Virginia Ramos, a.k.a. the Tamale Lady, died today.
Back in 2014, I began working on a story about her. As her restaurant stalled continuously, the story never came to fruition, but I’d like to share some snippets from my time with her.
1/ sfchronicle.com/news/article/V…
Back in 2014, I began working on a story about her. As her restaurant stalled continuously, the story never came to fruition, but I’d like to share some snippets from my time with her.
1/ sfchronicle.com/news/article/V…
After she was banned from selling at Zeitgeist, she began the process of opening her own restaurant.
Step one was navigating the city’s tangled permitting system, which meant meeting with city officials in an empty conference room at City Hall.
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Step one was navigating the city’s tangled permitting system, which meant meeting with city officials in an empty conference room at City Hall.
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She found the permitting system (and its costs) insane, and kept expressing so at that initial meeting.
I took this photo of her during that first meeting. I think it captures her incredulity at the city’s red tape. 3/ instagram.com/p/lxZoPDC9Fe/
I took this photo of her during that first meeting. I think it captures her incredulity at the city’s red tape. 3/ instagram.com/p/lxZoPDC9Fe/
About a year later, she finally got the keys to her would-be restaurant. She gave me a tour of the space, a little cubbyhole of a space off the corner of 16th and Mission. It would need a lot of work. But that's not what I remember most about that day.
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That was the longest I spoke to Ms. Ramos. Until this point, most of our conversations were via phone.
(She would call my cell and when I picked up, she'd say, "Oh hey sweetie do you still work at the paper?")
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(She would call my cell and when I picked up, she'd say, "Oh hey sweetie do you still work at the paper?")
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On this day, we spoke for maybe an hour. She spouted her feel-good philosophy, things like "Old school means you still have heart. We need to keep the heart in the city."
And I saw that joy and kindness.
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And I saw that joy and kindness.
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It was that smile that had been immortalized by the talented @sfchronicle photographers over the years.
(Especially @cityexposed.)
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(Especially @cityexposed.)
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Anyway, as we were leaving, I offered her a ride. I had driven, and she had been complaining earlier about leg pain. She didn't get around particularly well anyway. She declined, and said she wanted to walk home instead.
But she told me to wait for a sec.
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But she told me to wait for a sec.
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She walked (hobbled) around the corner, and emerged 30 seconds later.
With a bouquet of flowers. (?)
She said she since she didn't have any tamales, she had to give me *something* to make my day special.
(I said she should put them in her home.)
.... But yeah: one of a kind.
With a bouquet of flowers. (?)
She said she since she didn't have any tamales, she had to give me *something* to make my day special.
(I said she should put them in her home.)
.... But yeah: one of a kind.
