The Hotel Nantucket (127)
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!
The Chicken Box: And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the Chicken Box! A few things you should know: It’s best referred to as simply “The Box.” If you say, “I closed the Box last night,” you’ll sound like a Nantucket local. Also: There is no chicken, not one piece of chicken. It’s just a bar, the best dive bar in America, with beer-sticky floors and beautiful people three-deep at the bar and terrific bands, including headliners like G. Love, Grace Potter, and Donavon Frankenreiter, who come (I believe) because of their love of the venue. When I go, I don’t mess around; I can be found in the front row, dancing. The trip to the Box is the most popular event during the Elin Hilderbrand Bucket List Weekend and it is the most visited place by people who come to the island looking for all the spots mentioned in my books. (It appears in The Love Season, Beautiful Day, The Identicals, The Perfect Couple, 28 Summers, and Golden Girl, among others.) Website: Thechickenbox.com; Instagram: @theboxnantucket.
The Gaslight: Want to hear live music but don’t want to leave downtown? You’re in luck! The building that used to house the Starlight movie theater was reimagined a few years ago to become the Gaslight, a bar, restaurant, and live-music venue. The food is nothing short of amazing—it comes to you from Liam Mackey, the chef of Nautilus—and at ten o’clock, the music kicks in. If you need one more reason to check it out, there’s also a champagne vending machine! Website: Gaslightnantucket.com; Instagram: @gaslightnantucket.
The Club Car piano bar: The Club Car is a fine-dining restaurant that incorporates one of the train cars from the old Nantucket Railroad as its bar (hence the name). The food at the Club Car is fresh and inventive but the real star of the place is the sing-along piano bar. Plan to tip twenty bucks if you want to hear “Tiny Dancer,” “Shallow,” or “Piano Man.” (Other songs—I like to request “Rich Girl,” “Home Sweet Home,” and the theme from Welcome Back, Kotter—are free.) Website: Theclubcar.com; Instagram: @nantucketclubcar.
Salons
R. J. Miller Salon: This has been my salon for over fifteen years—hair, nails, facials—and I love it. There are scenes in this salon in my novels Silver Girl and Beautiful Day, and of course, this is where Amy and Lorna work in Golden Girl. Website: Rjmillersalons.com; Instagram: @rjmillersalonspa.
Darya Salon and Spa at the White Elephant: I love Darya! And for those paying close attention, she’s the one who dyes Kimber’s hair orange in the novel. Her salon can now be found at the White Elephant, right down the street from the Hotel Nantucket! Website: Daryasalonspa.com; Instagram: @daryasalonspa.