A Queens food vendor who allegedly used the power of a foreign name to help him escape from $90,000 in health violations has been busted, after switching one too many letters around. It's kind of like that time no one knew how to spell "Gadhafi", but with more street meat. more ›

While street vendors have had a rough go of things lately in Manhattan, over in Queens they're doing just fine, as evidenced by the throngs of carts and trucks lining Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona. There are hundreds of carts, serving up everything from tacos to ceviche to paan. Don't know where to start? That's where "Queens Qustodian" Jeff Orlick comes in. more ›

Finally! It's the moment you, street food aficionado, have been waiting for: after weeks of buildup and agonizingly paced teaser announcements, the finalists for this year's Vendy Awards have been announced, mere days before the event itself. Drumroll, please! more ›

The battle over Midtown lunch real estate continues today, with food carts expressing little sympathy for the larger food trucks that have been driven out of the neighborhood by cops suddenly enforcing an ancient Transportation Department regulation. more ›

Dirty water dogs, once the stalwart of street dining in this fine city, are being pushed out by hordes of fussy, health-conscious eaters who wrinkle their noses at the prospect of a mysterious tube of emulsified meat. What's taking their place? Organic, grass-fed, sustainably raised, locally sourced, non-genetically modified, nitrate-free, free range tubes of emulsified meat, of course! more ›

It can't always be easy to be a street vendor—if they're not tumbling and tussling with each other for real estate, then they're probably trying to hold it in. It's a tiring job, you have to deal with lots of unsavory characters and you're probably not washing your hands enough. But that's no reason to throw the whole world under the bus, like Upper West Side vendor Mohamed Abdalla did today in a rant to the Post where he railed against all his enemies, including "homosexuals," "Jewish people," ignorant bureaucrats, "rich people" and freebie-seeking doormen. more ›

The much loved Frites 'n' Meats truck, which exploded in a terrifying propane accident on the West Side Highway last spring, is finally ready to get back to business. And how better to celebrate than by giving out free frites to their loyal customers? Our answer? There is no better way. more ›

Frites 'n' Meats, the much-loved food truck that exploded in a terrifying propane accident on the West Side Highway last spring, say they're just about ready to hit the road again with a rebuilt truck next week. Burgers and frites for all, hoo-rah! more ›

Mayor Bloomberg, who apparently harbors a dirty water habit himself, thinks the city's street food vendors should be subject to the same letter grading system as brick-and-mortar restaurants—but the Health Department isn't so sure. more ›

Intrepid street food explorers may be familiar with the gallery of vendors that set up shop alongside the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown, hawking everything from hot dogs on a stick to durian fruit. But now, cops are cracking down on the merchants, accusing them of some fairly gross-sounding misdeeds. more ›

In the ongoing battle between cops and food trucks in Midtown, truck owners have a few tricks up their sleeves—but it's not easy out there for a vendor. more ›

It started with oatmeal cookies. Then it was dumplings, and kimchi tacos, and waffles. Those are just a few of the items being sold out of food trucks that cops have kicked out of Midtown in the past week as part of a new crackdown on mobile food vendors. more ›

Woe is the New York food truck driver, who has been having a rough go of things lately. Today Midtown Lunch reports that sweet tooth favorite Treats Truck is rolling out of Midtown following increased police pressure in the neighborhood. Treats Truck owner Kim Ima posted the following on her site this morning: more ›

It seems like just the other day that Park Slope restaurant owners were all up in arms about dirty, cheapskate food trucks stealing all their customers, and now, the Upper West Side is jumping on the food truck bashing bandwagon, too. But of course, this being the UWS, it's not restaurants that are complaining—it's crotchety residents who find the trucks unsavory to behold. more ›

Have you ever wondered what really goes behind the scenes at your favorite shawarma cart? Well, MSNBC has you covered with a "confessional" interview with a vendor who asked to remain anonymous. But after reading through the not-so-candid Q & A, we're not so sure about some of his claims. Let's review: more ›

Street vendors are so hot right now, street vendors. And you know what is also, in most cases, hot? Street vendor permits. The Journal today takes a look at the crazy black market out there for street vendor permits and the numbers are, well, crazy. Though the city only charges $200 for a two-year permit, on the black market they can go for upwards of $20,000. more ›

After developing a loyal following on the Upper East Side over the past three years, Paty's Taco Truck was forced out of its usual spot last November because of a food truck ticket blitz. But the truck's owner has been digging her wheels in, and repeatedly returned to the spot only to get hassled again and again. The truck was towed twice in one week in January, and Paty's owner Patricia Monroy says the cops are "following orders" from the East 86th Street Association, which represents Upper East Siders who don't particularly care for these increasingly popular food trucks. And so now Monroy is suing the city to win back her old turf. more ›

By this time of year, most people have switched their street corner snack from a Mister Softee cone or those mango flowers that lady is always carving to something warmer. A fluffy dense and flavorless pretzel perhaps, or a bag of honey roasted (and not dirty) peanuts. But if you're looking for some roasted chestnuts, you'll most likely have to brave the holiday crowds at the city's tourist traps. One Herald Square vendor told the Daily News, "Every year, they become less and less popular. Some New Yorkers buy them but it's mostly tourists. They've become part of Christmas in New York." more ›

As promised, a mob of disgruntled street food vendors demonstrated outside Health Department headquarters downtown yesterday. The group believes that the DOH has started to crack down on vendors who step away from their carts to relieve themselves; last week a roasted peanut vendor in Lower Manhattan had his permit confiscated after he stepped away from his stand for a quick comfort break. At yesterday's protest, Shirajul Islam explained to the Post, "When I left my cart, I wasn't feeling too well. Then my doctor called me and said I have to have an operation to fix the problem." more ›

Well buenos dias, Senor, welcome, welcome to Super Tacos! Step right in out of the frigid February air. Do you have a reservation? No? Well, let me check the availability... Oh, I'm afraid there won't be any tables opening up tonight—in fact, ever, since we don't have any—but if Senor does not mind standing, we would be happy to accommodate. Did you find out about us from our rapturous review in the New York Times? Regrettably, we were not awarded a single star, despite being named the Upper West Side’s favorite taco truck, but perhaps a re-review is in order, now that we have this warm, inviting vestibule! more ›

The man suspected of stabbing and killing a college student who cut in line at a Midtown food cart told cops that the victim's brother put a knife to his neck moments before the fatal altercation. Ziad Tayeh, 26, is on trial for manslaughter after a 2006 dispute with 19-year-old victim Tyrone Noel Gibbons, his brother Shannon Gibbons, and a friend at the Halal Chicken and Gyro stand at 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue. After the three men cut in line, they exchanged words with Tayeh: "I was hungry," he told police during a videotaped confession screened for jurors. "They called me a punk!" more ›

You knew that the heated competition between street food vendors is getting increasingly acrimonious, but did you know that it's tearing families apart? Over the weekend, a Midtown Lunch reader spotted this sign on 45th Street advertising newcomer Fahima Halal Food, which is declaring its food to be Halal-of-a-lot-better than nearby vendor Kwik Meal. more ›

Anticipation has reached a fever pitch for next Saturday's Fifth Annual Vendy Awards, the Oscars/Golden Globes/MTV Music Award/Olympics of street food, and now organizers have sprayed lighter fluid on the flames of our excitement by announcing the finalists in a completely new category: Rookie Vendor of the Year. The four contenders are NYC Cravings (Taiwanese), Schnitzel & Things (Austrian), Picnick Smoked ("Good for You BBQ"), and fabulous frontrunner Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (self-explanatory). But Big Gay is also nominated for the best dessert truck category, so voters could surprise the food world by honoring truck owner Doug Quint (right) in that category, like that time Kate Winslet won for The Reader, not for her devastating work in the superior Revolutionary Road. The nominees were selected by elite members of the food blog mafia, and the awards, which serve as a fundraiser for the Street Vendor Project, will be held on the 26th at the Queens Museum of Art. The tax-deductible tickets, which are almost sold out, get you food from the vendors and an open bar. Here's a look back at last year's Vendy's, which was a big win for Calexico. more ›

When we mentioned Kogi BBQ, LA's breakout food truck, yesterday, a reader pointed out that the Korean BBQ-inspired Mexican food will be available for one hour today! The Kogi BBQ team, in town for a Citymeals-on-Wheels benefit, explains on its website, "It’LL be the Dessert Truck parked out on Lexington and 55th, but once those doors fLip open, it shaLL be the KoGi crew on the inside. We’LL be there from noon-1PM and then POOF! we’re outta there... NYC, let’s kick it à la ride-or-die styLe." And on its Twitter feed, it's the more intriguing: "NYC, WE ARE COMING FOR YOUSE" According to Midtown Lunch, there will be 200 Kogi-Dessert Truck sampling plates available for $4/plate—dare we predict a foodie mob? For a little more on the Kogi madness, check out this gallery from LAist. more ›

Roadside tacos have become a common Williamsburg fixture, with Endless Summer parked on Bedford, El Diablo behind Union Pool, and the Authentic Mexican taco truck on the southern edge of McCarren Park. Now La Superior gives Mexican road food a stationary kitchen, dishing out teeny tacos high on flavor, homemade salsas, gorditas and flautas—both staples of the street—and much more. more ›

Get yourself some popcorn, because this week Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni is taking the hammer to big shot media power-lunch nest Michael's. Turns out dinner there is an overpriced joke: "I thought Michael’s prided itself on produce. Then I had its appetizer of peekytoe crab with spears of white asparagus, which might as well have been spears of white wax for all the flavor they had....[Michael’s] certainly charges like a serious restaurant, levying a tariff of $35 for a lunchtime burger that’s not Kobe and doesn’t ooze foie gras. So it should perform at the level of a serious restaurant. These days, it usually doesn’t." He pauses to lavish some kind words on an omelet, but then it's back to bashing: "Shouldn’t a diner paying $38 for sea scallops get more than two, situated at opposite ends of a long hillock of sautéed snow pea leaves? Maybe that’s enough for a businessperson having a light lunch on a big expense account. For anyone else, it isn’t." Kill the rich! Zero stars! more ›