Thanks for giving the game a try and leaving such detailed feedback. I really enjoyed watching your playthrough, especially your predictions / interpretations of the story. I'm glad you had a good time playing the game.
I agree with your assessment in terms of gameplay. Due to the sheer size of the map, a lot of features were cut out for the interest of time, though I'm glad that the ones that stayed in managed to intrigue you. I'll leave points about the writing for Cathardigan, the writer, to comment on.
There are also more clues about the world and story if you interact with the NPCs a second time, which is something that I could've admittedly made more clear. I'll give you a hint about that door that you were curious about though: sometimes bakeries or restaurants name themselves after the owner or their family.