Midtown Lunch

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.

Patty’s Tacos, which used to park on 86th & Lexington, won the new Heroic Vendor of the Year award for fighting the enforcement that got them kicked out of that spot and is causing problems for food trucks every day in midtown and downtown.

One of the more entertaining moments of the day was seeing Wooly’s Ice win best dessert for their shaved ice concoctions they sell on Elizabeth St. (they started out next to the 1 Centre St. kiosks).

A sampling of what made its way into my stomach included (clockwise) a sampler plate from La Bella Torte including a chocolate panna cotta made with Maker’s Mark, a chicken taco from Eat Here Now Now Eat Here, a vegetarian plate from Red Hook Ballfield favorite Solber Pupusas, and a falafel plate from Two Pitas in a Pod, one of the finalists in the Best of New Jersey category.

Tacos and falafel were in abundance at this year’s awards including the Financial District’s Sam’s Falafel which was up for the Vendy Cup. They were dishing up a huge plate of falafel, hummus, babaganoush and fried eggplant which I’m pretty sure put many people into an immediate food coma early in the afternoon.

The big winner of the 2011 Vendy Cup was Solber Pupusas who refrained from jumping up and down on the stage and doing bro hugs like some of the other award recipients (cough, cough, Korilla BBQ) although I think their acceptance speeches given in both English and Spanish were just as good. Award winners in other categories were:

Rookie Vendor of the Year: Korilla BBQ truck

Best of New Jersey: The Taco Truck

Best Dessert: Wooly’s Ice

Maker’s Mark Street Food Challenge: Cinnamon Snail (they had a killer boozy creme brulee doughnut)

For more coverage and food porn from the Vendys head over to the midtown site.