This is what I love about New York. There are a great many people, involved in a myriad of activities that span the spectrum of the human experience. Yet, in the midst of the multitudes, if you are exhibiting quality, you will be noticed, you will be recognized, and in this case, you will be given a Vendy. That’s right, the Vendy Awards, recognition for the best food carts in The City. On October 18th, five publicly nominated finalists, with their carts, will descend on Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park under the Brooklyn Bridge. There, an Iron Chef style cook-off will ensue. Open to the public, a good time will be had by many, but at the end of the night, the 8 member panel of judges will award only one talented food vendor the coveted Silver Vendy Cup.
Thiru Kumar -Does that face say victory or what!
Last year this honor went to Sri Lankan Thiru Kumar, “The Dosa Man” (Washington Square South and Sullivan St). Mr. Kumar runs a 100% Vegetarian cart specializing in that wonderful South Indian delectable, the dosa. ”The Dosa Man” now enjoys nothing short of celebrity. Google-ing “Thiru Kumar” produces 1,430 results. This years contestants include Chef Mohammed Rahman of “Kwik Meal” (45th and 6th) and “Calexico Carne Asada” (Wooster and Prince) run by three brothers from Southern California who wanted to bring “high quality Cal-Mex cuisine” to NYC.
It’s a joy for me to see the soaring pride, the charisma, the love these people have for their craft. Oh but the quality doesn’t stop there. The $100 entrance fee for the cook-off is a fundraiser benefiting The Street Vendor Project, you see. The Street Vendor Project is a an education and advocacy group that stands up for the rights of street vendors. These folks are, after all, just trying to make a living. Most are recent immigrants and few are savvy about the laws or their rights. The Street Vendor Project works to organize and educate these workers and to advocate for them to policy makers.** Ergot safeguarding the New York City traditions of entrepreneurship, lunch hour capitalism, and tasty street eats. Furthermore, The Street Vendor Project, is just one of nine projects organized by the Urban Justice Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. These projects serve the homeless, the mentally ill, and sex workers to name a few.
“The UJC represents an extraordinary array of the most deprived and abused people in our society, including members of the working poor, and issues related to discrimination and oppression. We often defend the rights of people who are overlooked or turned away by other organizations.”
Herein lies the path, the string of quality that runs through a diverse group, involved in activities ranging from cooking shawarma to insuring individual rights. The efforts of the vendor motivate the Vendy, essentially an entertainment. An entertainment, however, that helps fund an organization which benefits an entire underclass to which the vendor belongs. It’s food cart karma. It’s one exhibition of quality that mobilizes a community**, or affects social change, or simply gets people out to the park to eat The City’s best street food with other like-minded folks. It’s self-fulfilling, and in my opinion, beautiful.
**Follow this story about Tony Dragonas, a 25 year food cart veteran, and the community that wouldn’t let The City shut him down. Watch the video on that page. Seriously, I got choked up.
2 Comments
September 27, 2008 at 8:49 am
What is the street vendor scene like in your city? Here in Cincinnati, it’s woefully non-existent. When I worked in NY, I drooled past a german food cart, a mexican torta vendor, and a kebab truck during my daily rush between Herald Square and Port Authority.
October 20, 2008 at 9:37 pm
[...] Vendy Awards Jump to Comments Last month I wrote about the 2008 Vendy Awards. Well it all went down this past Saturday in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. “There can be [...]