The 2010 NYC Vendy Awards

Aaron and I are sitting on the couch in a sort of food coma. For one of the first times in my life, the thought of eating seems totally and completely unappealing. Not another morsel of food shall pass my lips... at least for a few hours.

A falafel sandwich from the Vendy Cup AND People's Choice winner - The King of Falafel.

Today we attended the annual Vendy Awards on Governors Island with our friends David and Jen. The Vendy Awards are sometimes referred to as the Oscars of the street food world and always understood to be a day of delicious gluttony. Each year, dozens of NY's best food trucks (as nominated by the people) come together to compete for the coveted Vendy Cup and People's Choice awards. The trucks assemble to serve attendees for a few hours, and then professionals select the winner while the hoi polloi vote for the People's Choice. For me, it was an exciting opportunity to sample trucks in NYC that I had not yet had a chance to try, such as the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, while also enjoying some of my favorites, like the Bistro Truck (their merguez sandwich is a religious experience).

"Sides" from Schnitzels and Things included potato salad, sauerkraut, beets and chickpeas. 

They also had a number of sauces to add to your schnitzel. I took the spicy mayo. 

and finally... the schnitzel. 

The Vendy Awards was an event I had anxiously awaited for months. Those who know me (and perhaps those who read our updates from Southeast Asia) know that I have an unhealthy obsession with food trucks. In my opinion, one of the good side effects of the great recession has been the renaissance in American street food and the rise of the gourmet food trucks. The only thing I miss about working in Times Square is the absence of great street food near my office in suburban Jersey. Bland salads and boring sandwiches from the cafeteria seem so unappetizing when compared to the tacos and lamb over rice that I used to take for granted.

Taiwanese pot stickers with two kinds of soup. 

Something delicious and Venezuelan. Don't remember the name but it was juicy pork sandwiched between fried plantains. 

My obsession with food trucks has actually started to verge on crazy. Since I no longer have easy access, I have discovered that I really look forward to finding my favorite trucks when I do get to go to the city. Discovering a great new truck is even better than finding an old favorite. When I notice a new truck down the block, my pace quickens and I can feel the anticipate of findings a new purveyor of grilled meat or cupcakes. Then the disappointment sets in when I realize the truck I saw was actually a mail truck, not a food truck. Yes, I have started seeing "mirages" of food trucks in NYC. It is bad. 

Enchiladas and other Mexican goodies from El Rey del Sabor. 

The weather in New York was perfect for the event. Though it looked like rain in the morning, but the time we got off the ferry on Governors Island it was sunny with cloudless skies, verging on a little hot. We had brought a quilt with us that we spread out under some trees to serve as home base. Then we split up to conquer the event, leaving one person on the quilt at all time while others fetched food. I had full intention of sampling the dishes at every truck, but after eating tacos, schnitzel, ice cream, bread pudding, panna cotta, pot stickers among other things (most inhaled too quickly for photos), I had to call it quits. I just could not stuff another thing in my stomach. Aaron fought through it and was the real champion of our group, as he managed to try something from almost every truck, save the souvlaki truck and the communist ice cream truck. 

Slow food hot dogs with sauerkraut from one of the Philadelphia trucks.

 Of course the desserts were my favorite part. I was particularly excited to see both the Dessert Truck and The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in attendance. I had wanted to try both for sometime, but neither parked close enough to my office when I worked in the city. The Dessert Truck brought their famous pudding and panna cotta, pictured below. The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck had a number of hand prepared soft serve treats, including vanilla with nilla wafers and dulce de leche sauce, and smaller samples of more off the wall flavors like curried coconut.

Chocolate bread pudding from The Dessert Truck.

Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, where the slushies from Kelvin Slush. The naturally flavored frozen concoctions were refreshing in the heat of the day and nice and light after all of the greasy food we had eaten. We slurped ours down too quickly for pictures (and then regretted the speedy consumption when we were hit with painful brain freeze!).  The line at Kelvin Slush was more than one hour for most of the event, but folks couldn't get enough. Despite the wait, they managed to walk away with the dessert prize, which we felt was well earned.

Cassis Panna Cotta from The Dessert Truck. 

Samples of mixed berry ice cream from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. 

All in all, my first Vendy's experience far exceeded my expectations. Though I am stuffed now, I can honestly say I can't wait for my next NYC street food experience.