The ninth annual Vendy Awards took place this weekend, with close to 30 vendors competing in five different categories. This year the event took place in Industry City in Sunset Park rather than on Governors Island as it has in the past. The move meant a little more space, but the lines were still long at the sold-out event. With Luke's Lobster, The Cinnamon Snail, Oddfellow's Ice Cream and Lonestar Taco among many others in the running, here's a rundown of who took home the trophies:
El Olomega, a pupusa vendor at the Red Hook Ballfields, took home the big prize, making this the third year in a row that a Red Hook vendor has won the Vendy Award. Home By The Range, a sandwich truck, won the award for best New Jersey truck, while Nuchas empanadas truck won Rookie of the Year. Khao Man Gai NY, which sells its Thai street food at LIC Flea & Food, Hester Nights, and Hester Street Fair, won the Best Market Vendor award. Meanwhile, on the sweet end of things, Itizy ice cream won for Best Dessert with a half hour wait and a line that snaked around the entire event, Luke's Lobster took home the People's Taste award. And finally, the Hero Award this year, which usually goes to just one vendor, was awarded collectively to the long list of food trucks that served over 350,000 meals to victims of Hurricane Sandy in the days following the storm.
The Vendy Awards weren't the only outdoor food event on Saturday. Down in Red Hook, 25 chefs served a total of 80 pigs at the fourth annual Pig Island. Serious Eats has a look at the many iterations of pork served at that event, ranging from pig skin noodles from Parish Hall to pork sliders from Fletcher's.
· Red Hook Ball Field Vendor Wins Vendy Cup For a 3rd Year in a Row [MTL]
· All Coverage of the Vendy Awards [~ENY~]