2009 Vendy Awards

2008 Vendy Awards Judges

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:37:09 +0000

Tim Janus

Tim Janus is a top ranked competitive eater from New York City known in
the competitive eating community as “Eater X.” He was the International Federation of Competitive Eating’s 2004 Rookie of the Year, and is the current tamale-, cannoli-, burrito-, and tiramisu-eating champion of the world. He was featured on the show “True Life: I’m a Competitive Eater” along with then world-champion hot-dog eater Takeru Kobayashi and was a test subject in the National Geographic documentary, The Science of Speed Eating.

Anita Lo

Anita Lo is the chef and co-owner of two highly-acclaimed restaurants in New York City — Annisa and Bar Q. She grew up in Michigan and graduated first in her class at the Ritz-Escoffier cooking school in France. She was named Food and Wine Chef of the Year in 2001. Before opening Annisa in 2000, she spent years in the kitchen at Bouley and Chantarelle. In 2004, she defeated Mario Batali on Iron Chef America.

Daisy Martinez

Daisy Martinez is a food writer and the host of “Daisy Cooks!” on PBS.
She is the author of Daisy Cooks! Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your
World, which was named the Best Latino Cuisine Cookbook in the World at
the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Daisy was inspired by her
grandmother and mother who taught her that the kitchen is the happiest
room in the household, filled with love, family, and delicious food.
Daisy currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and children.

Paul Rieckhoff

Paul is the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan
Veterans of America, the nation’s first and largest non-partisan, non-
profit Iraq and Afghanistan veterans group. He is also the author of the
critically-acclaimed Chasing Ghosts, and a nationally recognized
authority on the war in Iraq and issues affecting troops, military
families and veterans. Prior to going to Iraq, Paul worked as an
investment banking analyst on Wall Street. For two years during high
school, he sold hot dogs from a food truck.

Calvin (Bud) Trillin

Calvin (Bud) Trillin is a journalist, humorist, and novelist. He worked
as a reporter and staff for numerous media publications such as Time
magazine and The New Yorker. He is best known for his humorous writings
about food and eating such as the Tummy Trilogy, Feeding a Yen and
Alice, Let’s Eat. He leads the Come Hungry eating tour each year as part of the New Yorker Festival. Calvin currently resides in Greenwich Village.

Lizz Winstead

Lizz Winstead is a critically-acclaimed political writer, producer,
comedian and co-creator of the Daily Show and Air America Radio. She is
also the creator of “Shoot the Messenger“, a live comedy show presenting the world as seen through the filters of the fictional producers and
on-air talent at “Wake Up World,” the worst fake morning news show in
America. She has also been a contributing blogger at The Huffington
Post.

Ticket Sidebar

admin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:53:01 +0000

The Vendy Awards is a fundraiser to support the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a voice for the thousands of people who sell food and merchandise on the streets of our city.

The cost of each ticket is tax-deductible.

Individual Tickets

$80 until day-of
$100 at the door
$150 Table Service (limited availability)

Donor Packages

$200, $500 and $1,000 packages available with lots of extras. For more information, please visit the About page.

Sponsorship Information Pod

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:08:27 +0000

Sponsorship Information

To discuss corporate sponsorship opportunities, please email vendyawards@gmail.com or call (646) 602-5679.

The 5th Annual Vendy Awards, New York City’s premier street food event, will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2009. We are seeking corporate sponsors for this exciting event.

The Vendy Awards are a unique opportunity for your company to receive positive name recognition in connection with a classic NYC event. For the past four years, the Vendy Awards have generated amazing support and enthusiasm from the general public. Hundreds of the most food-savvy and down-to-earth New Yorkers attend the annual competition. In addition, millions of people around the world read about the event, see photos, hear radio broadcasts, and watch television footage in media outlets like the New York Times, the Associated Press, the Village Voice, the Today Show, National Public Radio, and the Food Network.

We are offering a full range of sponsorship opportunities. As a sponsor, your company will have the chance to distribute information and promotional merchandise during the event, and for extensive advertisement through signage, tabling, and our promotional brochures and materials. Your company’s logo can appear on the hats, aprons and shirts the finalists wear during the event and during any television appearances the finalists make before and afterward.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Platinum Level Sponsor: $10,000 or above – Includes Premier Signage at the Event, Premier Location Website Acknowledgement, Premier Acknowledgement in Program and other Printed Materials, Acknowledgement in Press Release, Premium Giveaway and Tabling Opportunities, and 20 Courtesy tickets to the Event. Tax Deductible Donation (or an equivalent in-kind contribution).
Gold Level Sponsor: $5,000 – Includes Prominent Event Signage, Prominent Website Acknowledgement, Prominent Acknowledgement in Program and other Printed Materials, Acknowledgement in Press Release, Giveaway and Tabling Opportunities, and 10 Courtesy tickets to the Event. Tax Deductible Donation (or an equivalent in-kind contribution)
Silver Level Sponsor: $2,500 – Includes Event Signage, Website Acknowledgement, Acknowledgement on Printed Invitation, and 5 Courtesy tickets to the Event. Tax Deductible Donation (or an equivalent in-kind contribution)
Other Sponsors – We will gladly accept donations and/or in-kind contributions of any amount. Please contact us to discuss a customized sponsorship package.

The Street Vendor Project is part of the Urban Justice Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1984. We are a membership-based project of more than 700 New York City street vendors that provides legal representation while acting as a center for vendor advocacy. The Vendy Awards are a fund-raiser for the organization that fits the project’s mission by bringing recognition to street vendors and their contribution to our city.

Vendys News

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:17:26 +0000

We’re on Twitter (@vendyawards) and Facebook!

SAVE THE DATE: HOLD SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH FOR THE 2010 VENDY AWARDS!

Congratulations to all Vendy finalists and winners! – September 26, 2009

Meet the 2009 Vendy Winners! Vendy Cup: Country Boys (Fernando & Jolanda Martinez), Grey Poupon People’s Taste Award: Biryani Cart (Meru Sidker – second year!), Dessert: Wafels & Dinges (Thomas DeGeest), and Rookie Vendor of the Year – Schnitzel & Things (Oleg Voss & Jared Greenhouse). Thanks to everyone who came to support our city’s magnificent street food vendors! Please visit our updated Press page!!

VENDYS SELL OUT! – September 24, 2009

We are completely sold out. Absolutely no tickets will be available at the door. We are honored by your enthusiasm for NYC’s best street food. Thanks to everyone for their support of the vendors and the Street Vendor Project!

Support the Street Vendor Project through the Vendy Auction! – September 22, 2009

Our friends and supporters have donated a drool-worthy collection of exclusive opportunities for our on-line auction. All proceeds benefit the Street Vendor Project.

1) Lunch for 6 with Calvin Trillin, 2008 Vendy Judge and one of our most beloved food writers, at the Dosa Cart (2007 Vendy Award winner).

2) A walking tour for 4 with Ed Levine of Serious Eats, a 2008 Vendy Judge.

3) A walking tour for 4 with Zach Brooks of Midtown Lunch, a 2009 Vendy Judge.

4) A cooking class for 6 with the editors of Saveur Magazine.

5) A pair of tickets (2) to the sold-out “A Razor, A Shiny Knife” dinner at the New York City Wine & Food Festival.

Bobby Flay visits three Vendy finalists for the CBS Early Show! – September 20, 2009

On Friday, Chef Bobby Flay visited the Jamaican Dutchy, Biryani Cart and Wafels & Dinges for a segment on the Vendys to be aired this coming Friday in the 8:00 hour! Vendy Judge Zach Brooks caught up with us at Biryani Cart. Don’t miss the show on Friday. Rumor is the vendors might make a live appearance.

Janover Rubinroit, LLC will be counting your votes! – September 18, 2009

Huge thanks to our friends at the accounting and auditing firm of Janover Rubinroit, LLC for counting Vendy ballots in all three categories this year. With the Grey Poupon People’s Taste Award, and the Dessert and Rookie Awards all chosen by you, our beloved Vendy fans and supporters, we are making sure that every vote counts!

Announcing Rookie Vendor of the Year Category and Finalists! – September 16, 2009

In recognition of the explosion of new street food vendors this year, we have created a new exhibition category, Rookie Vendor of the Year, nominated by a team of bloggers who follow street food obsessively: Serious Eats, Fork in the Road, Porkchop Express, Eating in Translation, and Slashfood. You can meet our outstanding group of Rookie finalists here, and you can vote for your favorite at the Vendys!

WE ARE GOING TO SELL OUT. BUY YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE!

Presenting the 2009 Vendy Awards Finalists!

admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:08:50 +0000

We are delighted to present the 2009 Vendy Award finalists, with their locations and testimonials from their nomination forms. Thanks to everyone who nominated their favorite vendor! (Special thanks to our friends at Good Eye Video for making all of us drool on our keyboards.)

Biryani Cart – Meru Sikder

Traditional Indian

46th and 6th, Midtown Manhattan
2008 Vendy Awards People’s Taste winner

“Biryani cart is the best vendor food in NYC, hands down. My American friends are addicted to it. I’ll put his spicy chicken biryani or spicy buradi rolls up against anything you can get in a restaurant, and Meru & his team will take the prize.”

The King of Falafel – Fares “Freddy” Zeidaies

Middle Eastern

30th Street and Broadway, Astoria
2007 Vendy Awards Finalist

“His food is out of this world. We call his chicken “crack chicken” because you can’t help yourself from coming back… Watching them work is like watching a ballet, except instead of nutcrackers there are falafels. They move in synchronized magic, preparing your order in mere seconds, while simultaneously taking scores of orders from the ever-present line of people at their stand. Do these fine men deserve attention? NO! THEY DESERVE GODSHIP! THEY ARE THE FALAFEL PROPHETS!”

Rickshaw Dumpling – Kenny Lao

Dumplings

For locations, check their Twitter or Website.
First Vendy Awards appearance

“Their dumplings are the best I’ve ever had – by far. I will travel far and wide to eat their delicious dumplings – I dream about the Thai chicken ones! I check their Twitter daily to see if they’re nearby – and if they’re even remotely close to where I am, I’ll find them!”

Jamaican Dutchy – O’Neill Reid

Jamaican

51st Street & 7th Avenue, Midtown
First Vendy Awards appearance

“Jamaican Dutchy’s food is soooooo delicious, they have a TV playing reggae videos, and they serve up the phenomenal food with a smile. Seriously, the jerk chicken is the best chicken dish in Manhattan. Thank you, Jamaican Dutchy, for bringing authentic Jamaican food to Midtown streets and for being the most entertaining vendor in town!”

Country Boys/Martinez Taco Truck- Fernando & Jolanda Martinez

Traditional Mexican/Puebla

Red Hook Ball Fields (Clinton and Bay), weekends 9am-9pm & Brooklyn Flea (Lafayette and Vanderbilt), Saturdays 11am-5pm
First Vendy Awards appearance

“Every winter I dream of their huaraches and summer afternoons at the Red Hook ball fields. You watch the huaraches get made – pressing and cooking the tortillas, layering meat and cheese and all the other fillings and sauces – and when you are handed this unbelievable huge plate of deliciousness, you wonder how you are ever going to finish it. Next thing you know, it’s gone and you are already planning your next trip to Red Hook for another one.”

Presenting the 2009 Vendy Awards Dessert Finalists

Please meet the 2009 Dessert Finalists, with their locations and testimonials from their nomination forms. Thanks to everyone who nominated their favorite vendor! Note: 2008 finalist Dessert Truck was also nominated, but is unable to participate this year.

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck – Doug Quint (with Bryan Petroff)

Soft Serve Ice Cream

Location: Varies, check their Twitter (@biggayicecream) and website (biggayicecreamtruck.com).

“Doug’s soft serve is anything but vanilla. Big Gay Ice Cream Truck has a unique and always-changing menu of toppings like curried coconut, wasabi pea dust, trix, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. And really all I can say is Choinkwich: Yummy caramelized bacon, soft serve chocolate ice cream between two cartwheel cookies. Best ice cream sandwich ever.”

Wafels & Dinges – Thomas DeGeest

Waffles

Location: Varies, check their Twitter (@waffletruck) and website (waflesanddinges.com)

“The waffles have an absolutely fantastic flavor, just like the ones in Belgium! Their add-ons – nutella and pulled pork! – are great, although I don’t always get them because the waffles are delicious by themselves. I’m nominating Wafels & Dinges for SO many reasons – but, mostly because they’re educating Americans one ‘wafel’ at a time’.”

Cupcake Stop – Lev Ekster

Cupcakes

Location: Varies, check their Twitter (@cupcakestop) and website (cupcakestop.com).

“As a Southerner I speak with authority when I say this Yankee vendor consistently produces top-notch Red Velvet. It’s like finding creamy grits north of the Mason Dixon line!! The constant introduction and rotation of cupcake flavors creates not just a product to be sold but an experience – every morning I check to see what new surprises have been baked overnight. Thank you for making my work life bearable, and giving me a reason to sneak away from my desk for 20 minutes of sunlight and sugar.”

Presenting the 2009 Vendy Awards Rookie Finalists

Meet the finalists in our 2009 exhibition category, Rookie Vendor of the Year. Thanks to our team of blogger friends (Serious Eats, Fork in the Road, Porkchop Express, Eating in Translation, and Slashfood) for nominating our Rookie finalists! Testimonials from their nominations will follow shortly! In addition to the three finalists below, Big Gay Ice Cream Truck was also nominated, making it the first vendor ever to be nominated in TWO categories: Dessert and Rookie Vendor!

NYC Cravings – Thomas Yang, Diana Yang, Eric Yu

Taiwanese food

Location: Varies, check their Twitter (@nyccravings) and website (nyccravings.com).

“I chose Cravings because it’s proper street food. Meat and rice — exactly what you want when you’ve been pounding the pavement and you come upon a vehicle that dispenses hot food. Plus, the pork sauce over rice could be a meal on its own.”

Schnitzel & Things – Oleg Voss and Jared Greenhouse

Austrian cuisine, Schnitzel

Location: Varies, check their Twitter (@schnitzeltruck) and website (schnitzelandthings.com).

“The golden shell is the first sign that the fry man knows his business, and the delicate crunch as you slice into your schnitzel is the second. But beneath that thin, crisp breading is what truly distinguishes Schnitzel and Things: pork, chicken, or the ethereal cod, a flaky white wonder.”

Picnick Smoked – Kevin Pomplun and Will Goldfarb

Good for You BBQ

Location: Mannahatta park, in front of 120 Wall Street fountain (Wall Street between Front and South Streets)

2009 Vendy Awards Sponsors

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:45:43 +0000

Vendy Awards Judges

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:17:40 +0000

These esteemed judges will decide who takes home this year’s Vendy Cup. Stay tuned for news on who else will be judging this year’s Vendys! You can also check out the 2008 judges.

Jacques Torres

Jacques Torres grew up in Bandol, France, a small town in the southern region of Provence. In 1980, he landed a job with Michelin two-star chef Jacques Maximin at the Hotel Negresco and started a relationship that would last 8 years and take him around the globe. In 1986, Jacques was awarded with the prestigious M.O.F. medal, the youngest chef to earn the distinction.

In 1988, he ventured to the U.S. as the Corporate Pastry Chef for Ritz Carlton. In 1989, the legendary Sirio Maccioni invited Jacques to work at New York’s most famous restaurant, Le Cirque. For 11 years, Jacques served presidents, kings, and celebrities in his every day work at Le Cirque.

In 2000, Jacques fulfilled a life-long dream and opened his first chocolate factory, Jacques Torres Chocolate in Brooklyn. He specializes in fresh, hand-crafted chocolates free of preservatives and artificial flavors. In 2004, he opened his second chocolate factory, Jacques Torres Chocolate, and located it in downtown New York City. In 2007, Jacques opened his third location, a retail-only boutique, in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

He serves as Dean of Pastry Studies at New York’s French Culinary Institute. He is also author of three cookbooks and has hosted his own television shows on PBS and on the Food Network. He always finds time for philanthropic endeavors and press appearances. He is currently busy on adding a line of Jacques Torres ice cream to his ever-expanding business and hopes to open an ice cream shop in Brooklyn by June 2009.

Pichet Ong

After earning his Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley Pichet Ong worked in some of the country’s most – renowned kitchens, including La Folie (San Francisco), Chez Panisse (Berkeley), Olives (Boston), Tabla and Jean -Georges (New York). Although he started out in pastry, Pichet spent eight years cooking savory food before he rediscovered his passion for dessert making. Pichet served as the opening pastry chef of Spice Market, 66, Patroon, and rm.

In April 2007, Pichet opened P*ONG in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, a decidedly savory restaurant that showcased his ability to blur the line between sweet and savory. Although it closed in 2009, it was widely acclaimed and featured in numerous publications, including: Bon Appetit, The New Yorker, New York, The New York Times, Elle, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, Harper’s Bazaar, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

In May 2007, Pichet released his first dessert cookbook, The Sweet Spot, which received a red-starred review in Publisher’s Weekly, a nomination for the World Gourmand book award, and has been hailed by Amanda Hesser of The New YorkTimes Magazine as “a standout and one of the most original dessert cookbooks in years.” Gourmet Magazine also chose it as one of the “13 Best Cookbooks in 2007”.

Pichet has appeared on Iron Chef America, Roker on the Road, Martha!, CBS News, and The Fresh Grocer. Pichet is also consulting for numerous restaurants as well as a bakery commissary in Japan.

Among his accolades Pichet has been named one of the “Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America” by Pastry Arts & Design and Chocolatier, and was selected as a “Pastry Provocateur” by Food & Wine Magazine. In 2002, Pichet was named “Rising Star Chef” by Starchefs and is one of the few pastry chefs to have been featured in the prestigious “The Chef” column of The New York Times. He has also been nominated twice for the James Beard Award in the “Outstanding Pastry Chef” category.

He lives in New York City, where he is working on his second cookbook as well as a new version of his bakeshop, Batch, opening in 2009.

Denisse Oller

Denisse Oller is not your usual chef. One of the most honored women in Spanish-language television, Oller has served as anchor and correspondent at the local and national level for major Spanish language networks Univision and Telemundo. For over 25 years Oller has covered major news events and interviewed prominent figures in politics and culture, ranging from Bill Clinton to Pedro Almodovar. She has received five Emmys, two Gracie Awards and the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in investigative reporting, and was named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanic Personalities in the United States.

Yearning to pursue her lifelong interest in food, she enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education. Upon graduation, she created and hosted a weekly cooking segment on Univision 41’s morning show, “Al Despertar”, the Spanish-language equivalent of The Today Sho. In 2008, inspired by the passing of one of her beloved dogs, she launched Boca Dulce, a line of natural, artisanal cookies with Latin flavors such as dulce de leche and guava. Oller has appeared on The Today Show and CNN en Español, and has been a featured chef at Macy’s and the Summit Wine and Food Festival. She is working on her first cookbook and teaches recreational classes at I.C.E.

Jehangir Mehta

Jehangir Mehta is the chef and owner of Graffiti, a food and wine bar in New York’s East Village, and the creator of Partistry, an event-management company featuring handmade confections, teas, chocolates, and hand-painted wedding cakes. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and has been a pastry chef at some of the finest restaurants in New York City, including Jean-Georges, Mercer Kitchen, Union Pacific, Compass, Aix, and Sapa. Chef Mehta will be a contestant in the upcoming season of Food Network’s Next Iron Chef (October 2009). He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Zach Brooks

Fat man who likes to eat. Sorry, is that not enough? After spending 10 years working in radio at WFNX in Boston, and Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles, Zach discovered his true calling while working at Sirius Satellite Radio in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan: finding good places to eat lunch. The blog Midtown Lunch, was born in May of 2006 partly as a public service to help other office workers find good lunch, but mostly as an excuse for Zach to eat at street carts and all you can eat buffets every day for lunch. (“I had to get that extra large order of chicken and lamb over rice, honey. It was for work!”)

Overwhelmed by the surprise success of the site (apparently there are a lot of street food and all you can eat buffet lovers working in Midtown), Zach left Sirius in April of 2008 to work full time on Midtown Lunch. He also has done freelance work for a number of food websites, and was consulting editor for the launch of Serious Eats: New York Most recently the site was featured in the New York Times for its tireless efforts to uncover the best street food, and other cheap lunches, that Midtown has to offer- including past Vendy Award nominees such as the Biriyani Cart, Kwik Meal, and Hallo Berlin.

Zach lives with his wife and 9 month old son Harry in Hell’s Kitchen. He is considering writing a book about how to be a food blogger without becoming morbidly obese, but wouldn’t know where to start. Maybe a guide to all-you-can-eat buffets is a better idea.

Mina Fasolo

Mina Fasolo, the first Vendy Awards Citizen Judge, is the youngest of three children from a multi-ethnic family made in New York. She is the daughter of a naturalized US citizen born in Japan and a second generation Italian-American father born and raised in New York City. Her paternal grandfather, an immigrant from Sicily, was a baker who helped introduce pizza to New York City during the pre-war era, and one time was a street vendor who sold his pizzas from a cart along the Harlem and East Rivers. Mina has joyfully consumed vast amounts of street food during travels through Europe, East Asia, and South East Asia and currently enjoys the amazing street food offerings of her neighborhood in Corona, Queens.

2008 Vendy Awards Judges

Tim Janus

Tim Janus is a top ranked competitive eater from New York City known in the competitive eating community as “Eater X.” He was the International Federation of Competitive Eating’s 2004 Rookie of the Year, and is the current tamale-, cannoli-, burrito-, and tiramisu-eating champion of the world. He was featured on the show “True Life: I’m a Competitive Eater” along with then world-champion hot-dog eater Takeru Kobayashi and was a test subject in the National Geographic documentary, The Science of Speed Eating.

Anita Lo

Daisy Martinez

Daisy Martinez is a food writer and the host of “Daisy Cooks!” on PBS. She is the author of Daisy Cooks! Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World, which was named the Best Latino Cuisine Cookbook in the World at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Daisy was inspired by her grandmother and mother who taught her that the kitchen is the happiest room in the household, filled with love, family, and delicious food. Daisy currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and children.

Paul Rieckhoff

Paul is the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the nation’s first and largest non-partisan, non- profit Iraq and Afghanistan veterans group. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Chasing Ghosts, and a nationally recognized authority on the war in Iraq and issues affecting troops, military families and veterans. Prior to going to Iraq, Paul worked as an investment banking analyst on Wall Street. For two years during high school, he sold hot dogs from a food truck.

Calvin (Bud) Trillin

Calvin (Bud) Trillin is a journalist, humorist, and novelist. He worked as a reporter and staff for numerous media publications such as Time magazine and The New Yorker. He is best known for his humorous writings about food and eating such as the Tummy Trilogy, Feeding a Yen and Alice, Let’s Eat. He leads the Come Hungry eating tour each year as part of the New Yorker Festival. Calvin currently resides in Greenwich Village.

Lizz Winstead

Lizz Winstead is a critically-acclaimed political writer, producer, comedian and co-creator of the Daily Show and Air America Radio. She is also the creator of “Shoot the Messenger“, a live comedy show presenting the world as seen through the filters of the fictional producers and on-air talent at “Wake Up World,” the worst fake morning news show in America. She has also been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.

Nominate your Favorite Vendor

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:15:47 +0000

Thanks for your participation in nominating your favorite vendor. Sit tight and grab an order of street meat while we tally up the votes. Finalists will be announced just as soon as we’re done counting.

Don’t forget, the 2009 Vendy Awards are on September 26th at the Queens Museum of Art. Buy your tickets before it’s too late — we sell out every year!

Past Vendy Award Winners and Finalists

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:14:40 +0000

In the words of the fans who nominated them for a Vendy Award.

2008 Vendy Awards

Visit the 2008 site »

Vendy Award Winner

The Vendley Brothers (Jesse, Brian, Dave) and Peter Oleyer from “Calexico Carne Asada”

www.calexicocart.com
Wooster & Prince Streets, Manhattan
New locations since winning Vendy Award:
Broome Street & Broadway, Manhattan
California-Mexican style tacos, burritos, etc.

“Calexico produces the freshest, most flavorful, highest-quality food I have ever eaten from a New York street cart. Their carne asada – marinated grilled hanger steak – is the best I’ve ever had. I am completely addicted to it. I actually find myself sitting at my desk daydreaming about it. They are also cool people – friendly and genuinely passionate about what they do.”

Finalist and People’s Choice Award Winner

Meru Sikder from “Biriyani Cart”

www.biryanicart.com
46th Street & Sixth Avenue, Manhattan
Indian/Mediterranean

“Meru provides excellent quick service with a smile. Also, he has the most variety of halal carts in Midtown, his food is consistently of high quality and very delicious and unique. The biryani served with an egg, and pickle for $5, is perhaps the best lunch deal in midtown. He also uses special sauces that no one else uses, like teryaki sauce.”

Finalists

Fauzia Abdur-Rahman from “Heavenly Delights”

161st Street and Sheridan Avenue, Bronx Jamaican

“Fauzia is a vendor you can go to every day because her menu is always changing. Jerk chicken and collard greens one day, spicy tofu the next. And her cakes are sinfully good. But apart from her food she is a wonderful, cheerful person who knows everyone in the neighborhood and takes care of them like family. She deserves the Vendy award.”

Mohammed Rahman from “Kwik Meal”

45th Street & Sixth Avenue, Manhattan
Bangladeshi-spiced Middle Eastern fare (felafel, chicken, marinated lamb, shrimp)

“The only reason I survived six months in the worst job I’ve ever had was that Kwik Meal was on that corner. I would go there at least three times a week. Hands down, it’s the best falafel I’ve had, and the yogurt sauce is really spectacular. The owner and his team are deadly serious about the quality of the food, and it shows. I love that they wear chefs hats when they are cooking in the cart.”

Rafael Soler from “Soler Dominican”

Clinton Street & Bay Street (Red Hook), Brooklyn (weekends only)
Salvadoran-Dominican fusion

“Papusas are the ultimate street food, and Rafael is the ultimate purveyor of them. I usually get the pork and cheese papusa, which bursts with spicy ground pork and melted mozzerella. A sprinkle of pickled cabbage he throws in cuts perfectly through the grease. And Rafael is the salt of the earth.”

Exhibition Dessert Category Winner

Kim Ima, Treats Truck

www.treatstruck.com
Various locations

Exhibition Dessert Category Finalists

Ben Leeuwen, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

www.vanleeuwenicecream.com
Various locations

Chris Chen and Jerome Chang, Dessert Truck

www.desserttruck.com
Various locations

2007 Vendy Awards

Vendy Award Winner

Thiru “Dosa Man” Kumar from NY Dosas

Washington Square South and Sullivan Street

“Thiru makes super fresh Indian food– mixed in with his own influences from Sri Lanka. All under the constraints and philosophy of veganism. He’s always exceptionally nice and professional. Everyone knows that if money is scarce, you can get a meal from him and pay later. He’s a great guy, humanitarian and environmentalist all while being one of the most legit chefs in the city. And his food is cheap. I essentially survive because of Thiru.”

People’s Choice Award Winner

Mohammed Rahman from Kwik Meal

45th Street and Sixth Avenue
Bangladeshi-spiced Middle Eastern fare
(felafel, chicken, marinated lamb, shrimp)

“I walk a mile in every kind of weather to get my daily helping of Kwik Meal’s delicious food. The owner used to work in the kitchen at the Russian Tea Room and the quality and presentation of the food shows it. The lamb is the best – it’s tender, flavorful and utterly delicious! The yogurt sauce goes above and beyond the usual and has a spicy tang to it – I wish I knew what they put in it to make it so good. When they’re offering salmon, you’re also in for a treat.”

Finalists

Veronica Julien from Veronica’s Kitchen

Front Street and Pine Street
Trinidadian/Jamaican cuisine (jerk chicken, oxtail stew, etc.)

“It was an unexpected treat to find such yummy food hidden in lower Manhattan. I think it’s a mother and son who are frying up the fresh cod fish cakes, delectable jerk chicken, sumptuous macaroni and cheese and perfectly flavored rice and peas. I’ll be heading back for more as soon as I’ve worked off my first indulgence!”

Super Taco, aka “Sobre Ruedas”

96th Street and Broadway
Tacos, tortas, tamales, quesadillas, etc.

“I’m from California, so I grew up around taquerias. Hands down, Super Taco can match up to anything I grew up with. I close my eyes and I am 10 years old again. Try the al pastor – diced pork with pineapple. Even better is watching all those Super Taco taco-makers crammed into that truck, all working together in unison to serve up tasty goodness. They even have a bicycle delivery fleet! Excellente!”

Farez (Freddy) Zeideia, the King of Falafel and Shawarma

www.thekingfalafel.com
30th Street and Broadway, Astoria
Middle-eastern style street food (falafel, shawarma, chicken)

“The best and cheapest meal in Astoria. Always consistently good food prepared with care. These guys are such characters that it adds just as much flavor to your meal as their secret hot sauce. They will feed you for a little cash and make you smile for free. During the big blackout they were the only place open because they had their own generator. They could have easily doubled their prices and made a killing, but they didn’t. Their lines reached well around the block and they served food well into the early morning. They were just happy to serve and help so many people.”

2006 Vendy Awards

Vendy Award Winner

Samiul Haque Noor from “Sammy’s Halal”

73rd Street and Broadway, Queens
New locations since winning Vendy Award:
W. 4th and Broadway, Manhattan
Sixth Ave. and Washington Place, Manhattan
Halal chicken, lamb & beef over rice

“Sammy’s is the gold standard for halal food in Jackson Heights — if he is not on the corner, something is wrong. The cart is like a community center for the neighborhood’s Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani residents. Taxi drivers double park in front, youngsters drop by for a chat. Sammy oversees it all, with his calming presence. But the food is what they come for. The spices on the chicken explode in your mouth and leave you coming back for more. The red sauce will clear your sinuses – go easy on it.”

Finalists

Thiru “Dosa Man” Kumar

Washington Square South and Sullivan Street
Sri-Lankan style vegan fare

“Thiru’s food is some of the most exceptional vegan fare in the city and he serves it up with a friendly, quirky, conversational attitude toward each customer. If you haven’t tried them, dosas are lentil crepes, filled with potatoes (the Masala variety, my favorite) or other things. I enjoy getting mine with one of his excellent mock meat drumsticks and a Ginger Beer. Thiru for president!”

Piedad “the Arepa Lady” Cano

www.myspace.com/arepalady
Roosevelt Avenue between 78 & 79th St, Queens
Colombian-style arepas

“The arepa lady is the sweet little grandmother of the food vendor scene. Finding her is half the fun. Take the 7 train to 82nd Street — but only late on a Friday or Saturday night. She will be down underneath the subway tracks tending a grill of corn arepas. If you speak Spanish, you will be rewarded. She is the sweetest woman you have ever met. And her arepas are succulent — crunchy on top, buttery, and oozing with cheese. A classic NYC experience!”

“Calexico,” from the Vendley brothers

www.casadecalexico.com
Wooster and Prince Streets, Soho
California-Mexican style tacos, burritos, etc.

“Where to begin? Their signature dish, carne asada, is the best I’ve ever had. Period. Skirt steak marinated in a citrus-y, spicy sauce and grilled over an open flame – my mouth’s watering just thinking about it. The smoky and sweet pulled pork tacos are better than any pork BBQ you’ll get in North Carolina. And the shrimp tacos – yes, seafood from a street cart! – are excellent. Homemade salsas, cool music, nice people, and I appreciate that they keep the prices down. 3 bucks for a delicious, authentic taco – can’t beat that. Calexico is the total package. The neighborhood is lucky to have them.”

2005 Vendy Awards

Vendy Award Winner

Rolf “Hallo Berlin” Babiel

www.halloberlinrestaurant.com
54th Street and Fifth Avenue

“Rolf Babiel’s cart is extraordinary. There is a reason that every day he’s there, a line of people at least 10 deep forms. New York is well known for it’s hotdog carts — but Rolf’s German sausages are to ordinary hotdogs what Rembrandt’s paintings are to Dogs Playing Poker. In one tiny cart, he offers a huge variety of sausages (pork, beef, veal, chicken) as well as generous helpings of german potato salad and fried potatoes, spaetzel, soup, red cabbage, sauerkraut and other delicacies. Add in a terrific wurst-slicing device that turns service into street theater and a playful attitude toward his customers and you have an outstanding dining experience. And all for just a few dollars! Rolf’s wurst is one of the best things about New York.”

Finalists

Thiru “Dosa Man” Kumar

Washington Square South at Sullivan Street

“The food is the best damn street food in town. The fresh made dosas are healthy, still relatively cheap, delicious, and just filling enough for a good sized lunch or light dinner. Thanks to this man, I have given up on cooking altogether during the school year (when I take classes around Washington Square Park). The vendor, himself, is a friendly, good human being. I heart him.”

Tony “the Dragon” Dragonas

62nd Street and Madison Avenue

“There are many chicken men, but only this chicken man has a line running the whole block – practically all the way to Central Park. The smoke from his grill draws crowds, and if you’ve never been before, and if you’re smart, you’ll ask the person in front of you in line what to order. I’m that person. Chicken Salad is my personal order of choice. Fresh crunchy greens with tangy vinagrette, tomatoes, and, on top, a clean, crispy, perfectly flame-grilled breast of chicken, sliced to a generous bite size, and shaken over with addictive secret spices. $5.”

“The Best Halal” Team (Mustafa, Mohammed, Islam, Sam)

53rd Street and 6th Avenue

“The tastiest food in the city! The line always borders on epic, and people are fanatical about the food. Five dollars for the choice of chicken and rice or lamb and rice. The white sauce has an almost cult following. I’ve talked to people in line there who had driven from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Only food stand I’ve been to with such a loyal and intense fanbase. The stand is open from 8pm to 5am every night.”