By Kimberly Barbano
For years I’ve driven by Main Street Bakery in North Myrtle Beach, SC. As a breakfast and pastry shop it closes by 2:30 pm daily, usually much earlier than I am in the area. I recently made a point of getting there at least 15 minutes before closing, mostly to try their locally famous “best tiramisu ever.” The best part? It’s gluten free (GF).
Gluten Free Galore
There is an abundance of GF options to choose from, and probably the most that I have ever seen in any bakery. Among them were an assortment of GF cupcake flavors: chocolate peanut butter, death by chocolate, German chocolate, vanilla, carrot cake, key lime, and lemon blueberry; in addition to cheesecakes, blueberry scones, cheddar and buttermilk biscuits, cookies: chocolate chip, and peanut butter, mini pineapple upside down cakes, eclairs, almond ricotta cake, and of course tiramisu. These were all in addition to the non GF versions of many of the same choices.
I purchased tiramisu, a blueberry scone, a peanut butter chocolate cupcake, and a cheddar biscuit. Each was amazing. The tiramisu and blueberry scone were indeed the best I’ve ever had. They were not dry or crumbly, a true feat for both scones and gluten free products. The cupcake tasted just like the Reese’s peanut butter cup it was designed to mimic, and the cheddar biscuit was exactly as one would expect; cheesy, both sweet and salty, and a fluffy cakey texture, again not dry or crumbly.
Gluten Free in the South?
Gluten free is not something one sees as much in the south. Newer restaurants are finally adding more GF options to their menus, but they are limited, so finding good quality GF choices and so many of them in one place is truly special.
Main Street Bakery has led the way on GF for several years. Owner Kim Perkins knows a GF diet is especially important for people with autoimmune disorders, and has also found more and more people generally are seeking GF options.
Perkins first decided to open Main Street Bakery because she felt the area seemed to be lacking in fresh, local bakeries overall. After searching the area with her mother for bakery options other than in-store grocery bakeries, Perkins simply said “I’ll build one.”
As an avid home cook and baker, as well as licensed real estate agent and previous owner of a thriving boutique on Main Street, baking and entrepreneurship are not new to Perkins.
Baking on the Road
Prior to moving to North Myrtle Beach and opening her boutique, Perkins traveled the world as a product development manager. On these work trips her colleagues stayed in the fancy hotels the company put them up in, but Perkins chose VRBOs based on their kitchens. After long days, she and her colleagues choose their favorite ingredients at the grocery store, and Perkins whipped up a home cooked meal for the group.
What’s Special About This Bakery?
During the COVID outbreak, Perkins moved to North Myrtle Beach with her mother, opened her boutique, and eventually sold it to do real estate in the area. While she was writing leases for the block, she discovered the bakery’s future location would soon be available. She began renovations on the space to convert it into Main Street Bakery in November 2020. The bakery opened on July 17, 2021, and just recently celebrated its 3rd year anniversary.
Consistently Giving Back
Main Street Bakery is now a staple in the community. Perkins partners with local bookshop Bookends to award kids a free cookie for reading 10 books, as part of the bookstore’s summer reading program for kids. Perkins also donates pastries that are 3 days old to Hope’s Kitchen. Hope Kitchen is a local ministry that provides meals to those in need.
Main Street Bakery is is providing the area with so much more than baked goods. If you haven’t already scheduled your visit, stop reading this and do that now! Then come back and leave a comment and let us know what you thought!
Be sure to Contact Us | The Best Bakeries In…, and check out the rest of our blogs here.
