Remember the Oakland Indie Awards party last week? It was a celebration for locals and out of the seven awards, three went to food businesses – Tina Tamale/La Borinqueña, Savor Oakland and Kitchener. Woot woot! I wanted to know what the award means to the winners and what they thought about each other. This what they had to say…
La Borinqueña and Tina Tamale won the Pillar Award which goes to “a long-established Oakland business or artist with deep roots in the community and long-standing ties to the people, culture and history of The Town. This person or business mentors newbies and is renowned for their contributions to Oakland’s living history.”
How did you react when you first found out about the award?
I was really excited when I found out I was a finalist! My family’s restaurant, La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen, was the first ever winner of the Pillar award back in 2007/8. Back then “Tina Tamale” had just become my alter ego as spokesperson of our indie business.
For the last few years, Tina Tamale Ramos is not only the the name I go by as in my day to day life but is also my mobile food brand. Finding out that I was now a Pillar nominee on my own was amusing! The finalist judges decided to give the Pillar award to both me and La Borinqueña jointly since I would not exist without LB but LB has moved forward in a more modern fashion (mobile food & creative entrepreneurship) because of me. I was very flattered and honored to win. Mama Tamale is very proud of my convictions and I know in my heart my Grandma Rosa, our founder, is smiling somewhere too.
What does the award mean to you?
My Pillar award gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that my devotion to my family’s food legacy, my commitment to building community and my beloved City of Oakland is recognized by my customers, friends and colleagues! As a third generation tamale girl and Oaklander, I respect everyone especially those who have been stirring and adding to the big pot of HOPE we’ve been keeping on simmer that makes Oakland so amazing.
Why do you think Savor Oakland won the Ripple Effect award?
By nature, I think most folks love to explore. Oakland has all these amazing nooks and crannies of fun, wonderful stuff to be discovered. Carlo & Geneva of Savor Oakland are providing that “let’s go on a field trip” experience but with adults and making it not only educational but delicious too. Lots of positive interactions with indie food makers and really showing off what Jack London has to offer. They give busy indie business owners an easy way to show off what they do best. I’m looking forward to what they decide to highlight on their new Oakland Chinatown/Old Oakland tour!
Carlo Medina and Geneva Europa of Savor Oakland won the Ripple Effect Award, which goes to “a business that supports the local economy by buying their supplies and services from other local vendors, creating a “ripple effect” as money circulates within the community.”
How did you react when you first found out about the award?
We were so surprised that we were nominated. There are so many amazing small businesses in Oakland and we felt honored to be included among the nominees. We barely walked in the auditorium and all of a sudden the announcers were describing our business and announcing that we won the Ripple Effect Award. We were all smiles 🙂 So surreal.
What does the award mean to you?
The award is an affirmation of our mission to spread the good word about Oakland. Oakland has been under the radar for years but the city has amazing culture, history, art, and food that Oaklanders can take advantage of. The award makes us want to work harder to expand our business and to contribute to the positive momentum of the city.
Why do you think Kitchener won the Innovative Newcomer award?
Kitchener won the Innovative Newcomer because they are the new hub/incubator for a lot of amazing food entrepreneurs who work in Kitchener. Kitchener is not only a communal kitchen space but an innovative entrepreneurial space where food businesses can learn about marketing, cooking techniques, and networking. Kitchener Oakland is an intersection of business and food. Their pop up events and their workshops are a credit to their ingenuity and creativity.
photo: Lily Tsai
Sophia Chang of Kitchener Oakland won the Innovative Newcomer Award, which goes to “a business or artist that started in the last three years that excites and inspires with a creative new idea, perspective, model or solution.”
How did you react when you first found out about the award?
When I heard Kitchener named as a winner, I was shocked and my heart started racing, but at the same time, I was ready for something interesting because of the way people were already congratulating Kitchener before the awards were announced. I was very flattered that Kitchener received that recognition – there are so many innovative and amazing businesses in Oakland that I didn’t think we had any chance at all to win an award like this!
What does the award mean to you?
This award means that I can retire and take a trip Alaska! I’m kidding, there’s still so much work to be done. The nature of this business is to keep helping, keep growing, and to keep creating as much as possible to keep the small-food momentum going in Oakland. This award helped validate that the work we’re doing isn’t going unnoticed and is indeed an asset to Oakland’s landscape, which is the biggest compliment we can ever get from a city we love.
Why do you think Tina Tamale won the Pillar award?
Why wouldn’t Tina Tamale win the Pillar award? Her family’s business, La Boriqueña, has been a fresh tamale mainstay in Oakland since the 1940s, and Tina Ramos herself is a dynamo of a personality who everyone knows, love, respects, and who infuses her special Tina flavor in every person she helps or every business she visits. She’s that much of an infectiously wonderful character in Oakland – a person who builds friendships, community, and influences good tidings. She represents Oakland through and through.
Christina Mitchell
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