Donna's Tamales

Shirley Virgil (L) and Donna Eichhorn (R) of Donna's Tamales. Photograph reprinted with permission.

If you’ve ever eaten a homemade tamale, you know just how good they can be. The mere thought of soft, sweet corn masa molded around ooey-gooey cheese and roasted chilies is enough to make my tummy rumble. But unless you have a Mexican grandmother, getting your hands on a good one isn’t easy. Enter Donna Eichhorn and Shirley Virgil, the founders of Donna’s Tamales.

Four days a week, they make tamales fresh from masa that’s been ground and cooked that morning. Everything is vegetarian, from the classic Cheese Chile Corn tamale with roasted Anaheim chilies, to one stuffed full of red and black beans, yams, poblano chilies and ancho chili sauce. There are ever-changing seasonal selections – “We try to reflect what’s in the market,” Shirley explains – and depending on the month, you might see tamales bursting with asparagus from the Delta or the first zucchini of the season.

Inspired by the green corn tamales Donna liked to devour right off the plane on visits to Arizona, she left her job as the head chef of a restaurant fifteen years ago and hasn’t looked back. One cornerstone of the business is a commitment to organic ingredients, from dried white corn to locally made Monterey Jack, white cheddar and jalapeno Jack cheeses, and from Wildwood tofu to Muir Glen tomatoes. Another cornerstone is helping the community by donating food to numerous organizations several times a year.

The Goods – Fresh vegetarian and vegan tamales served hot or to go, plus burritos, pupusas, enchamales, and salsa

The Markets – Ferry Plaza (Tuesdays), Marin Civic Center (Thursdays & Sundays), Oakland/Grand Lake (Saturdays) and Oakland/Temescal (Sundays)

Fun Fact – Every year, Donna’s Tamales serves their kid-friendly corn tamales to inner city kindergartners during a field trip to the Ferry Plaza farmers’ market. In return, Shirley says they get “fabulous fan mail.”

Originally published in "Fresh from the Farm," Northside San Francisco May 2007. "Fresh from the Farm" is a monthly column on sustainable agriculture, humane husbandry & artisanal food production. Reprinted with permission.

Comments

[Tiffany]

My mom's next-door neighbor is Mexican and makes the most delicious tamales and handmade tortillas. If I had known that as a little kid, I wouldn't have pulled her flowers so much.

Oh my, thanks for making my mouth water yet again!

[Catherine]

Tiffany, you are supremely lucky. I hope that on occasion she shares the wealth!