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El Olomega's Pupusas Take Top Prize At 2013 Vendy Awards
By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 8, 2013
Modified Sep 8, 2013
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By
Nell Casey
Published Sep 8, 2013
Modified Sep 8, 2013
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It was a spectacular day for over-eating on Saturday when the Vendy Awards took over Industry City to honor the city's best mobile and market food vendors. The sold-out event, in its ninth year, packed in dozens of delicious trucks and tables, who were offering up ample portions of their signature foods. We were on hand to sample all the incredible eats and watch as victors were crowned for the year's best in mobile dining.
Red Hook Food Vendor El Olomega took home the coveted Vendy Award, winning over the judges with their delicious pupusas stuffed with meat and loroco and beating out crowd favorites Luke's Lobster and Cinnamon Snail. Home By The Range repped the Garden State, snagging the Best of New Jersey award with their Jersey Cow beef sandwich. Rookie of the Year went to empanada emporium Nuchas, who offered four different versions of their tender meat pockets and also wooed the crowd with life-giving coffee as the day wore on.
Sweet tooth voters picked Itizy and their creamy frozen delights for Best Dessert. Best Market Vendor—which recognizes the intrepid folks who setup at Smorgasburg et al—was awarded to Khao Man Gai NY, who dished out their version of the deceptively simple Thai street food. Coming as a surprise to nobody, the crowd crowned Luke's Lobster as their People's Taste winner.
Though the crowds were sizable and longer lines did eventually form at some of the more famous trucks—the wait for Luke's Lobster hovered around 30 minutes—food was dished out quickly and with a smile. Given the gorgeous weather—and the free flowing Brooklyn Brewery beer—nobody complained about the extra digestion time between bites. The move from Governors Island, where the awards have been held in previous years, to Industry City was a good one; ample room to move around and a fun experience inside a soon-to-be yuppified factory and industrial site.
There certainly wasn't a bad bite to be had—and we tried everything! Check back tomorrow when we'll highlight our favorite flavors of the day and who we thought deserved to take home the top prize.
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food truck
industry city
mobile food vendors
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Nell Casey
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