Midtown Lunch

It’s the day a lot of street vendors – both new school trucks and carts serving food from all over the world – have been waiting for, when the finalists for the 2012 Vendy Awards‘ Vendy Cup are announced. There is quite a mix this year and a couple from the Downtown Lunch coverage area will be up for the big award being handed out on Governor’s Island on September 15. Those would be vegan food and sweets truck Cinnamon Snail and the Xin Jiang Prosperity Kebabs cart that’s a mainstay in Chinatown. Check out the full list of potential winners and one award that’s already been handed out, straight ahead.

Other Vendy Cup contenders this year include Piaztlan Authentic Mexican Food from the Red Hook Ball Fields, Uncle Gussy’s truck which serves Greek in Midtown, Hamza & Madina Halal Food cart from Queens and Tortas Nezas truck, also from Queens. The award was won in 2011 by Solber Pupusas truck from the Red Hook Ball Fields.

Also announced was the winner of the 2012 Most Heroic Vendor award, who is Sammy Kasem, a halal food vendor in Brooklyn who’s had to contend with area businesses trying to force him and his cart from a regular spot.

Although early bird tickets for the Vendy Awards sold out long ago, you can still buy the $95 general admission tickets, along with a new early entry VIP ticket for $145 (which includes hanging out with ML head honcho Zach) and other levels by going here. As always, proceeds for the event benefit the Street Vendor Project which advocates for those who feed us lunch every day.