TamAlli-- High Hopes Abound...

Drove past a new awning and almost-open looking restaurant the other day called TamAlli-- about 2400 W armitage (just west of western/milkwaukee intersection)

Found this Bit of Intel via Centerstage-

Byob, specializing in tamales, opening summer '07...

I'm hoping this will be good and can compete with the Lazo's/Arturo's cluster across the street...but part of me is afraid it'll be some yuppiefied thing trying to make tamales the next sushi or something...

Anyone have any insider intel? I'll keep my eye on it and will make sure to report in once it's actually open.


edit: Googling "tamale chicago" pops up this bit from Dish that I somehow missed this past month: Do One Thing, Well
Tamalli (2459 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-276-1441) will specialize, basically, in one item. (And it ain’t tacos.) Carlos Reyna, the owner of Humboldt Park’s Maiz, is planning a tiny BYO tamale shop for mid-July. “This is a concept that I have been trying to do for a long time,” Reyna says of his upcoming spot in Logan Square. “Tamales will be about $2.50, and we will have our Mexican coffee and Mexican hot chocolate, as well as our very popular fresh fruit waters.”

I stopped by last week to find this place closed, with paper on the windows. I thought it had opened. I get a busy signal when I ring the number...has anyone been?

I have yet to see any signs of life. There was a writeup about it in TimeOut but they've got a history of writing about things and giving the indication that they have already opened when, indeed, they have not.

I hadn't checked in about a week or so but will do so again in a few days.

bananasandwiches wrote:I'm hoping this will be good and can compete with the Lazo's/Arturo's cluster across the street...but part of me is afraid it'll be some yuppiefied thing trying to make tamales the next sushi or something...

At $2.50 each, I think you already know the answer to your question.

Cogito wrote:

bananasandwiches wrote:I'm hoping this will be good and can compete with the Lazo's/Arturo's cluster across the street...but part of me is afraid it'll be some yuppiefied thing trying to make tamales the next sushi or something...

At $2.50 each, I think you already know the answer to your question.

Very true...that's a little inflated for a tamale...but one can hope.

bananasandwiches wrote:

Cogito wrote:

bananasandwiches wrote:I'm hoping this will be good and can compete with the Lazo's/Arturo's cluster across the street...but part of me is afraid it'll be some yuppiefied thing trying to make tamales the next sushi or something...

At $2.50 each, I think you already know the answer to your question.

Very true...that's a little inflated for a tamale...but one can hope.

Considering the fact that I know places that sell them for less than a buck, you are being very kind to them.

No signs of life as of yet...beginning to wonder if perhaps they've run into some sort of a financial crunch here...

Cogito wrote:

bananasandwiches wrote:I'm hoping this will be good and can compete with the Lazo's/Arturo's cluster across the street...but part of me is afraid it'll be some yuppiefied thing trying to make tamales the next sushi or something...

At $2.50 each, I think you already know the answer to your question.

I will say that my one experience with a tamale at Maiz (the owner's other establishment) was a full plate-sized tamale wrapped in banana leaf, as opposed to the smaller corn-husk variety. I would think (and evidence seems to bear out) that $2.50 each is probably a fairly market price for that type of tamale. I know Maiz has its detractors, but I don't think that catering to a yuppie crowd is one of the criticisms, and I'd be surprised if this new establishment will be some sort of "yuppified thing."

The Vaporcito (tamal in banana leaf) at Xni-Pec in Cicero is priced at $2.10 - as a further reference point. It's about standard-sized, maybe filling a 1/4 (or slightly more) of the dinner plate.

Driving by yesterday, finally noticed the giant yellow "STOP WORK ORDER" on the front door of Tamalli--which was posted in July, it seems.

So, seems like some permits may have been wonky. I'm not going to hold my breath anymore for this--but will update if anything changes.