Rickard’s Bakery

SO sad to have found this place on our last morning in Edgartown :(
We grabbed a ham & swiss baguette (believe it was really prosciutto and comte cheese) for the road, and regretted only having one. The bread was great — tough outside, chewy inside, and the ham was salty and moist, the cheese a perfect compliment, and the inside was buttered as the real French do it.
We also tried their Boston Cream Pie cupcake and it was very good.

Maybe I hit Rickard’s on an off-​day (caveat: I went to their new-​ish store in Edgartown) because I had heard all the hoop-​la about the island’s most amazing bakery. Well, here’s the straight talk: Rickard’s was a siren today — everything in the display case was *gorgeous* — cupcakes, cookies, scones — everything looked decadent, buttery, sugary, delightful — and I brought my appetite. I didn’t even blink an eye at the Edgartown prices ($ 3.50 for a cupcake) because everything looked so amazing.
I walked out of the store with a scone, a cookie, and a cupcake — and I can honestly say all three were underwhelming. The worst of the three was the scone which wasn’t so much a scone as a biscuit (thick, dense, chewy). And though it purported to be a blueberry scone, there wasn’t a blueberry in sight. This scone was so bad that I honestly had a moment of wondering if I shouldn’t go back to the bakery and return it.
The second worst was the chocolate chip cookie which was completely overbaked (and, to me, it tasted a lot like an Au Bön Pain cookie left in the oven a little too long). This cookie made the cookie I had the day earlier — at Beetlebung in Vineyard Haven — look positively gourmet (and it was a good cookie, mind you, but not an earth-​shattering one).
The Boston Crème Pie cupcake was probably the best of the three and even that was underwhelming — not so much a cupcake (light, airy) as a hunk of thick cake with white frosting in the middle (as opposed to that amazing light crème that is in the center of a perfect boston crème pie cupcake).
This is a gorgeous store but, as we all know, bakeries can’t get by on their looks. This one is definitely best enjoyed by walking by…

There is a reward at the end of the unassuming little road here in Vineyard Haven. Rickard’s Bakery is a bit tough to find the first time, but there are small signs that lead the way. You’ll eventually pull into a huge parking area in front of this enormous, windowless warehouse and wonder– «Am I really here? Is this open to the public?»
Yes, yes.
The best island breads and pastries are made here at Rickard’s. They also offer coffee, sandwiches and sometimes soup. The local high end restaurants buy their bread from Rickard’s but you don’t need to dine out in order to experience the delights of this amazing bread.
On nice days, they are able to open up the large doors and let the sunshine in, but the interior retail space is surprisingly charming even on a cold winter day. It’s really a take out place, though, so don’t look for fancy seating and a wait staff.
Sour dough is my current favorite — $ 3.99 a loaf. But there are whole grain breads, croissants, scones and sticky buns that compete for attention.
Do make a point of finding this place– or check out their new location in Edgartown, right near the Thrift Shop. You’ll be glad you did.

Love this little hidden jem in Vineyard Haven. Hard to find there but just opened a storefront in Edgartown! Great coffee, wonderful pastries and breads. Highly recommend stopping in.

Don’t be discouraged trying to find Rickard’s…the signs will point the way down what appears to be a narrow driveway, opening onto a big warehouse. Straight ahead is Rickard’s. The sign says Rickard’s Outlet so don’t expect seating, but the interior is charming and the aromas right from Paris. The whole side of the shop is open, covered by a giant screen, with lovely planters along the base on the outside. From the bread, to baked goods, pies, quiches and on the board, a beach bag lunch, everything looked and smelled wonderful (and what I took home was delicious), and they make an authentic latte. Only gripe is the environmentally friendly paper cup is flimsy, so be careful, but hey, we all need to do our share to save the planet. And bring cash or a check.