Tamales at the Ballard Farmers Market

The folks selling authentic Mexican food in the grassy lot off the street that hosts the Ballard Farmers' Market are no longer there because of a health permit issue. The market wouldn't let them come in under their permit's umbrella because they're already saturated with food vendors, and it's impossible to get a legitimate stand-alone permit unless you have a fully functioning food truck.

Their absence has been great for my booth. During the few short weeks they were there, they got some great reviews. People come down to the market looking for tamales, and they see mine, and they buy them.

I didn't get to taste the other tamales, but I'm sure they're better than mine. They're Mexican, while I'm a Jewish girl from Brooklyn. (I'm sure their matzo ball soup can't hold a candle to mine.) My tamales are made with olive oil rather than lard, so they're great for people who are vegetarian or just want to eat healthier. They're also fabulous as a starch with a little protein to serve with the side order of seasonal grilled veggies which is our signature item. I'm proud of what I serve, but I don't expect it to satisfy folks who come down to the market looking for authentic tamales.

I wonder whether there's anything ethically suspect about capitalizing on the buzz that some other business has generated. I suppose that it's not completely fair to the customers who are looking for the other tamale booth, but the review says the booth is run by folks from Mexico City, and I'm obviously not from Mexico City.

On some level I also feel that there's some cosmic justice to the fact that I've benefitted from these recent events. I came into the market through legitimate channels, and I've paid my dues there for many years. My sales suffered during the weeks when the unpermitted booth was competing with me. Not to mention, the whole situation was desperately unfair to my friends at Green Go, who abandoned plans to vend in that grassy area after calling the health department and learning that they couldn't get a legitimate permit without the market's consent.