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Vegans, Tacos Take Top Honors At Street Food Vendy Awards
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 16, 2012
Modified Sep 17, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 16, 2012
Modified Sep 17, 2012
Share
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We feel spoiled sometimes because NYC has so many great and filling food events to choose from each year—but the the Vendy Awards, which held its 8th annual ceremony yesterday on Governors Island, really is the best of them. There was no giant steer being served—in fact some vegans took home the top prize—but you wouldn't miss it. Every single vendor who made the trek out to Governor's Island on a perfect September Saturday brought their A-game and then some.
As usual the Vendy's top prize was the Vendy Cup, which is awarded by a group of judges (this year that was Food & Wine's Kate Krader, BaoHaus's Eddie Haung, Das Racist, Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras and "citizen judge" Sara Lipton), and this year the judges chose the Piatztlan Authentic Mexican Food Truck as their favorite. The truck can normally be found at the Red Hook Ball Fields and you should seriously seek it out. Seriously. The tacos were so good we forgot to take a picture of them until they were a half eaten mess (Sorry about that!). Also, the vendors behind the truck are adorable (though really they all are). "This is my American Dream," cried the Perez family matriarch in Spanish as she held up their Vendy Cup. "Thank you all so much for making this happen."
Sadly the acceptance speeches for the four other big prizes—Best Dessert Vendor, Best Rookie Vendor, (the new award for) Best Market Vendor, and the People's Choice Award—weren't quite as moving. But at least one was close to being as entertaining. When the awesome, all-vegan truck The Cinnamon Snail won people's choice (vegan donuts will apparently do that to people!) their leader Adam Sobel's entire speech was, in its entirety: "Oh my goo-goo-gitty-goo!" Which summed it up about perfectly.
As for best rookie, Phil's Steaks took that spot and certainly earned it (though personally we were rooting for the Peruvian tacos from Morocho or the amazing Chinese/Indian dumplings and noodles from Chinese Mirch). And the tasty treats from Melt Bakery took home the Best Dessert award (against some stiff competition from the likes of Monsieur Singh Lassi and CoolHaus).
Finally, in the new Market Vendors category—which celebrates food available only in the city's exploding food market scene—there were again lots of winning options but the spectacular Filipino-inspired spring rolls from Lumpia-Shack took home the top honors. Which was well earned—we may have dreamed about those Peking Duck spring rolls last night.
So those were the winners. But what is really wonderful about the Street Vendor Project's Vendy Awards is the fact that each and every one of the teams out their serving food deserves to be there and be celebrated. Unlike at other food events where celebrity chefs come out, make a few bites (or make somebody else make them for them) of whatever and move on, these men and women are showing up to show you what they already do day-in and day-out. And they are really good at it—as evidenced by the food coma we fell into the minute we got off the Governor's Island ferry and made our way back home. If you can get a ticket next year, by all means get one!
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Garth Johnston
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