2010 Vendy Award Nominees Are Up!

2010’s Vendy Award nominees have been announced! In case you’ve been living under a rock, you know that New York is literally crawling with street food vendors, selling everything from ubiquitous halal meat and ice cream to more upscale and off-beat treats like lobster rolls and schnitzel. True, New York City doesn’t have anyone competing in Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race” (equal parts food competition and “Amazing Race”?), but that’s alright: we’ve got the Vendys!

And what’s the point of the Vendys, you ask? Well, it’s the ultimate street food showcase and a great way to show thanks and respect to the sidewalk chefs who have you covered from morning coffee to mid-day falafel fix to late-night dessert cravings. Mario Batali has called it “the Oscars of food for the real New York”, and one lucky cart will take home the coveted “Best Street Food Vendor” award.

The Awards are presented during a big street fair-type event on Governor’s Island on September 25, from 12-5. Tickets aren’t exactly cheap (general admission starts at $85), but part of the ticket price gets donated to benefit the Street Vendor Project (and is tax-deductible) and the rest of it goes toward an open bar (wine, beer, and soda) and all-you-can-eat fare from the five finalists. Tickets sell out really fast, so jump on this immediately – and show up hungry!

Click here to learn more about this year’s five finalists:

• Bistro Truck, serving along 5th Ave between 16th and 17th Street (Moroccan-Mediterranean Bistro)
• El Rey de Sabor, serving at 49th and Park Ave, 60th and 3rd Ave, and 43rd and 6th Ave (Puebla-style Mexican)
• King of Falafel and Shawarma, serving the outer borough of Queens at 30th St and Broadway, Astoria (Middle Eastern)
• Patacon Pisao, serving along 202nd between 9th and 10th Aves (Typical Venezuelan street food)
• Schnitzel & Things, serving all over Manhattan – check their Twitter feed for current location @schnitzeltruck (Austrian cuisine with a new American twist)

6th Annual Vendy Awards: Governors Island, 12pm-5pm, buy tickets here. Governors Island ferry is free (schedule and directions).