Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe | |
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| Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe offers a culinary trip to such
exotic places as Huehuetenago, Guatemala and Bogota, Columbia. In the
communal kitchen, cooks from various regions prepare authentic tamales
with fresh ingredients, served alone or with rice and beans. While the
restaurant makes 50 varieties of tamales, about a dozen are rotated on a
weekly menu. Meat eaters will love the Tolimence tamale filled with pork, chicken and beef - a Columbian recipe. The Guatemalan veggie tamale is served with a roll of bread and a slice of lime for a squirt of tartness. There are also sweet tamales, such as the San Salvadorian fruit-filled dessert tamale wrapped in a corn leaf. Refreshing homemade horchata drinks cool down the palate, while hot drinks, such as the dense and chocolaty Mexican chapurrado, are served with Latino and American breakfast favorites. Bold fuchsia, deep green, gold and blue walls carry the lively south-of-the-border spirit through the dining room and adjoining book store. A mural of the corn goddess, Esperanza, rules over the space below. The non-profit based kitchen serves as a training center for the MacArthur Park street vendors. Park festivals are planned as an extension of the Latino cultural events enlivening the bookstore. The kitchen is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and remains open for private parties. Catering and to-go orders are available. Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe is at 2124 W. Seventh St. Validated parking available on Lake Street at Unified Parking. Call (213) 487-7474.
Dining Guide | |