Sheep farms and rolling hills that recall the Scottish moors surround Chilmark, perhaps the most bucolic of the island’s towns. Moss-covered stone fences separate properties and venerable oaks provide sun-dappled views. Like West Tisbury, its sister up-island town, Chilmark boasts a white clapboard church with a tall spire, but the community’s quiet country air makes its island neighbor to the north seem almost urban. A small set of shops forms the town center, and Cornerway, Bittersweet, and Theo’s restaurants lure evening travelers out onto the town’s winding roads.
Most folks who head to Chilmark in search of matters culinary are on their way to Chilmark Chocolates, housed in a yellow gingerbread house at the side of the road. Chocolate-covered blueberries (in season) and bittersweet chocolate–dipped candied ginger make the cars stop and the lines form. Open year-round with a break in January, the shop has helped many full-time residents safely through the dark winter nights and has made Chilmark a must-stop place on the island’s culinary map.
