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 Vendy Awards have a serious sweet tooth, separating an entire category of the awards section for just desserts. When judges Colin Quinn, John T. Edge and just-announced Peter Hoffman (and more!) take to Governors Island on September 24, they'll be sampling wares from more than a few of fine sugar-slinging vendors. Here's a quick rundown of the competition: more ›

Brooklyn-born Colin Quinn will be one of the judges at this year's Vendy Awards, the annual event that spotlights the best street food vendors in NYC. The former Saturday Night Live cast member joins an all-star lineup of judges that includes CNN’s Kat Kinsman, New York Times columnist John T. Edge, and street food enthusiast Zenia Muna as the "citizen judge." 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 ›

For the second year in a row, the annual Vendy Awards will be held on Governor's Island. But it's not all about the food this year. The Vendys will be introducing the "Most Heroic Vendor" award, which director Helena Tubis tells us could go to anyone from the guy who called the cops on the Times Square bomber to the one who remembers your complicated coffee order every morning. "In recognition that we work with all street vendors, we wanted to go beyond recognizing culinary achievements," she said. more ›

This Saturday on Governor's Island, The King of Falafel & Shawarma was crowned the darling of the NYC street foodie community as it won the Vendy Cup at the 2010 Vendy Awards. Hailing from Astoria, Fares Zeideia walked away with the cup, beating out fellow finalists Schnitzel & Things (2009 Rookie of The Year), The Bistro Truck, El Rey de Sabor, and Patacon Pisao. The King also won the People's Taste Award. Winning in the best dessert category was Kelvin Natural Slush Co., which had the longest line during whole competition, possibly due to Saturday's unseasonably warm weather. Rookie of the Year honors went to Souvlaki GR. more ›

Tickets are now on sale for the 6th Annual Vendy Awards, the "intense grill-to-grill cook-off" to determine NYC’s top street chef. Five street vendors were chosen by over a thousand eaters who voted on the website for The Street Vendor Project, which advocates on behalf of street vendors. The tasting/competition will be held on September 25th on Governors Island, and the finalists are Yassir Zraouli and his Moroccan inspired Bistro Truck; Astoria’s self-appointed “King of Falafel” Freddy Zeidaies; the Venezuelan truck Patacon Pisao, based out of Inwood; traditional Mexican truck El Rey de Sabor in midtown; and last year's Rookie Vendor winner, Oleg Voss of Schnitzels and Things. The winner of the coveted "Vendy Cup" will be decided by a panel of judges evaluating flavor, portability and personality. more ›

Under the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday afternoon, five vendors of New York City street food gathered for the 4th annual Vendy Awards, the Oscars/Golden Globes/MTV Music Award/Olympics of street food. In contention for this year's award were Fauzia's Delights from The Bronx, the Biriyani Cart from Manhattan, Kwik Meal from Manhattan, Soler Dominican from Brooklyn, and Calexico Carne Asada from Manhattan. And for the first time at the Vendys, a people's choice award for best dessert vendor was up for grabs. Contenders in that group included the Treats Truck, the Dessert Truck, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and Wafels and Dinges, which was a no-show. more ›

The Vendy committee just announced an additional category for this year's awards: Best Dessert Vendor. Unlike the Vendy Cup winner, which is chosen by a panel of judges, this special award will be a people's choice award, with attendees of the October 18th fundraiser at the Tobacco Warehouse making the ultimate decision for the sweetest truck around. The usual suspects make up the list of contenders: The Treats Truck (Kim Ima), Dessert Truck (Jerome Chang/Chris Chen), Van Leeuwen Ice Cream (Ben Van Leeuwen, pictured) and Wafels and Dinges (Thomas DeGeest). Tickets to the Vendy Awards are $80 and are available online. Proceeds benefit the Urban Justice Center Street Vendor Project. more ›

The eaters have spoken! This year's Vendy Award finalists, culled from the public's nominations for best New York City street food vendor, were announced yesterday. The big news this year is that the Bronx is finally making its first showing, while the decidedly non-Mexican guys who run the Southern Californian Mexican cart Calexico will get another shot at the title. Get to know your nominees in this sweet video, which also features passionate testimonials from their devoted customers. more ›

It's time again for the battle of the street carts -- this year's Vendy Awards are scheduled for October 18th from 3 - 7 p.m. at the Tobacco Warehouse in Dumbo. Tickets are now on sale for $80, with proceeds benefitting the Urban Justice Center's Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit protecting the rights of vendors throughout the city. Nominate your favorite vendor today. Who knows, maybe he or she will become one of the finalists and be propelled into Vendy fame along with the likes of the Hallo Berlin cart, Sammy's Halal, and the Dosa Man. 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 ›

- Cravings takes a trip to Urban Lobster and is not impressed. In a showdown between lobster rolls from Urban Lobster and Tides, "it’s not much of a competition. Tides wins hands down." 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 ›

- Ed Levine not only gives us his top ten fancypants burgers, but also his choices for fried chicken. We're hoping he goes for salad next; our cholesterol is going through the roof. 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 ›