Tamales on Royal Street

This piece on the home page made me laugh thinkiing about my tamale experience in New Orleans. I was 10, and my mother and I were visiting my uncle and aunt while he was stationed at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. We went to New Orleans for a weekend (my first visit to Antoine's). Anyway, one evening my mother and I went to see a movie (for those who keep track of such things it was Duffy's Tavern [Where The Elite Meet To Eat] with Ed Gardner). The movie theater was on Canal Street. And when we came out after watching the movie there was a guiy with a pushcart at the curb selling hot tamales. My mother finally gave in to my pleas and bought me a tamale. Excuse me, a Hot Tamale. I remember only that it was interesting and I liked it, but I don't remember whether it was really good or bad in terms of tamales I've had since. It was, though, my first, and I've never forgotten it. Obviously.

Like your first kiss------How can anyone not remember their first HOT Tamale!!!

Good tamales are hard to find in Knoxville.  I have had very good ones in El Paso and other places in Arizona and Texas.  Perhaps when I visit the Roadfood group in NOLA this month, I will find good tamales???
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Foodbme


Like your first kiss------How can anyone not remember their first HOT Tamale!!!

I remember my first kiss . It was with Betty Lou Perlroth, and we were 8. Neither one of us liked it. I guess that's why we became best friends.

Strange story but Popeye's in Nawlens used to sell Tamales. My GF at the time and I would get them almost every night for a late night snack. She was born and raised there but she loved those Tamales! We ate them in bed while watching TV.
Joe