The start of September gets mouths watering in Atlantic City's Chelsea's section.
It's the start of the Empanada Challenge.
The sixth annual event is presented by the Chelsea Economic Development Corporation and El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City.
Participants can participate throughout the month, with a fiesta announcing overall winner set for 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 4 at O'Donnell Memorial Park. (Rain date is Oct. 11.)
An Empanada Passport providing customers with the opportunity to win a signature 2025 Empanada Challenge T-shirt by sampling empanadas from all participating restaurants is offered again this year.
Participants are invited to bring their friends, their appetites and their love for empanadas to celebrate the culture, flavor and community spirit of the challenge.
Voters simply need to buy and taste an empanada from two or more — or all six — of the participating restaurants any time during the month, and then cast their vote for their favorite by using the QR code on the Empanada Passport or table tent at the restaurants, or by visiting www.ChelseaEDC.org.
Information about the restaurants and their unique empanadas is also on the website.
This year’s participating restaurants include Sabor Latino II, Boom Market, Queen's, El Patrón Restaurant, Machu Picchu, and Rincón Catracho.
The contest was created in 2020 during the pandemic to encourage support of Chelsea’s local businesses while highlighting cultural diversity among neighborhood restaurants
October's Empanada Fiesta will include an on-site celebrity judges’ tasting with local chefs voting for best presentation, best filling, best crust and best overall taste -- along with free empanada samples for the public.
The fiesta also will feature Latin music, artisanal arts and crafts vendors, family activities and a range of resources provided by trusted local nonprofits and community organizations.
