"Vendy awards" news and stories

Street vendors in New York do a lot more than sell falafel and knishes. They're heroes -- from uncomommon acts such as spotting a car bomber in Times Square, to everyday gestures of kindness such as helping an elderly person cross the street. So the Vendy Awards, the annual prizes given to Big Apple vendors, is getting a new "Most Heroic Vendor" category, reports the New York Daily News.

The award, says the Vendys website, was inspired by Tunisian fruit vendor Mohammed Bouazizi, whose dramatic act of protest against the Tunisian officials that confiscated his produce and harassed him set the stage for the Tunisian Revolution. (On December 17, 2010, Bouazizi set himself on fire, leading to protests that shook the Tunisian government.)

While the Vendy Award winner is chosen by judges, the heroes among us are chosen by the people themselves.

Want to nominate a New York City street-vendor hero? Cast your vote here.

This past Saturday on Governors Island in New York City, the Vendy Awards took place, which is basically the equivalent of the Oscars for food trucks. Over 15 food trucks from New York and Philadelphia (more on that below) lined the grassy park, serving everything from schnitzel to slushies, tacos to bread pudding.

The Vendy Awards were created to help raise money for the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice League, a non-profit organization that provides vendors with legal representation and advocacy. If you were lucky enough to get in early, a tax-deductible $85 ticket bought you all-you-can-eat access to food from each of the finalists' carts and the opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award, the Dessert Vendor of the Year and the Rookie Vendor of the Year.

This years judges included a prestigious panel of media and chef personalities: Leslie Koch, Molly O'Neill, Aaron Sanchez, Stephen Starr and Tanya Wenman Steel.

While the James Beard Awards may be the Oscars of the food world, the Vendy Awards are a bit closer to the people -- think Daytime Emmys. It's not just a glorious, all-you-can-eat showdown of NYC street food's finest, it's a marker for where fast food is going, for what parts of haute cuisine will translate to everyday food, or at least, for what the public prefers to eat on the go, which we tend to cover -- and taste test -- a whole helluva lot here at Slashfood.

This Saturday the 25th, we'll be live-tweeting from the event on Governors Island (follow us @slashfood for all the bite-by-bite details). Then, we're bringing back the results (with interviews, photos, video and all) on Monday. But first, meet the last, perhaps most exciting category of finalists -- the rookies -- and check back here for previously announced finalists in the general and dessert categories. This last group is all brand new -- before this week, only serious street grub scavengers even knew they existed.

New York City has hundreds of street food carts and trucks, but only five were selected Monday as finalists for the sixth annual Vendy Awards, which will take place September 25th on Governors Island. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice League, a non-profit that provides vendors with legal representation and advocacy. One tax deductible $85 ticket buys you all-you-can-eat access to food from each of the finalists' carts and the opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award, the Dessert Vendor of the Year and the Rookie Vendor of the Year. But the finalists, competing for nothing more than the heralded Vendy Cup and a chance at increased post-event success, are the real draw.

After the jump, vitals on each finalist so you can start scouting the competition ...

Last fall, in the beginning of my first year in New York, I discovered the Vendy awards. Sponsored by the Urban Justice Center, the awards honor the city's best street vendors. I was particularly interested because of Mohammed Rahman, proprietor of the Kwik Meal cart on 45th Street and Sixth Avenue.

On some days, when I had a little extra cash, I'd grab my lunch at Mohammed's stand. While his menu was, ostensibly, the same as most other halal vendors, Mohammed had previously worked at the Russian Tea Room, and his classical background showed through. His genius lay in the little details, like the green papaya marinade that he used for his lamb, the basmati rice that he served it on, and the intricate spicing that made it truly unique. Although the 2007 Vendy ultimately went to Thiru "Dosa Man" Kumar, Mohammed still reigns high in my personal vendor pantheon. After all, he introduced me to the world of gourmet street food.