Midtown Lunch

Photo courtesy of Lunch’er Scott

What kind of effect does winning a Vendy Award have on Monday business? Not sure… although today’s line at the Schnitzel & Things Truck (who won the Rookie Vendy) was pretty damn long on 52nd btw. 6+7th. Was it the Vendy win, or the fact that today was the first day you could get the Schnitzel Burger in Midtown? The Biriyani Cart (which won People’s Choice for a second year in a row) had the same long line as always, while business at the NYC Cravings Truck (a Rookie nominee) was a bit slow. The real effect will probably happen once all the newspapers and TV stations start doing stories on the winners… the Country Boys Truck was on Fox 5 this morning, The Biriyani Cart is scheduled to be on WNBC tonight at 7pm, “Ricksaw” Dumplings will be on the Tyra Show tomorrow, and I spotted the New York Times snooping around the Schnitzel & Things today.

One thing is for sure, participating in the Vendy’s takes a lot out of you. Both the Schnitzel & Things Truck, and the Jamaican Dutchy were late to their spots today!

Related:
Diary of a 2009 Vendy Awards Judge

On Saturday almost 1000 people converged on the Queens Museum of Art for one of my favorite food events of the year… the Vendy Awards.  Put on by the Street Vendor Project, a non profit dedicated to advocating for street vendors, this year’s “Oscars of Street Food” featured a whopping 11 vendors, in three different categories, spread out in front of the Queens Museum of Art- which I think is the best venue they’ve ever held the event in.  With few exceptions, the lines were completely manageable, and if you got there at the beginning, and managed your day right, it wasn’t hard to try stuff from every single vendor.  This year I got to fulfill my lifelong (the past 3 1/2 years of doing Midtown Lunch feel like a lifetime!) dream of being a Vendy Judge.  Here’s how my day went…

2:35pm – The Queens Museum of Art isn’t exactly the easiest place in New York City to get to, but once you’re there it’s completely worth it.  The site of two World’s Fairs, the giant globe is one of the cooler things I’ve ever seen in NYC- and the large paved area in front of the museum was the perfect place to park 11 food trucks, that needed to serve lots of people.

2:45pm – Right after I arrived I was told that official “judging” (which to me translated into “eating”) didn’t start until 4:15 (!!!)  Stomach immediately informs me that there is no way in hell we were waiting 90 minutes to start stuffing ourselves silly.

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Yes that’s a giant plate of Jerk Chicken from the Jamaican Dutchy

This morning the CBS Early Show aired the piece on the Vendy Awards that Bobby Flay was shooting last week, and as an added bonus the chef was live on 59th and 5th this morning at 8am with the Wafels & Dinges Truck, and food from the Biriyani Cart and the Jamaican Dutchy. It was all to promote the Vendys (aka the biggest street food event of the year) which happen tomorrow from 2-7pm at the Queens Museum of Art. If you were hoping to score your tickets at the last minute, you are out of luck- the event is now completely sold out. (Although if you’d like to follow along at home, I’ll be twittering live from the event using the hashtag #vendys)

If you want to see the Early Show video with Bobby Flay visiting the vendors, it should be posted on the Early Show website at some point this morning.

Related:
Bobby Flay Goes on Vendy Crawl for CBS
2009 Vendy Award Finalists Announced!

Every year the Vendy Awards (which are this Saturday!) auction off all sorts of goodies to benefit the Street Vendor Project.  This year they’ve put a few up early on Ebay so you don’t actually have to attend the event to bid (although I still can’t understand why anybody wouldn’t want to attend the biggest street food event of the year… and I’m not just saying that because I’m a judge this year.)  Available now to bid on Ebay… Lunch for Six with Calvin Trillin, Cooking Class for 6 with the Editors of Saveur Magazine, Tickets to “A Razor, A Shiny Knife” Dinner at the New York Wine and Food Festival, a Serious Eats Walking Tour w/ Ed Levine, and a Midtown Lunch Street Eating Tour with Zach Brooks (wait, that’s me!) Apologies to all my cheapos and freeloaders for the high starting bid, but divided among four people it’s not too terrible, it’s tax deductible, and the money goes to a really great cause.

Speaking of vendor issues, if you are a street food lover (or vendor) you should show your support by coming to the Astor Center this Sunday night at 6pm. Sean Basinski (from the Street Vendor Project) will be hosting a street vending panel featuring me, Ed Levine (from Serious Eats), and Kim Ima (from the Treats Truck). Get all the info here>>

Related:
Astor Center to Host Vendy Panel This Sunday

Got a number of tips this morning from lunchers who spotted Bobby Flay visiting Vendy Award nominated carts today.  He started at the Jamaican Dutchy cart this morning around 10am, then moved on to the Biryani Cart, before finishing up at the Wafels and Dinges Cart around Noon.  He was filming a segment about the Vendy Awards for next Friday’s edition of The Early Show on CBS.

Meru (from the Biryani Cart) told me after he didn’t hold back on the spice because he knew Bobby could take it.  Photos of kati rolls being consumed, and fans going crazy… after the jump.

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The Vendy Awards have announced their third and final category, the brand spanking new “Rookie” Award given to vendors who have been open for less than a year.  And the nominees are…

• The NYC Cravings Truck
• The Schnitzel & Things Truck
• The Picnick Smoked Truck
• The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (which was also nominated in the Best Dessert Category)

We’re only 9 days away!  And tickets (which now entitle you to food from 8 different savory vendors, 3 different sweet vendors, and all you can drink wine, beer and soda) are almost sold out.  Get yours now>>

Well, the Hot Doug’s event at Astor Center is already sold out- but there’s another event that was just announced you might be interested in. There are no foie gras dogs, or duck fat fries- just discussion about an issue that should be near and dear to every Midtown Luncher’s heart.  This Sunday night the Street Vendor Project is hosting a panel called “Street Food Snapshots: Mobile Vending in NYC” featuring SVP founder Sean Basinski, Serious Eats‘ Ed Levine, Kim from the Treats Truck, and me.  We’ll discuss the current explosion of “fancy” food trucks, how it is effecting the Street Vendor Project and the Vendy Awards, and what it means for the future of street vending in general.

I’ve written a lot about these issues on Midtown Lunch over the past few years- so if you’ve become interested in the subject, own a street food truck, are thinking of getting into the business, or you’d just like to tell me in person how much of an idiot you think I am, this event is for you! Tickets are $15, and light snacks will be served PLUS they are “working on turning the street in front of Astor Center into a one-time night market with a couple of participating vendors ready and waiting to sell you snacks after the discussion is over.”  A portion of the ticket price will go to benefit the Street Vendor Project, and all ticket holders will get $5 off tickets to the Vendy Awards, or a free Vendy Award poster (if you’ve already bought your Vendy tickets.)  For more info, and to purchase your ticket visit the Astor Center Website. See you there!

The Mayor & Contessa Brewer Eating Street Meat. Photo Courtesy of Eater.

Who would have guessed it but the mayor likes spicy street food! Eater reported on Friday that Mayor Bloomberg visited the Calexico Cart down in SoHo and enjoyed a steak burrito extra spicy while being interviewed by NBC.  According to this article in the New York Post he was being asked to respond to comments made by the Mayor of Portland claiming that their street food is better than New York’s.  I’ve got no comment on that (!?!) but was really surprised to see Bloomberg enjoying some street food.  I always assumed he was in the Guiliani camp when it came to vendors (good old Rudy would have been happy to have seen them all disappear), but it’s good to hear he was defending our vendors against Portland.

As for what he really thinks?  I emailed Sean Basinski from the Street Vendor Project (the non profit organization that runs the Vendy Awards and advocates for vendors here in NYC) to get the lowdown…

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