At City Tamale in the Bronx, Tamales Fuel a Community

From apartment kitchen to brick-and-mortar restaurant, Israel Veliz churns out hot tamales for a loyal clientele

Israel Veliz (L) makes tamales with his mother in his Bronx apartment. Courtesy of City Tamale

It can be difficult to find authentic Mexican cuisine in the United States, but it does exist if you know where to look. One young entrepreneur has set up shop in New York City and is cranking out some hot tamales.

Israel Veliz, 29, arrives at City Tamale in Hunts Point, the Bronx, at 4 a.m. He begins his work in the kitchen, prepping and cooking tamales based on his mother’s recipe. When the doors open at 5:30 a.m., the hardworking community of Hunts Point comes to fuel up for the long work day.