Maria the Tamale Lady

I would hardly consider myself a tamale expert, but every once in awhile a tamale comes along that's so terrific its deliciousness can hardly be disputed. (If you want to dispute me, I will gladly argue with you.) This is the story of that tamale.

Wandering down Roosevelt Avenue on a late night crawl led by Jeff Orlick, we stumbled upon a row of three tamale vendors directly beneath the 103d Street station. Though we were incredibly full by this point, we decided to try some tamales in the interest of science.

For a while I was content to ignorantly snack on the tamale I had purchased from the first vendor, a guy with a flashy sign and not much else. That was until I was fed a bite of Maria's tamale. I looked at my now disgusting tamale and couldn't throw it in the trash fast enough before pushing through the crowd now congregating around Maria. My fullness dissipated, I quickly ate two tamales.

Topolobampo: Love at First Bite

In the hierarchy of American chefs, few are held in such high esteem as Rick Bayless. With the title of Top Chef Master, his own television show and multiple cookbooks, there's no doubting Bayless's success. But accolades and stardom aside, Bayless's greatest culinary contribution is introducing America to authentic regional Mexican cuisine when he opened Frontera Grill in 1987. Yet it wasn't until two years later when Bayless opened Topolobampo that Mexican food entered into the realm of fine dining, earning a Michelin Star earlier this year.

The Red Hooks are Coming! The Red Hooks are Coming!

It's that time of year again, so brave your seasonal allergies or be sure to take your Claritin because weather pending, the Red Hook food vendors are making their way back to Brooklyn starting this weekend (May 2nd) and will be serving up all of your favorite foods. In case you've been living under a rock for the past few years or have recently moved to the tri-state area and have no idea what I'm talking about read here. Believe it or not, there is another reason to visit Red Hook aside from buying stylish-yet-affordable furniture from Ikea! Each Spring, a group of Latin food vendors hawk their culinary goodies outside the soccer fields located at the corner of Clinton and Bay Street. From El Salvadorian pupusas to Mexican huaraches, the return of these food vendors is highly anticipated by many, so come all but come early to avoid hoards of hungry New Yorkers.

This post will hopefully serve not only as a reminder that the food vendors are returning this weekend, but also as a preview for those of you who are virgins to the Red Hook soccer fields. For a most comprehensive list of vendors and general information I suggest you visit their website here. As long as you remember to bring cash and don't mind the prospect of sharing a table with strangers, you'll be rewarded with some of the best and most authentic Latin foods in all of the city. Going with a group of friends is your best bet, allowing you to sample a greater variety of food and help navigate the long lines. I suggest that after perusing the tasty offerings from each food vendor you utilize the divide and conquer technique; where everyone goes to separate food vendors and orders for everyone.