I’m a bit of a cookie diva. My motto is homemade is always best, and it better be soft and chewy.

Enter Tates, which is store-bought and crunchy. The opposite of what I love, yet insanely delicious. Tate’s Bake Shop is a bakery in Southampton run by Kathleen King. They are famous for the cookies – ranked the best cookie by Consumer Reports (so you know it’s true). The crispy cookies are excellent for dunking and can now be purchased in gourmet grocery stores.

While my sister-in-law and I were in Southampton we went to the original Tate’s in town!

Tate’s sells more than just cookies, at the original shop you’ll find everything from cookies to cakes to pies to coffee drinks.

My gluten-free friends will be pleased to know that Ms. King, who developed a gluten sensitivity herself, has opened a GF kitchen and makes GF baked goods as well.

In a moment of weakness, I ended up getting the ice cream cookie sandwich dunked in chocolate. YUM. If you are in Southampton this is one treat that should not be missed!

I’m thinking I may need to buy a bag a Tate’s (they’ve got them at Wegman’s and Roche Brothers for my fellow Bostonians) and try this one at home next.

We were in Southampton for the 4th of July, and, lucky for us, the rain let up and we were able to enjoy the surrounding area. Southampton is a beautiful place and town is lovely. I love looking at put-together shop windows and curated stores, and in a town like Southampton they certainly do put a bit more effort into making the retail experience a pretty one.

All that rain made the hydrangeas perk up quite a bit.

Did you know this year we are in a bit of a hydrangea “shortage”? Due to the terrible winter we had, many hydrangea bushes never fully bloomed this year. (I read the strangest news articles…)

I spent the rest of the afternoon with my husband’s family reeling in blue fish and enjoying the fireworks. If you’re looking to spend an afternoon in Southampton, we had a great lunch at Citarella – a gourmet market where you can pick and choose whatever you like to eat. Following that up with a visit to Tate’s Bake Shop isn’t a bad idea either! : )

What’s your favorite type of cookie? I love my mom’s chocolate chip cookies, or oatmeal raisin! Yum!Save