New Bedford Food Tours, Destination New Bedford, and Viva Fall River partnered in hosting the first-ever “Pastel De Nata Throwdown” throughout February 2023.
Fall River and New Bedford are Southcoast sister cities, and like any siblings, there’s bound to be a little rivalry. Both cities have a large Portuguese culture, ranging from the mainland and the Azores to Madeira and Cape Verde. And both have a bevy of bakeries that serve up some tasty Portuguese custard tarts.
February was the time to find out what bakery can claim Nata Fame and be crowned as the maker of the best Pasteis de Nata in the land (well, Fall River and New Bedford.)
Are you sure this is a FRIENDLY food fight?
Absolutely! This is a friendly competition whose main goal is to help spread awareness of ALL the great bakeries, cafes, and markets in both cities! No matter who wins, we ALL win!
Whose crazy delicious idea is this?
Viva Fall River, New Bedford Food Tours, and Destination New Bedford. Each organization works to promote all the wonderful things about Fall River and New Bedford (respectively) – including its amazing food!
How it worked:
See the list of participating bakeries here. Pick up a postcard at one of the bakeries or vote online. Locations and an interactive google map are available online through the New Bedford Food Tours website. You will then have the entire month of February to visit as many bakeries as possible to eat pastel de natas. At the end of the month, there will be voting on the best pastel de nata, and people can mail in their stamped postcards for a chance to win a ticket to a New Bedford Food Tour, a $50 gift card to The Viva Fall River pop up shop, and a 1-month membership to the SouthCoast YMCA.
Find out who won here:
