that enveloped my mouth, a warmth typically only accompanying strong spices. While not as chunky as a gumbo, the soup captured a similar essence in both flavor and texture, greatly appealing to my tastebuds.

However, as Nantucket Bakery Company demonstrated excellence in their baked handiwork, the unfortunate downside to bakeries is that they aren’t a sit-around-and-chat type of place to be and are more of a to-go type place. On the flip side, having our food to-go ended up being more of a blessing than a curse, as my experience was made all the more comfortable by being able to eat and enjoy the food in the safe confines of my house.

From my perspective, Nantucket Bakery Company succeeded on all levels of service, catering to my mood and my hunger to deliver a pleasant and scrumptious experience.