amy

Looking for a good breakfast place in Nantucket. We don't like fancy. We prefer where the locals go. I read a suggestion for the Downey Flake. Anyone know that one or suggest one. We'll have bicycles and staying in the town.
Thanks.

local

Locals eat breakfast at home so they don't have to wait twenty five minutes in a line with tourist who want to eat where the locals eat. I suggest you do the same.

xx

ttt

nasty!

Has anyone on this board ever noticed how bitter and nasty the people who purport to be Nantucket natives are? Any questions and their response is something to the effect of: "don't come here and leave us alone." Perhaps it's the grim reality of the locals that without tourism and tourist dollars, the island would be screwed, government services not properly financed, etc.(e.g. do you think you'd have that nice high school if you had a year-round population of 1,000 people?)

nina

Best breakfasts are Black-eyed Susan's and Arno's. Downey flake is a great donut shop, and they also make a mean blueberry buckle, but I don't know if it's the best place for a proper breakfast (you know, the works). Also Downeyflake is a few miles out of town.

Another Local

Well, for any local, this question is hilarious! "Native" is not being nasty, just telling it like it is. Nearly all accomodations include a full or continental breakfast in their rates, served in lovely breakfast rooms. The locals can barely get to, through, and home from the grocery store "in season". The locals pay the same prices as tourists for everything and compete with them for dinner reservations. I love Arno's, the Nantucket Bake Shop, and Fog Island Cafe, but visit only after the summer folk, vacationers, tourists, and day trippers have left. If you think we're being "bitter and nasty", just go to www.nantucket.net, click on Restuarants, then Fog Island Cafe, then Menus, then Breakfast. At the top of the page is a beautiful color photo captioned "Typical waiting line outside".

nina

Another Local, why do you have such a hard time getting to, through and from the grocery store? All the summer residents I know, and regular visitors (like me), know enough to go to Stop & Shop before 7:30 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m.

Being a local, I'm surprised you haven't figured that one out yet.

Another Local

Well, OF COURSE, I've figured out the best time to shop for groceries. Haven't you ever forgotten anything you need for dinner and can't wait until after 10PM? (And, yes, I do check the the neighbors first.)

Native

The fact is its tourist dollars that has inflated the Nantucket market so much that many of the locals you so desire to eat eggs with can no longer live here. i bet if you ask them whether they would rather have a thriving tourist season or be able to afford a home where they grew up they would probably choose the latter. I'm sorry you feel that Nantucket could not survive without you buying Lightship Baskets and Lilly Pulitzer, but the fact is people got along just fine before you were even aware that Nantucket existed. So please take your tourist dollars to the Hamptons, I will risk the financial turmoil that may ensue.

Visitor

To Native: Perhaps you should get involved in your community. We used to visit Nantucket every year. In my observation, your Chamber of Commerce has way-overpromoted the island. Where else can you find mobs of folks with rolling suitcases wandering about looking for lodging because they just didn't know to book ahead during "high" season. Then, there are all those "special" events, such as Daffodil Weekend and Christmas Walk, dreamed up by the CofC just to promote tourists in the "off" season. Not only are rates for accomodation not lower as one would expect, they are often double or triple - with very stiff cancellation policies. By the time you learn from the weather forecast that you're in for really lousy weather, you cannot cancel your room reservations. When you live where tourism is promoted, don't bother whining about what it's done to your community.