Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Hot Tamale

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Hot Tamale
4405 Kingston Pike
909-9900

by Connie Seuer

Cheeseballs, cheese cubes, cheese dips, crackers, fa la la la la, la la la la
Mini-sausages, sausage balls, deli trays, fa la la la la, la la la la
Fudge and cookies, breads and fruitcake, fa la la, la la la, la la la
No more party food can this human take, fa la la la la, la la la la

Twas the song I was singing after several nights of festive gatherings, long with banquet tables decoratively graced by platters of all and more of the above. It's a shame that celebrations of the season generally offer such unhealthy, and uninspiring eats, but with the intense demands of the holiday months—gifts to buy, trips to plan, parties to schedule, services to attend, families to wrangle—it's no wonder the platters are so predictable. Most folks just don't have the time (or the energy) to invest in truly unique and satisfying hors d'oeuvres.

So when a free evening rolled around, with nary a soiree scheduled nor a party planned, I jumped at the opportunity to abandon the "party tray train" and satisfy my taste buds with something completely out of season—Mexican.

Conveniently located in Bearden's Western Plaza, Hot Tamale is (as of this writing), the only "taste of Mexico" in the Sequoyah Hills/ Homberg area. This part of town, as you may have noticed, is becoming a top dining destination, and the addition of Hot Tamale is rounding out the gamut.

Goodbye sparkling grape juice & ginger ale punch

Heinrich, equally ready to enjoy a real meal with some real flavor, broke into the evening with a quick order of a house margarita—on the rocks, with lots of salt ($3). Most would agree that the venerable margarita holds bedrock status in houses of Mexican foods. I'll go so far as to say that if the margarita ain't good, I call the entire establishment into question. Hot Tamale's version came on super sweet, and then, at just the right moment, sent the salt and liquor to tease the tongue. The margaritas more than measure up. I imagine, when sipped from the restaurant's outdoor patio during the summer of 2003, they'll turn our Southern swelter into steam.

Chex-mix-free zone

The next big test—chips and salsa. Although most places offer these as freebies, you gotta order your own at Hot Tamale. But don't fret. I've found that establishments that charge a reasonable price for these expected snackers tend to put a little more time into the taste and quality of the salsa. There are plenty of exceptions to this notion, but Tamale's chips and salsa (an utterly fair $.75) aren't one. The hot and salty chips were a bit heavy (well, at least after two baskets) but the salsa was twice better than the regular find. Slightly chunky with plenty of tomato liquid, it won points for its smoky chipotle-infusion. Heinrich and I both have tongues of steel, but really, there's not much heat to the stuff. I'd definitely give it a mild rating, but only as a measure of the heat—the flavor is top notch.

Forget the finger sandwiches

From the list of platillos pequenos, sweet corn tamale cakes ($6.25) stood out as an original—a mighty plate of four, masa flour cakes, about 4 inches in diameter and a 1/2-inch thick. Served hot, these crisp-edged tamale cakes held moist, bread-y centers studded with kernels of sweet corn. Fresh dice of pico de gallo fringed the cakes and beneath, a shallow pool of gentle cheese sauce supported the entire appetizer. A scoop of guacamole also accompanies the cakes, but they are rich and enticing enough all on their own.

No post-party, "But I'm still hungry..."

Admittedly, I was getting fairly full at this point, but our entrees were still to come. On its way to Heinrich was a plate of the restaurant's chicken and green chile tamales ($6.25), made bigger with the addition of rice and beans ($2). Coming my way was a mammoth burrito, regular style, filled with chipotle barbecued pork ($5.95). For Heinrich, the refried beans had a deep, earthy flavor and the tamale's consistency and presentation were pleasing, a fine plate save for the rice. It was overly fragrant and perfume-y. Alas, the rice inside my burrito was also scented or spiced in a way that detracted, rather than supported, the basic goodness of this Mexican standard. But the black beans, along with lettuce, pico, and cheese were ideal complements to the intense pulled pork interior. And where some places would skimp on the meat, using the cheaper beans and rice to fill the burrito, not Hot Tamale. This burrito was mainly meat, and so filling, I could eat barely half of my meal. The chipotle barbecue sauce bordered on being overpowering, but if paired with a plainer make of rice, the result would be magnifico.

And for dessert...

Are you kidding? There was no way dessert was making it into either one of us. Besides the fact that most of those parties we'd been to were sweet affairs, we were very satisfied and ready to roll home. Hot Tamale does offer some nice items, and we've already decided upon making a special trip—before the holidays—to try the La Sarita ($2.75). It's described as "Mexican gypsy cakes soaked in honey syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar" and gives its proceeds to Casa de Sara, a non-profit organization aiding children in South and Central America. Now that's the spirit of the season....