Virginia Ramos (1953-September 27, 2018) was a San Francisco-based chef. She was often known by the moniker Tamale Lady. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1953. In 1980, she migrated to the United States. She started selling tamales at San Francisco bars in the early 1990s. She would sell tamales at various San Francisco bars, including Zeitgeist and Lucky 13, though she was officially prohibited from doing so in 2013. She was considered an "icon of the city"; her death was noted by state senator Scott Wiener. References 1953 births 2018 deaths American women chefs Mexican chefs Mexican women Mexican emigrants to the United States People from Jalisco People from San Francisco 21st-century American women