Find Out Who Won the Vendy Award
Meet the Top 5 street-food chefs at the third annual Vendy Awards.
Oct. 1, 2007 — -- It finally happened for the Susan Lucci of street vendors. Thiru "Dosa Man" Kumar from NY Dosa won this year's Vendy Award.
Kumar's vegan food cart, located at Washington Square Park South and Sullivan Street, was a finalist for the Vendy the past two years but never won until this weekend.
You don't need reservations or deep pockets to chow down on some of the best food in New York City.
Any number of culinary wonders can be found from street-corner vendors, who serve up unexpected ethnic meals from tiny metal trailers on the cheap.
On Sept. 29, you can sample food from the five best vendors in the city at the third annual Vendy Awards, at Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan's East Village, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Vendys festival is the "Iron Chef" of sidewalk-vendor cuisine, with the winner chosen by a panel of judges and visitors to the event. A ticket to the event gets you food, free beer and wine and entertainment.
Click here to find out more about the Vendys.
Find out more about the five Vendy finalists below. You can watch a short video clip of each finalist on the right side of this page.
Thiru "Dosa Man" Kumar from NY Dosas
What he cooks: Sri Lankan-style vegan fare
Where to find him: Washington Square South and Sullivan Street
Click here to map it.
"Thiru makes super fresh Indian food, mixed in with his own influences from Sri Lanka, all under the constraints and philosophy of veganism. He's always exceptionally nice and professional. Everyone knows that if money is scarce, you can get a meal from him and pay later. He's a great guy, humanitarian and environmentalist all while being one of the most legit chefs in the city. And his food is cheap. I essentially survive because of Thiru."— From an e-mail nominating Kumar
Veronica Julien from Veronica's Kitchen
What she cooks: Trinidadian/Jamaican cuisine (jerk chicken, oxtail stew, etc.)
Where to find her: Front Street and Pine Street
Click here to map it.
"It was an unexpected treat to find such yummy food hidden in lower Manhattan. I think it's a mother and son who are frying up the fresh cod fish cakes, delectable jerk chicken, sumptuous macaroni and cheese and perfectly flavored rice and peas. I'll be heading back for more as soon as I've worked off my first indulgence!" — From an e-mail nominating Julien
Muhammed Rahman from Kwik Meal
What he cooks: Bengali-spiced Middle Eastern fare (felafel, chicken, marinated lamb, shrimp)
Where to find him: 46th Street and Sixth Avenue
Click here to map it.
"I walk a mile in every kind of weather to get my daily helping of Kwik Meal's delicious food. The owner used to work in the kitchen at the Russian Tea Room and the quality and presentation of the food shows it. The lamb is the best — it's tender, flavorful and utterly delicious! The yogurt sauce goes above and beyond the usual and has a spicy tang to it — I wish I knew what they put in it to make it so good. When they're offering salmon, you're also in for a treat." — From an e-mail nominating Rahman
Super Taco, aka "Sobre Ruedas"
What they cook: Tacos, tortas, tamales, quesadillas, etc.
Where to find them: 96th Street and Broadway
Click here to map it.
"I'm from California, so I grew up around taquerias. Hands down, Super Taco can match up to anything I grew up with. I close my eyes and I am 10 years old again. Try the al pastor — diced pork with pineapple. Even better is watching all those Super Taco tacomakers crammed into that truck, all working together in unison to serve up tasty goodness. They even have a bicycle delivery fleet! Excellente!" — From an e-mail nominating Super Taco
Farez "Freddy" Zeideia, the King of Falafel and Shawarma
What he cooks: Middle Eastern-style street food (falafel, shawarma, chicken)
Where to find him: 30th Street and Broadway, Astoria, Queens
Click here to map it.
"The best and cheapest meal in Astoria. Always consistently good food prepared with care. These guys are such characters that it adds just as much flavor to your meal as their secret hot sauce. They will feed you for a little cash and make you smile for free. During the big blackout they were the only place open because they had their own generator. They could have easily doubled their prices and made a killing, but they didn't. Their lines reached well around the block and they served food well into the early morning. They were just happy to serve and help so many people." — From an e-mail nominating Zeideia
