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Everyone in L.A. (and most of the rest of California for that matter) knows that the best tamales come from the kitchens of Mexican grandmothers, and get sold on the streets from carts or trucks. If you’re not a local and don’t feel able to find the best little sidewalk tamale cart, your best option is Mama’s Hot Tamales Café (2124 W. Seventh St., 213/487-7474, www.iurd.org/mamasHotTamales, Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m., $6–10).
You’ll even get a little social justice with your lunch, as Mama’s operates as a training ground for “informal” food purveyors to develop the skills they need to become higher-paid employees of the formal food service world. Open pretty much for lunch only, Mama’s serves salads, appetizers, burritos, tostadas, and other simple Latin American dishes. But if you know what’s right, you’ll order the house namesake: a homemade tamale.
© Liz Hamill Scott from Moon California, 2nd Edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.