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.

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If you’re a fan of the street food in NYC, then you won’t want to miss this year’s 8th annual Vendy Awards happening September 15 on Governor’s Island. Early bird tickets for the all-you-can-eat and drink event, which are $80,  just went on sale and you’ll probably want to snag one of these before they sell out and the price increases to $95. The event benefits the Street Vendor Project which provides advocacy and legal services to all of those people serving you lamb over rice or tacos from a cart or truck. While you’re on the site buying your ticket, you might as well nominate your favorite vendor. Last year we had some downtown favorites represented like A-Pou’s Taste and Sam’s Falafel and it would be nice to make that a trend. This year, there’s a new Market Vendor category joining People’s Taste, Dessert, Rookie Vendor and the all-around Vendy Cup. You might want to get your eating strategy mapped out and those fat pants purchase now.

Normally we don’t post about things happening on weekends (unless it’s something awesome like the Vendy Awards), but there’s a pilot event this Sunday at the New Amsterdam Market at the South St. Seaport that sounds pretty cool. It’s called International Meats Local and involves Vendy winners including Solber Pupusas, A-Pou’s Taste and Veronica’s Kitchen cooking some of their regular dishes with sustainable, locally-sourced ingredients. There are early bird and general admission tickets available here for $30 or $20 respectively, and they include tastes of the food.

If you don’t have lunch plans on Thursday and happen to be near City Hall, there’s a rally planned by the Street Vendor Project (yes, the people behind everyone’s favorite gluttonous event, the Vendy Awards) from noon to 3 p.m. in support of two bills. Those bills would lower fines, such as the $1,000 one that vendors have to pay for minor infractions. According to the SVP, they’re trying to get 1,000 vendors plus supporters for the rally. You can find out more info about the event here. Graphic courtesy of the SVP.

If you’ve tried to get your fix from Sam’s Falafel or one of the halal or breakfast carts on Cedar St. at Zuccotti Park you may have said “Screw it,” once you encountered the crowds and police barricades. The vendors are still there although their customers have been whittled away since the protestors have their own (free) food source and they are all camped out where people such as myself used to eat lunch. The Street Vendor Project is trying to help the vendors in the park, and across the street lining Broadway and Liberty streets, who have seen their revenue take a dive. Find out how to help after the jump.

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Just in case  you didn’t make it to the 2011 Vendy Awards that took place Saturday on Governor’s Island, there’s a lot to recap from the afternoon of standing in line, regretting eating that second ice cream cone from the Miss Softee truck, and then staggering back to the ferry. Three vendors from downtown were finalists in two different categories and I’m happy to say two of them took home an award, including Souvlaki GR. As you can see above, they were pretty happy about winning the People’s Taste Award. A recap of the winners in other categories, and some photos of the many, many plates of food that made it into my hands straight ahead.

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