It was a classic Saturday night for me as a food-loving New Jersey native teenager: Having just left a diner, I stopped by the local supermarket to pick up something for dessert and breakfast the next day. This particular time, I’d returned to the store my family used to shop at when I was a child. Then, it was a dusty, dated A&P supermarket, but it had been sold and reborn as a Seabra’s Market, a local chain of grocers specializing in Portuguese foods. The bakery counter was astounding, far beyond the typical supermarket offerings. Where did these magical pastries and desserts come from? The clerk told me: Teixeira’s Bakery in Newark. Thus began a beautiful love story between a boy and his favorite bakery.
For most people who aren’t from northern New Jersey — and even for some who are — the idea of getting something to eat in Newark conjures the image of grabbing a massively overpriced, soggy sandwich from a refrigerator before heading to your gate at the airport. Yet just two miles from Terminal C sits the Ironbound, one of the state’s best food neighborhoods. The four-square-mile area is home to 55,000 people and almost 200 restaurants, shops, and markets, including Teixeira’s.
Greater Newark has given us the Italian hot dog and a rich history of diners, but more recently, the Ironbound has become the center of the region’s Portuguese community. Teixeira’s has two locations in the neighborhood. The bakery has been in business since 1976, but members of the Teixeira family have been bakers for more than a century.
Teixeira’s eye-catching sweets are as good as they look
Although Teixeira’s has a lot to offer, its roots are in Portuguese baking. A must-try for first-time visitors is the pasteis de nata, a classic custard tart created by monks in the 18th century. Teixeira’s version is traditional with a flaky crust and a rich, creamy interior. The pasteis de nata are sold individually from the bakery counter, or pre-packed in a box. They’re a top seller at the bakery, so there are plenty on hand…