Bakery in Fall River that decorates cakes

[Matt1979]

I was wondering if you could help me with a question, please? When I stayed in Fall River two years ago and I travelled on the number 5 bus to Harbour Mall, I remember seeing a bakery on one of the main streets that was closed. I am sure this bakery specialised in cake decporation. However, when I looked on Google Maps I didn't find any bakery of this kind on the bus route. The only cake decorators was Katrina's Bakery at the far eastern end of Brayton Avenue.

There is the United Liberty Bakery on Stafford Road, where the number 5 bus runs - was this known by another name in early September 2012?

Thanks,

Matt

[twinsrwe]

Hi Matt. I’ve never been to Fall River, but if anyone would know the answer to your question, it would be mbhenty, who grew up in Fall River and is still living there. You may want to send him a Private Message.

[mbhenty]

Yes, I wish I knew which Bakery you saw Matt. So many bakeries have come and gone since I was a younger man. I know where Liberty Bakery is. I think they have been around for a while. Katrina's has become popular, mostly because they put themselves out there, they advertise. I know they do wedding cakes. There's also a place on New Boston Road, about 5 or 6 blocks from Maplecroft called Confections. They're expensive and deal with snooty clients. You know. Like me.

Now the Bus that goes up to the Mall does so, but returns on a different route. When it does it should take you down East Main, to South Main. On South Main, across from Nicks hotdogs is the Terminal Bakery. At one time they were one of the busiest and the biggest bakeries Fall River every had. The bus would have gone by Terminal bakery, and if you were on it, the bakery would be on your left, returning from the Mall.

Which opens up a whole can of "wormmies" here.

I worked at Terminal Bakery right through Jr. High and High School. I did all kinds of jobs, but my favorite was puff pastry. At the time I could bake you the best cake you had ever eaten. But I couldn't bake just one. I had to do like 40 or more, which is what the store called for. At the time I tried baking just one and it never tasted the same as when I did 40.

Terminal Bakery is the oldest bakery, if I'm not mistaken, still around. When I worked there they had 4 branches. The main branch at the time was on Davol Street. The had one up the South end, if I remember, one in Somerset, and the owner owned one in the east end, called "The Pastry Shop" He didn't call it Terminal bakery because that is where all the day old stuff went.

I remember delivering these monster wedding cakes they use to make. One was over 4 feet tall. We had to deliver it in sections. We delivered one that took 4 guys to carry it, to the Venus in Swansea. Every time we delivered one, it was like we were delivering Nitro. Drop it, I was told, and you'll never work a bakery again. Move very slowly, watch every step, and everyone communicate. Mr. Cote was the owner. His best pasty was when we baked for his personal functions or for his church. All the pastry had twice the butter and twice the cream.

Terminal Bakery was called that because it got its start in the Granite Building, across from the City Hall. In the back of the Granite building was the bus termianl, thus Terminal Bakery. Eventually he had to move because there was a highway coming through and Granite Block was demolished. Terminal Bakery moved to Davol Street at the bottom of President Ave. About 10 years later they had to move again, because another highway was coming thru. This time the owner called it quits and sold the bakery to the head baker, who had a son who acted and looked just like Fonzie, only meaner. That is when they moved to South Main Street to their present location. Then I heard that the head baker died. So I don't know who owned it after him or if his son took it over. So I don't know whether they do wedding cakes today.

Little known fact. I helped put a couple of wedding cakes together. Of course, I got to help stack layers to make the cakes taller. Not much different than stacking boxes. The real art was done by a couple of experts. It looked easy. I practiced. I worked in the back. The wedding cakes were assembled in another area. The area where all the girls worked. And I was 17.

But while we are on the bakery topic.

Before I worked at Teminal, (as a kid) I use to work with this plumber. He worked at Plourde's Bakery at day and as a plumber at night. Since I lived down the street from Plourde's I would meet him there. He would call me out back and I would help him with getting some of the pastry ready for the next day.

Plourde's Bakery was about 2 blocks away from Terminal Bakery when they were both on Main Street. Plourde's was between the Library and the City Hall. I think it was, like, 97 North Main. They were "wedding cake central," until Terminal moved to Davol Street and expanded.

A little known fact that many may not know. When President Kennedy got married, his wedding cake was baked in Fall River. At Plourde's Bakery.

[mbhenty]

I need to add this. Since I named the place in the post above.

Those who grew up in fall river, (small f and small r for the small minds that run the place) will remember Nicks Hotdogs.

They were around when I was a teenager, and that was a while back.

Now, you would leave the nightclub with your friends and every one was smashed and infected with the munchies. It was like 2 in the morning, so off to Nicks Hotdogs we all went, one of the very few places opened. At the time it was know as "Dirty Nicks." Not only was the place not that clean, but if you had a large order of dogs, the guy behind the counter was very proficient. Let's say you wanted 8 hot dogs. He would do them all at once, lining them up in his hand and up his arm.

Can't remember how many times I went in there in the middle of a hot summer night—the place was like 200 degrees, Nick was standing there with a cigarette hanging in the corner of his mouth, sweat pouring down his face and arms.

Yes can I help you?

Yes we would like ten... no, make that one hot dog, please.


Thus Dirty Nicks.

[twinsrwe]

Wow, Michael, what an interesting write-up! I practically enjoyed the part where you delivered monster wedding cakes. and one was 4 feet tall! I am 5 foot 21/2 inches tall, so I would barely be able to look over the top it! Yikes!

I didn't know that when President Kennedy got married, his wedding cake was baked in Fall River, at Plourde's Bakery.

Thanks for sharing your bakery experiences with us; I really enjoyed reading about all of the different bakeries.