Mario Batali may eat most of his food indoors, but he will lend his taste buds to the Vendy Awards this year. Between him, the first citizen judge Mina Fasolo, Jacques Torres, Pichet Ong, and Zach Brooks, there better be a cart with excellent chocolate-covered shawarma ravioli. Nominate your favorite street vendor here, and ahem, buy those darn tickets already.
For the first year, the Vendy Awards will include a citizen judge to help choose the city's best street food. Joining Jacques Torres, Pichet Ong, and Zach Brooks, Mina Fasolo was chosen from a pool of people who bought early "recession special" tickets. The Queens resident is actually the granddaughter of a Sicilian immigrant who sold pizzas from a cart along the Harlem and East Rivers at one point. Stay tuned for another big Vendys judge announcement this week. And seriously, this event is going to sell-out, so buy tickets now.
The fifth annual Vendy Awards will be on September 26 at the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing. Until May 31, you can buy tickets at the "recession special" ($30 for kids and $60 for adults), or go all out for the table service at $150.
Vendor nominations are also open and will close August 1. The judges include our pal Zach Brooks (so much street food cred in that man), Jacques Torres, and Pichet Ong. And you! Well, maybe. For the first year, the Vendys will offer a "Citizen Judge" slot to someone picked at random from the pool of ticket buyers before May 31.
It's a little early to be making September 2009 plans, but the Vendy Awards are worth marking your calendar early. This year's affair will be held at the Queens Museum of Art outdoors near the Unisphere (the giant steel globe) in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. That would be a borough change from last year's Brooklyn venue, at the old Tobacco Warehouse where the Calexico cart took home street food gold.
The event will be on September 26 at 2 p.m., and you can already buy merchandise, including infant body suits. Any nominations for this year's honorees?
Sean Basinski, founder of the Street Vendor Project non-profit, which hosts the annual Vendy Awards, is New York's patron saint of roasted nuts and kebab carts. After spending the last few years tending to the legal needs and rights of the city's more than 10,000 street vendors—both food and non-food ones—he deservedly won a Fulbright award to conduct research on street vendors in Lagos, Nigeria. For the next six months, he'll be getting his kebabs from Africa. Congrats, Sean!
So maybe we were sore losers after the recent Vendy Awards, believing deep down that Biryani Cart got robbed. And maybe our hearts skipped a beat when we heard judge Daisy Martinez possibly skipped the Biryani's signature kati roll, based on her recent chat with Grub Street. Will justice prevail? [via Midtown Lunch]
On Saturday, the largest Vendy Awards crowd ever came together at Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn to watch the Calexico Cart win the 2008 Vendy Awards. Two times is a charm for the three dudes from SoCal whose "gourmet Cal-Mex street food" was also nominated in 2006. We're a little embarrassed after our handicapping didn't give them the best odds. We love their carne asada, but didn't think the judges had it in them to award the cup to a bunch of hipster bros!
Vendy Award Winner (Savory): Calexico (at the corner of Wooster and Prince Streets) Vendy Award Runner-up (Savory): Kwik Meal (45th Street near Sixth Avenue) Vendy Award Winner (Dessert): The Treats Truck (rotating) People's Choice Award: Biriyani Cart (46th Street and 6th Avenue)
After the jump, more photos and notes from the scene.
The Vendy Awards have finally arrived! This weekend 5 street food vendors and 4 dessert trucks will converge on Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo to battle it out for the most coveted prize in street food vending: the Vendy Cup. Tickets are $80 in advance, and $100 at the door, and all the money goes to a great cause—plus it's tax deductible. In true Eater fashion we thought we'd handicap each vendor's chance of taking home the coveted Vendy Cup. Every vendor nominated puts out delicious food, and they all have a chance of winning—but we think some may have a better chance than others.
So here it is...
10:1 The Calexico Cart (aka "The Hipsters"): Hipster carts rule the streets of New York City right now, and the carne asada these guys make is mighty tasty. But up against the world cuisines and the heartwarming stories represented by the other 4 nominees, we don't think California-style Mexican food stands a chance—as good a version as it is.
5:1 Fauzia's Delights (aka "The Wild Card"): Admittedly we know the least about this vendor, and she could be the true darkhorse in the competition. Joe DiStefano said "it’s the healthiest thing I’ve ever eaten from a street cart," which could be a plus or minus depending on the mindset of the judges. Ignore Fauzia at your own peril!
4:1 Biryani Cart (aka "The Darkhorse"): Of all the dishes being served at the Vendy's the Biryani cart will probably be serving up the spiciest and most complex food. If they're firing on all cylinders, their three dishes are good enough to win this thing. Unfortunately, they can be a little inconsistent, and may get bogged down in the crush of the crowd.
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 10, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
The Kwik Meal cart isn't the only repeat nominee at this year's Vendy Awards. The Calexico Cart is a veteran competitor as well, having been a finalist in 2006. And, as Ed Levine pointed out, they are also the only "hipster" cart—having more in common with the new breed of fancy pants carts and trucks than the traditional halal and hot dog vendors that make up most of the city's street food options. In a lot of ways Calexico was the O.G. hipster vendor. Started by 3 brothers who were inspired by the nominees at the 2005 Vendy Awards, Calexico serves up California style Mexican food from a cart in the heart of SoHo.
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 9, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
Even if you think you haven't heard of Muhammed Rahman and the Kwik Meal cart he runs in Midtown, chances are you have. He's probably been written about more than any other street vendor in the city, and the proof hangs in small and large newspaper articles hung all over his cart. Rahman is the fabled vendor who used to be a chef at the Russian Tea Room, and when he left to open up a chicken and lamb over rice cart everybody wanted to tell his story. It also helps that his food is pretty damn good, and next weekend he'll get a chance to officially prove it by winning the Vendy Awards.
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
Rafael Soler’s pupusa truck is not the only vendor of note at the corner of Clinton and Bay Streets. It’s not even the only pupusa truck of note. As any serious streetside eater knows, weekends at the Red Hook ball fields are a celebration of all things Latin—with huaraches, chalupas, watermelon juice, grilled maiz on the cob, and so much more, all sold from trucks clustered around the park's northeast corner. But Soler Dominican snagged this year’s Vendy nomination—a choice that’s hard to contest.
Pupusas themselves are perfect street food: small, flat cornmeal cakes stuffed with meat, cheese, or veggies and slapped on the grill for a hot, steamy snack. While Rafael’s range from the simple frijoles to the traditional queso con loroco—cheese with a Central American flower bud—the best might be the revuelta. Its pork-and-mozzarella filling is a salty, meaty mouthful that oozes out of its cornmeal casing the moment it gets a chance.
Posted by Zach Brooks, October 7, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition.
Two of the five Vendy finalists are from Midtown this year, and while Kwik Meal may be the odds on favorite (they were nominated last year, and won the people's choice award) I don't think anybody should count out The Biryani Cart. Opened four and a half years ago by Meru Sikder, a former banquet chef for a New Jersey Hilton, the Biryani Cart started off as your standard Midtown chicken and rice operation with a small twist. Each day the Bangladeshi native would serve one Indian food dish as a special, alternating between chicken tikka masala and chicken biryani.
The two dishes built up a solid following, but the real breakthough came in May of 2007 when the very popular Kati Roll, located on the same block as the Biryani Cart, moved locations. Seizing the opportunity, Meru immediately added his own version of the kati roll to the cart—and from there business exploded.
Sugar rush fans, unite and rejoice. The Vendys are going to have a dessert category this year. Given the proliferation of dessert trucks in the last year, this makes total sense. Here are the nominees:
Given the hipster-ethnic mix of the savory Vendys, it's more than a little curious that no ethnic dessert cart or truck is a dessert Vendy nominee. Surely there's a paleta cart or a churros vendor worthy of Vendy consideration. I guess there's always next year.
Posted by Joe DiStefano, October 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On October 18th, street vendors from all around the city will converge on the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn for this years Vendy Awards. Tickets are only $80 and every penny goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that fights for the rights of sidewalk vendors in New York City. Every day this week we will profile one of the five finalists, and the food they will be serving up at the competition. To kick it off Joe DiStefano headed to the Bronx to sample Fauzia Abdur-Rahman's "Heavenly Delights".
Friday afternoon I paid a visit to Fauzia’s Delights a street cart located outside the Bronx District Attorney’s office. It’s up for a Vendy Award this year, and after tasting Fauzia Abdur-Rahman’s food and talking to some of her loyal customers, I can see why. As I got on line I asked a fellow in front of me about Fauzia’s eats and he told it to me straight; “I’d cry if she wasn’t out here.” I asked him what he usually gets and my jaw dropped when he said the vegetables. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone more excited about veggies in my life. Because of the rain the friendly Fauzia didn’t have a chance to make any jerk chicken that day. I asked someone else on line what was good and they beamed, “It’s all good.”
Posted by Ed Levine, September 24, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Here are the 2008 Vendy Finalists. (Names are also after the jump.) What's interesting about this list: for only the second time, there's a hipster truck, the Vendley Brothers, of Calexico Carne Asada (the Vendleys were also nominated in 2006).
Carts and trucks are no longer the exclusive domain of recent immigrants. In fact the surprise is that there aren't more hipster vendors among the finalists. Think about it. So many hipster street vendors, everyone from The Treats Truck to the The Dessert Truck, to Van Leeuwan Ice Cream, have started up in the last few years. Why?
Because of the prohibitive cost of opening a bricks and mortar storefront in this town. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next year, when it will become harder than ever to come up with the money to open a retail business in New York. Who knows? We may see a food cart and truck explosion.
Ah, well, much to think about. In the meantime congratulations to this year's Vendy finalists. Serious Eats will be at the event, you can be sure. It will be big fun. Buy your tickets here.
Posted by Ed Levine, September 30, 2007 at 9:15 AM
I judged the Vendy Awards last night, and I'm still full. It was a beautiful early fall evening, and there was a great vibe in New York's Tompkins Square Park. All five finalists clearly put a lot of heart and soul into their food, and for the most part it showed. The Super Taco Truck from 96th Street and Broadway didn't bring its "A" game or even its best dishes, but I have had great food at that truck on several occasions. The Dosa Man from Washington Square Park won the judges' vote, and I liked his food a lot, though I gave higher scores to Kwik Meal (45th Street and Sixth Avenue), which won the people's choice voting. The other finalists, Veronica's Kitchen, which serves West Indian food in the Financial District and King Falafel and Schwarma from Astoria also served food I would happily eat on a regular basis if I lived or worked near either of them.
Next year the Vendys should go national. Anyone want to nominate anybody?
Posted by Ed Levine, September 28, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Forget about the Oscars, the Tonys, and the Golden Globes. You'll eat better at New York's street food awards, the Vendys, which take place tomorrow from 3 to 8 p.m. at Tompkins Square Park. I'm psyched because I get to play Simon Cowell (I'm one of the judges).
Mario Batali may eat most of his food indoors, but he will lend his taste buds to the 
For the first year, the 
The fifth annual Vendy Awards will be on September 26 at the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing. Until May 31, you can buy tickets at the "recession special" ($30 for kids and $60 for adults), or go all out for the table service at $150. 
It's a little early to be making September 2009 plans, but the 
Sean Basinski, founder of the 
So maybe we 
