8th Annual Vendy Awards NYC
September 24th, 2012 by chocko
Last Saturday, perhaps the happiest event on the planet happened on Governor’s Island…people ate delicious food, lounged out and then street food vendors got recognized for excellence in their craft. Yes, The 8th Annual Vendy Awards went down in NYC, my caloric intake went up with each food sample and pandemonium broke loose along with my belt buckle. Mr. C got to the event at a reasonable time and sampled almost all of the street food cuisine and did an excellent job covering the event. Check it out HERE. His Food Porn photos gets people breathing heavy and masticating vigorously! Chocko arrived on the scene late, but quickly went into rapid attack mode to try to sample everything on the menu.
Baby Got Back Ribs had a nice sampling of slow-roasted, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs, with some apple slaw and jalapeno cornbread. Delicious!
To cool things off, a nice old fashioned italian ice from Andy’s Italian Ices & Expresso Bar did the trick. Its seems like everybody on the line ordered the mango flavor. The staff at the truck were quite efficient, friendly and cranked out the ice with the greatest of ease. Dolce è molto delizioso!
Mayhem & Stout had 2 different braised pork sandwiches on their table for the taking. The one with their famous Dragon Sauce (Asian BBQ) with spicy slaw is highly recommended and will have you kicking your favorite Bánh mì to the curb. Tasty meats, quality bread…Me love you long time.
This serving of MOMO from Chinese Mirch was a mashup of Chinese and Indian cuisine. Noodles topped with pan seared dumplings and spicy sauce will set your mouth ablaze with flavors. I was not ready for the onslaught of spice and quickly ran for cover and the comfort of a cool refreshment.
Monsieur Singh Lassi provided a cool, creamy treat with their Lassi Pops and Lassi Drinks. Their drinks and popsickles are made of yougurt, fruit, and herbs and spices. Look for their cart of goodies on a corner near you!
The Cinnamon Snail is a well known food truck that serves delicious vegan and organic food in NYC and NJ at reasonable prices. When I got to the front of the line, I got a box of heavenly goodness that consisted of a fig pancake, a cake donut with lemon lavender glaze and an out of this world white chocolate macadamia twinkie. I housed it. I went back later before the awards ceremony (they won the People’s Taste Award!) and they hooked me up with more sugary sweetness. Cinnamon Snail, you rock!
Pestle & Mortar don’t mess around when it comes to their Ceviche, a well known dish in Central and South America which features seafood marinated in citrus juices. Pestle’s technique was a lobster, shrimp and mango combination that won me over! You can find them every Saturday (now through November17) at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Xin Jiang Prosperity Kebabs served me up some yummy, marinated tender lamb kebabs made over a charcoal grill. They also serve beef and chicken wings. Look for them Monday-Sunday 10:30am-8:30pm at the corner of Forsyth and Division Streets under the Manhattan Bridge. Do it!
Tortas Nezas served up some heavy hitting tortas (each one is named after one of Mexico’s soccer teams). They are the real deal and have been serving Mexican food to the masses for over a decade. Find them daily from 1pm-1am at 111th St. and Roosevelt, near Citifield in Queens.
Congratulations to Sammy Kassan for winning the 2012 Most Heroic Vendor Award. Sammy is a vendor of Middle Eastern food in Bay Ridge Brooklyn and had been harassed constantly from neighboring restaurants, but after standing strong against adversity he remains on the corner of 86th and 5th to serve his customers and to make a decent living.
Chocko and Mr. C were busting out at the seams and sat back with fuller bellies and watched the Awards Ceremony where attendees and judges cast their vote for the best vendors in a variety of categories. James Cunningham, from Food Network Canada’s “Eat St.” provided the laughs and hosted the awards show. Check out the video below of some of the Awards Ceremony. We hope to be back in 2013 for more food and fun!
Tags: 2012, Andy's Italian Ices & Expresso Bar, chinese mirch, governors island, Mayhem & Stout, new york city, nyc, Pestle & Mortar, The Cinnamon Snail, Tortas Nezas, vendy awards, Xin Jiang Prosperity Kebabs
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