By now it's well established: tacos—and by that I mean, like, really good tacos—have become an integral part of New York City's culinary landscape, as ubiquitous a quick-bite option as really good slices, burgers, bagels, and baked goods.
Get up, get down, New York is a taco town.
Tamales, though—those mounds of mashed masa, encasing all manner of meats and cheeses and steamed in a husk—can still be tougher to get. Yes, there are a couple of dedicated tamale storefronts, like the excellent Evelia's in Woodhaven, as well as breakfast carts scattered about the city. But for the most part, easy access to these rich, corny delights remains a relative rarity, especially if a craving hits you anytime after noon.
Artemio Baltazar and his wife, chef Marisol Lopez, have long lamented the lack of readily available tamales in their Crown Heights neighborhood, so the couple, who run local standby Taqueria Milear on Nostrand Avenue, decided to rectify that situation. Last month, they opened the friendly little Tamaleria La Madrina just a few steps away from their taco place.
"I love the carts on the street," Baltazar told Hell Gate. "But if you say, 'I want tamales right now,' they might not be there. They are not always available. So that's where the idea for the restaurant came from. We have established hours, all day and into the night, and there's always going to be tamales here."