Review: The namesakes of Tamale Factory and Tequila Bar aren’t the only attraction (but they’re quite good)
Don’t let the name fool you. The tamales at Tamale Factory and Tequila Bar are not made in a factory.
They’re hand-made by owner-chef Margaritte Malfy, a North Carolina native who developed a passion for Mexican culture and cuisine in the kitchens of New York restaurants where she worked for several years — and where, even in fine dining establishments, many of her coworkers were Mexican immigrants. Malfy went on to open a couple of restaurants of her own, including an East Village taqueria that garnered a favorable review from The New York Times. When she got free time, she traveled extensively in Mexico, combining vacation and recipe research.
But it wasn’t in Mexico — or any restaurant, for that matter — that she learned to make tamales. That was in the home of a friend in New York, whose Mexican native nanny taught her the art of kneading masa and shortening to achieve the ideal consistency, and steaming the filled dough in corn husks.
Malfy was clearly an ace student. Her tamales are tender and supple, with a consistency that is neither too wet nor so dry that it crumbles when cooked. She offers half a dozen variations on the theme, including a couple of vegetarian fillings that were the surprise hit at our table of avowed carnivores recently.
Setas a la Diabla features sautéed wild mushrooms, amped up with ancho chiles to a spice level that’s not quite as devilish as the name implies, but rates a respectable “impish.” Acelgas a la Michoacán is a sort of vegetarian picadillo of Swiss chard, raisins and almonds, judiciously punctuated with serrano chile.
There’s a traditional beef picadillo, too, as well as a filling of chicken in a tomatillo-based salsa verde. Pastor de Puerco (chile-rubbed pork, pineapple and guajillo chile salsa) is another winning option. Like all the others, it’s served open faced on a corn husk.
All the others except one, that is. The Braza la Reina is cooked sans corn husk, and topped with a patchwork of house-made salsa roja, cilantro, crema, queso and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds). As colorful as the dish itself, the name (which means “the queen’s arm”) is a nod to a traditional saying that commoners are not allowed to touch the queen’s arm. Likewise, the delicate masa in this special tamal isn’t allowed to be touched by a corn husk.
But the restaurant’s namesake tamales and tequila (a solid selection, and the featured spirit in several fresh-pressed juice cocktails) are by no means the only attraction. I’d happily drive to Durham just for another bowl of Malfy’s pozole rojo, which serves up minced pork and hominy in a rich, brick red guajillo chile broth.
You could also assemble a rewarding meal of share plates from the section labeled Aperitivos y Botanas. There’s not a dud in the bunch, so ideally you would round up a party of four to six and order one of each. Short of that, my pared-down list would have to include platanos con crema (fried sweet plantains topped with crema and crumbled queso); elote de mercado (corn on the cob rolled in mayo, cotija cheese, ancho chile and lime); huevos rellenos (chile-spiked deviled eggs) and chicharrones (crispy fried pork rinds with a chipotle mayo dipping sauce).
Regardless, you’ll also want some chips and salsa. You won’t go wrong with the sampler trio of fresh guacamole, pico de gallo and queso blanco dip, served with warm, spice-dusted blue and white tortilla chips. Alternatively, you could go off menu and get the chips with a couple of house-made salsas (a pungent vinegar-based green serrano, and a positively addictive smoked tomato and arbol chile salsa). Yes, you have to pay for chips and salsa here — all of $2 — but you won’t regret it.
A brief but varied entree selection covers the spectrum from Yucatan-style shrimp in adobo to carne asada featuring tequila- and lime-marinated skirt steak. Chicken enchiladas with a scratch-made Oaxacan mole negro are a can’t-miss option.
So are Mexico City-style street tacos. Served on corn tortillas from Tortilleria y Carniceria in Durham (whose owner, Marcelo Ocampo, partnered with Malfy and director of operations Susan Thomas to open Tamale Factory in June), they’re offered with a varied selection of fillings, from roasted poblanos and onions to house-made chorizo.
If you like the platanos con crema appetizer, you’ll love the dessert version, which smothers candy-sweet fried plantains with a blanket of cajeta (aka caramel), whipped cream and pepitas. Then again, it’s a safe bet that neither of the other desserts I’ve had — Mexican chocolate pudding, and cinnamon-sugar dusted churros served with two dipping sauces — will let you down.
Across the board, miscues are infrequent and minor. The skirt steak in an entree presentation of carne asada would be more tender if it were not cut quite so thick. And the batter could be crisper on the fish in the pescado tacos.
Located on the upper level of Erwin Terrace, Tamale Factory and Tequila Bar is a casual space with a large mural of Centeotl, the Aztec goddess of sustenance and corn, highlighting a colorful, rustic decor. Lining the walls of a narrow hallway in the back of the dining room is a collection of framed photos that Margaritte Malfy took during her travels in Mexico. Lucky us, we get to join her on the adventure.
Tamale Factory and Tequila Bar
2816 Erwin Road, Suite 205, Durham
919-237-1116
Cuisine: Mexican
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Prices: $
Atmosphere: casual, colorful, rustic contemporary
Noise level: moderate
Service: friendly and enthusiastic
Recommended: tamales, pozole rojo, elote, chicharrones, plantains en cajeta, churros
Open: Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Saturday-Sunday.
Reservations: accepted
Other: full bar; accommodates children; good vegetarian selection; parking in lot (see website for parking tip).
The N&O’s critic dines anonymously; the newspaper pays for all meals. We rank restaurants in five categories: 5 stars: Extraordinary. 4 stars: Excellent. 3 stars: Above average. 2 stars: Average. 1 star: Fair.
The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $ Entrees $11 to $20. $$ Entrees $21 to $30. $$ Entrees more than $30.
This story was originally published November 3, 2018 at 12:00 AM.