3rd World City Councilor

[Conan71]

You haven't lived until you've had tamales from one of the women who drive the old beat up station wagons and sell to the construction workers in the S. Tulsa neighborhoods.  

They've been doing this for years. I think they all work for the same woman.  $1 a tamale, and they're out of this world.  Served in the husk.

You can usually find them between 9am and 11am anywhere in S. Tulsa/BA/Bixby/Jenks where there's new construction.  They usually have the spicy "relish" (pickled carrots and peppers) too.

I bought a steamer at Los Americas specifically to make tamales last weekend.  I've got a long way to go, but for a first attempt, I was pretty happy.  We had some tamales at Blue Corn Cafe in Santa Fe a few weeks ago when passing through and those were the best I've had anywhere. 

FYI, I also got a tip on a Mexican bakery near 61st & Peoria today.  I'll report back once I've had a chance to check out the offerings.

[jne]

Please share the tamale hook-ups.  I've been needing one it Tulsa for years.  I have been dry ice packing from my trips to South Texas every year or two.  My mother has taken it on a handful of times, but defers to other family as the experts.  Tamales are a LOT of work, I feel guilty paying so little for them at times.  If you've ever made them, you know they are a fast track to arthritis.  My fingers ache for days.

[Conan71]

Please share the tamale hook-ups.  I've been needing one it Tulsa for years.  I have been dry ice packing from my trips to South Texas every year or two.  My mother has taken it on a handful of times, but defers to other family as the experts.  Tamales are a LOT of work, I feel guilty paying so little for them at times.  If you've ever made them, you know they are a fast track to arthritis.  My fingers ache for days.

Resposado is good for arthritis brought on by tamale rolling 

[swake]

I bought a steamer at Los Americas specifically to make tamales last weekend.  I've got a long way to go, but for a first attempt, I was pretty happy.  We had some tamales at Blue Corn Cafe in Santa Fe a few weeks ago when passing through and those were the best I've had anywhere. 

FYI, I also got a tip on a Mexican bakery near 61st & Peoria today.  I'll report back once I've had a chance to check out the offerings.

If it's the one at about 63rd, it's really good.

[Gaspar]

Please share the tamale hook-ups.  I've been needing one it Tulsa for years.  I have been dry ice packing from my trips to South Texas every year or two.  My mother has taken it on a handful of times, but defers to other family as the experts.  Tamales are a LOT of work, I feel guilty paying so little for them at times.  If you've ever made them, you know they are a fast track to arthritis.  My fingers ache for days.

I'll buy a dozen next time I see one of them, and send out a TN alert.  We can have a picnic. 

[custosnox]

I'll buy a dozen next time I see one of them, and send out a TN alert.  We can have a picnic. 

just a dozen?  Isn't that kind of lowballing it?  Maybe send out an announcement of where you see him at.

[DTowner]

Making these taco trucks get a 6 month zoning variance strikes me as killing a fly with a shotgun and is consistent with the perception that Tulsa government is unfriendly towards businesses.

If there is a problem created by this new style of business, then adopt some rules to eliminate the problem, don't try to force this into Tulsa's existing zoning code.

I've tried food at several trucks on 11th, 3rd and 1st around Lewis.  All had good food and the owners were very pleasant.  Of course, if I was next door paying rent to operate a Mexican restaurant, I might feel differently.

[patric]

"City Councilor Jim Mautino said he had received complaints from constituents regarding six mobile food trailers. He said he was concerned about food safety and the city's ability to collect sales taxes."

If anything, the pressure could drive these mom-and-pop businesses underground, and where would your health inspections and tax collection go from there?

Does the city really require 3 sinks (like one of the Whirled comments said)?

And who came up with that $700+ fee?  Are there actual expenses tied to that or is it just an arbitrary number to exclude the poor?

[custosnox]

If anything, the pressure could drive these mom-and-pop businesses underground, and where would your health inspections and tax collection go from there?

Does the city really require 3 sinks (like one of the Whirled comments said)?

And who came up with that $700+ fee?  Are there actual expenses tied to that or is it just an arbitrary number to exclude the poor?

Actually, the health department requires four sinks, but let you get by with three.   

It seems that this fee is intended for seasonal temporary businesses such as selling christmas trees, where the money gained during that time outweigh the cost of the license.  This is similar to what event vendors (corn dogs, funnel cakes ect.) have to pay to get into events.  While $750 would be too much for a weekend event it would be close to what is paid for the two weeks the fair is open.  However, this is for renting space that has a prime falue, and not a city fee. 

Did some digging around and found this from NYC's website on street vendors:

The City licenses food carts and trucks.

You must have a license, which is a photo ID badge, to run a food-selling business from a pushcart or truck, either year-round or seasonally. You must also have a decal permit for any pushcart or truck where food is sold.

New permits are available only to licensed vendors who were placed on the Food Cart Waiting List and notified by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to apply for the permit required for pushcarts and trucks. A lottery to select licensed mobile food vendors for placement on various waiting lists to apply for a mobile food cart permit was held on June 21, 2007. The deadline for entry was June 11, 2007. Only vendors selected from the lottery were placed on the permit waiting lists.

If DOHMH notified you that you can apply for a permit, you must first file an application in person at the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and then schedule an inspection with DOHMH. If you pass inspection, you will receive your permit sticker when the inspection is done. You should call to schedule an inspection 7 to 10 business days after filing an application and paying.

The permit expires two years from the previous expiration date. The fee is $200 for a processing food unit and $50 for a non-processing food unit. Veterans do not have to pay the fee.

While there would not be a need for a lottery here (this is more of a control of numbers issue if I'm reading it right) I think this could be adapted very well for use here and would create a better enviroment all the way around.

[Breadburner]

1 to wash....1 to sanitize .....1 to rinse.....

[custosnox]

1 to wash hands

[TheArtist]

  I thought we had a food desert in the area,(we cant get what we want, there are only fast food joints and mini-marts),,, and now one group shows one way they take on such a situation and he complains?  Perhaps there is something here to learn from, improve upon and "assimilate" for yourself and not complain about. I just recently read about this very idea being promoted as part of the solution to similar "food desert" problems in other cites.

Whats more American than.... There are people who want stuff, they dont have a way to get it... hmmmmm?  I know, I will start a little business and get it to em!

[Hawkins]

$750 is extreme for a permit of this nature.

And yes, I think that reinforces the image of Tulsa government being difficult to deal with.

[sgrizzle]

I'll let someone park a taco truck in my driveway and they can pay me in tacos.

[Steve]

How can you interpret this as "outright" racism?  I'm sure there are some knuckleheads who complain based on this, but on the other hand, how do you know it's not simply people wanting to make sure that health, tax, vendor, and building codes are being followed?  Or perhaps nearby Hispanic brick and mortar business owners who are worried about unfair competition?  That ever dawn on you?

Totally agree Conan.  When I read the article in my morning World, I said to myself that Mautino was going to get a lot of flack for those comments.  I basically agree with him, although I may not have put it into those words.  IMO, racism has nothing to do with it and I get so sick of people screaming that invalid argument.