One side effect of the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park is that local workers who used to eat lunch in the park have been going elsewhere. And the Street Vendor Project (which you know from the Vendy Awards it organizes) also points out that the "extremely generous donations of food to the movement have made business tough for local food vendors." But help is on the way: It was announced today that the Project has teamed up with Occupy Wall Street to let those who want to donate food to the movement do so, while also helping local businesses. 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 ›

The Parks Department is trying to bring more gourmet food vendors to NYC parks, in order to offer an alternative to pretzels and dirty water dogs—but the Manhattan community board that includes the Upper East Side WON'T STAND FOR IT. Last week the board voted to reject a proposal that would install specialty food carts at two locations in Central Park: at 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, and 80th Street and Central Park West. The co-chair of the Parks Committee, Peggy Price, recently explained why; she doesn't hate the food, she hates the aesthetics. more ›

Last week, Upper East Side mainstay Paty's Taco Truck was towed and charged with "selling merchandise in front of a parking meter." Protesters say the truck has been getting unfair attention from the police and are accusing the 86th Street Association of getting the cops to do their bidding. During a recent confrontation, cops told protesters they were "following orders" and that the 86th Street Association is unhappy with the truck. But as Street Vendor Project legal director Matt Shapiro pointed out, "the 86th Street Association doesn't make the law in this city." more ›

Sure, all the fancy brick-and-mortar restaurants in the city will be posting letter grades from the DOH, but what about this roasted pig? City Council member Dan Garodnick has introduced legislation that would make street vendors publicly display letter grades so consumers know just how clean that hot dog is, whether they want to or not. On his website, Garodnick says, "Whether it’s a falafel, a taco — or even a hot dog — consumers deserve to know that the food that they are eating has been prepared and handled properly, no matter where they buy it." more ›

Saturday night’s Vendy Awards ended in victory for “Dosa Man” Thiru Kumar, the all-vegan, South Indian crêpe vendor of Washington Square South who had previously taken the runner-up title for the last two years. At the awards ceremony capping off a 5 hour eat-a-thon, Kumar was presented with the silver “Vendy” trophy by last year’s winner Samiul Haque Noor, from Sammy’s Halal. more ›

Talk about joy -- over 300 sakes will be poured at the largest sake tasting in the United States, coming our way tonight. Over 100 of them are generally not available outside Japan and about 150 are silver and gold award winners in the National Sake Appraisal that takes place each year. Never fear, there will be appetizers to soak it all up, from the likes of Bao Noodles, Bond St, EN Japanese Brasserie, 15 East, Megu, Sakagura, Tocqueville, Woo Lae Oak, wd-50, and more. There's also a sake info desk where an expert will be able to answer all of your burning sake questions. 6 - 9 p.m., the Puck Building, 295 Lafayette between East Houston and Prince Streets. Tickets are $75 in advance and $90 at the door. For more info or to make reservations, call 212-799-7243, or visit joyofsake.com. more ›

You nominated your favorites and now the finalists have been revealed: more ›

It's that time of year again -- the third annual Vendy Awards are upon us. Nominations are now open. Show your love for your favorite street food vendor and tell the Vendy folks why you think your vendor is part of what makes New York great and what keeps you coming back for more. The top nominees will be announced on September 1st. more ›

This week's New York Mag focuses on one of the backbones of NYC culture -- the street vendor. Despite the title of the feature, "Cartography: The Complete Road Map to New York City Street Food," a vendor map is conspicuously absent. What you will find, however, is a list of the city's top 20 vendors, according to Rob & Robin, a glimpse into the daily life of a street cart vendor, and an interview with Sean Basinki, vendor defender and founder of the Urban Justice Center's Street Vendor Project and the Vendy Awards. You'll also learn from their survey of 50 street vendors that New Yorkers are better street cart customers than tourists (although we all already knew that), and get answers to all of your burning vendor questions (where do they park all those carts at night, anyway?). more ›

It was a cool, but comfortable night in the courtyard of St. Mark's Church last night as a few hundred street food afficionados gathered to pay tribute to the four vendor finalists, nominated by their regulars and fans. The competition was fierce, but the nine judges were up to the task, tasting sample platters from each of the four carts and scoring them in a range of categories, including flavor, presentation, the flair/personality of each vendor, and the "addictiveness factor." more ›

October 21: Halloween Cupcake Decorating and Book Signing more ›

You know you've been waiting for it -- the finalists for the Second Annual Vendy Awards have been announced! These four finalists will attend the gala event on Sunday, October 22nd from 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. where a panel of judges (including at least one who might be familiar to Gothamist readers) will select their favorite. The event is a fundraiser for the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center, a non-profit a... more ›

The Street Vendor Project released a study, Peddling Uphill (PDF), showing the difficulties street vendors have these days, given steep fines that are handed down for small infractions. The group's director, Sean Basinski, told Metro, “Since our survey, the maximum fine has gone from $250 per ticket to $1,000. That’s $1,000 for a sixth offense within two years. A first fine is just $50, but the second citationdoubles to $100. The third climbs to $250, the fourth is $500, and a fifth fetches $750. “We know the average vendor collects at least that many within a year, so maybe 20 percent of vendors’ incomes will go to tickets every year.” more ›

The night you've been waiting for is finally here. Come support the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center and taste the wares of the finalists you selected at the Vendy Awards. There will be an open bar of wine and beer, and the finalists will be selling their food (at their usual street-level prices) to guests in attendance. A team of esteemed judges will determine the winner. After the honors are bestowed, DJ Diallo Internationale will spin world music into the night.$35 tickets available online or at the door. 7-10:30 pm, 27 East 4th Street in Manhattan. more ›

Street food is nothing new to New Yorkers. Heck, hot dog carts and street-side pretzel vendors are practically synonymous with the image of the Big Apple. more ›