Breadzilla

Since July 4, 1996, Breadzilla’s Brad Thompson and Nancy Hollister have been offering Wainscott a variety of baked goods and delicious things to go with them. At first glance, their bright spot feels crowded and disorganized. But upon further inspection, things are right where they should be, signs are thoughtful and informative, and everyone is ready to help.

Take a look around before you commit: There are tons of options here, from take-away sweet potato and bacon soup, chicken pot pies, and meatloaf to pasta salads, chips, and gelato. There is an exhaustive selection of cheeses, each with its own handwritten description. Also handwritten is the sandwich menu, which changes every day, and is available only for a short window (11:30am-2:30pm Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30am-1:30pm on Sunday). There are also a few standbys available (almost) every day, including the shrimp salad sandwich, which is our first order.

The shrimp salad has been called “the best in the world,” and is indeed quite tasty. Both Nancy and Brad have worked as fisher(wo)men, so they know good seafood, and these plump shrimp are no exception. The salad is light on the mayo, just a touch sweet and almost Louie-like, with sharp red onion. It’s served on a soft “squishy roll,” which, as they’ll be sure to tell you, is home-made (not home-baked).

One of today’s specials is the blackened cod fillet sandwich, also served on the squishy roll. The cod is freshly caught and grilled, slightly spicy, and served with “zesty Asian slaw and mayo.” The cod is light and tender; each bite has a flavorful kick.

Clam chowder is offered with optional bacon. It’s thick and creamy, with oblong chunks of potato and tiny, plump clams. Breadzilla serves it with a small sourdough roll that’s best slightly warmed and dabbed with butter.

From there, we could have gotten just about everything we saw, from pumpkin pies and orange scones to breadcrumb-topped mac ‘n’ cheese. We get a cinnamon bun: It’s like a huge, airy mushroom with a cinnamon-y glaze, and the gooey part that’s usually reserved for the inside curves around the edges.

We finish our feast with a snickerdoodle and black-and-white cookie. The snickerdoodle appears to be dry, but upon first bite is actually quite dense, heavy on the cinnamon. The black-and-white cookie is more about the frosting: These are light, whipped buttercreams.

The place is bustling with folks ordering sandwiches, locals putting in their Thanksgiving orders, and others looking for the perfect cheese. They even once baked the keys for a brand new Porsche into a cake for the lucky recipient. This is, after all, the Hamptons.