Stuff to Eat in the Suburbs: Melrose—Breads n Bits of Ireland

cran scone.jpg
A Cranberry Scone from Breads N Bits of Ireland in Melrose
Breads n Bits of Ireland (530 Main Street, Melrose) is the kind of place that can make you an addict if you’re not careful. One day, a few years ago, we were perusing the farmers’ market in Melrose when we literally stumbled into Breads n Bits (of Ireland, don't forget). It’s housed in a completely unremarkable office building where you'd never expect to find a tasty traditional cafe. But once you’ve tried the food here, you won’t be able to get it out of your mind. Breads n Bits serves everything from corned beef sandwiches to a great pot of tea, but the most remarkable thing about this little gem is the scones.

Bread n Bits scones are like nothing this Bostonist has ever had before: flaky and moist, just sweet enough, and brimming with flavor. The restaurant has a huge variety of flavors to choose from. One of the stand-outs is the chocolate orange scone, which balances both flavors successfully for a complete taste experience. The chocolate chips are small and the orange zest is plentiful, but not dominant enough to change the crumbly texture of the scone. And while this is a sweet scone, it’s not overly so.

The raspberry white chocolate scone is another favorite, with the hints of white chocolate taking the baked good from breakfast pastry to dessert status. The raspberry flavor is fresh, not artificial, and the white chocolate's smooth texture complements the crumbly scone nicely. The raspberry jam scone features a hidden, if not secret surprise: a large scoop of raspberry jam in the middle, lending the scone the perfect level of sweet, sticky goodness.

These scones are not only varied and tasty, but also also huge. One scone makes a hearty breakfast, particularly when paired with a cup of tea or coffee. You can eat the scones in the shop, of course, but our favorite thing to do is take them home and enjoy them at your leisure. They are still fantastic the next day, and even after they start to go a little stale, you can toast them for a whole new experience.

Scones aren’t the only thing on the menu at Breads n Bits of Ireland. The restaurant offers a large array of comfort foods, sandwiches, and breakfast foods at reasonable prices. The crowds at Breads n Bits tend to be older and the service can be a little slow, but the scones (and Irish Soda Bread) are definitely worth it.

Everything is baked in-house in the highly visible kitchen. Scones get baked early and are super popular, so get there early to claim your favorite flavor. Breads n Bits of Ireland is located at 530 Main St in Melrose and its number is (781) 662-5800. Its hours are 7-3 Monday through Friday, and 7-2 on Saturday. It’s closed on Sunday, so visit Saturday to stock up on scones for reading the Sunday paper.

This Bostonist is so fond of Breads n Bits of Ireland that even now, after moving over half an hour away, she will still make the drive out to Melrose just to get her hands on some of its delectable scones. Give them a try; you won’t be disappointed.

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