On Saturday afternoon, The Street Vendors Project hosted its 15th and final Vendy Awards. The event, a celebration of the immigrants and entrepreneurs serving cuisines from all over the world from carts and trucks and market stalls throughout the city, drew a sold-out crowd of street food fans to Governors Island.
This year, nearly 20 vendors representing 5 continents joined in to compete in three categories: Best Freshman, Best Dessert and Vendy All-Star, a new category to determine the final home of the Vendy Cup, the award that has passed from winner to winner over the last 14 years.
The Best Freshman category was judged by a panel of experts, which included Chef King Phojanakong of Kuma Inn, Niki Russ Federman of Russ & Daughters, Nathan Thornburgh of Roads & Kingdoms, food writer Korsha Wilson and citizen judge Taya Mueller. Vendors from Malaysia, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, China, and Tibet presented their dishes and shared their stories with the judges and the audience.
After extensive discussion, the judges chose the Peruvian anticuchos and picarones of Antojtos Doña Fela of Jackson Heights to win Best Freshman, while the People’s Choice went to Birria-Landia, a Tijuana-style taco truck from Sunset Park. The Best Dessert nod went to Dulcinea, serving steaming hot churros topped with dulce de leche.
Finally, a dozen vendors stood on the stage vying for the Vendy All-Star Award. The nominees, which included past winners and finalists like Thiru, The Dosa Guy, who took the cup home back in 2007 and Ariel of Nuchas, which won back to back Rookie of the Year and the Vendy Cup in 2013 and 2014. This year, Cinnamon Snail, the vegan dessert truck, another past winner, walked away with second place and The Vendy Cup went to The Arepa Lady, a Jackson Heights institution. The Cup was accepted by Alejandro Osorio, the son of Maria Cano, the original Arepa Lady, who has taken over the business in her retirement.
"The awards are important to give recognition to very hard working street vendors and give them a platform to get known throughout the city. My mom worked very late and aside from the locals not many people knew about her," Osorio and his wife, Nelly Klinger, told Gothamist. "The vendys helped her get known. And the street vendor project is important because vendors get abused by the city regardless if they are licensed or unlicensed and its good to have someone out there fighting for you and helping out the vendors."
The Awards ended with chants of "Vendor Power!” and “Sí, se puede!” led by Mohammed Attia, the co-chair of the Street Vendor Project, a former vendor himself. Attia pledged to the audience and the vendors that just because this event has ended doesn’t mean that their advocacy for these entrepreneurs will diminish. He promised new events and programs to engage consumers, citizens and vendors are in the works and will be announced in the coming months.
