For the first time ever, this year’s Vendy Awards, in support of The Street Vendor Project, finally included a “Best Vegan” category! Not vegetarian, not vegan-friendly, but VEGAN. I was thrilled. Also a little skeptical…
In 2010, The Cinnamon Snail was a Vendy finalist. In 2011 they won the Maker’s Mark Challenge. They took home the People’s Choice in 2012. In 2013 they were a finalist again. And, in 2014, they finally took home the Vendy Cup. Impressive? Absolutely. But what makes these honors all the more significant is that they achieved these wins competing up against almost all non-vegan vendors serving a predominantly non-vegan crowd and non-vegan judges. So, I’m convinced that the vegan category was put into place because the non-vegan vendors were hesitant to continue to compete against increasingly more amazing (and compassionate) vegan delicacies. Need more convincing? This year, the Best Vegan category had a separate People’s Choice from everyone else! Think about that for a moment.
But, I digress. It doesn’t really matter why they instituted the vegan category; what matters is that they did. And, it was distinctly because of the vegan category that I was so looking forward to attending. Rhe whole point of the Vendy Awards is to taste a plethora of street food options that are new or new-to-you and I was stoked to finally be able to participate–i.e. eat till I burst. Spoiler alert: mission accomplished.
It turned out that my extremely kind and generous benefactor had bestowed upon me the holy grail of Vendy tix: VIP admission. Finally treated like the star that I am! Aside from the lure of goodie bags, shaded tents, and unlimited booze, that also meant that we were able to enter the event at 11:30am–a full hour prior to everyone else. This is a huge coup because that hour boasts significantly shorter lines and, thusly, a quicker food-to-face turnover.
Monk’s Meat had a preemo spot right at the entrance and, despite visiting during VIP time (and, ahem, again later), there was already a considerable line. We took one look at their offerings and immediately joined the queue. No choice needed to be made; they simply handed us each a flight of decadent, hardy sliders presented impeccably on a rectangular plate by a cheerful host. Total knockout in every respect.
Next we tried lighter fare at Bamboo Bites. Disclaimer: I hate cilantro. I dug the premise and presentation, but it was really difficult to remove the abundance of sneaky bits lurking within. I did love the combo of tofu puff, peanut sauce, and crushed peanuts but, unfortunately, I couldn’t appreciate it as a whole. I’ll have to find them and request a non-cilantro’ed boat for a fair assessment. I don’t know why I didn’t just do that there. Oh, wait, yes I do. I was already full and clearly not thinking straight. Ah, well. Go get ‘em, cilantro-loving weirdos.
We purposefully worked up an appetite by taking a stroll around Governor’s Island and exploring the various exhibits throughout. When we returned, it was straight to the Jerk Shack where we couldn’t decide between the two options, so we asked for both. What can I say? We’re not shy. The roti was completely unlike the Indian roti I’m familiar with and I wasn’t 100{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} sold, but the contents were rich, fresh, and divine; my guest and I could not choose which was our favorite element, so we just inhaled our entire plates.
Mysttik Masaala had the longest line we’d encountered since the the commoners swarmed the grounds when the floodgates opened at 12:30pm. It was really hard to choose a dish, but when I overheard the owner, Yuvaraaj, asking people if they wanted cilantro or no/ spicy or no/ medium or very spicy, I knew it was finally my chance to have spicy bhelpuri untainted by cilantro. The staff was welcoming, inviting, and accommodating; my cilantro-less, very spicy dish was a bowl of rich, crunchy goodness. I can’t wait to find them on the streets of Manhattan to try everything else. Note: they are not a vegan truck, but they always have vegan options.
Yeah Dawg, shown here offering the exalted vegan judges Chef Chloe Coscarelli and Chef Adam Sobel their luscious samples, offered a choice of three of their famous dogs in halfsies: 2 of their classic varieties and 1 (very) new. The funniest vegan/non-vegan moment I witnessed was when a man yelled to his wife that he was getting a hot dog and asked if she wanted one. She looked at him quizzically and said no. As he walked over to her with dawg in hand, she yelled, “It’s not beef” and his whole face fell. Then he took a trepidatious bite, shrugged, and devoured the whole thing. Live a little, non-vegans! Broaden your horizons! Sheesh. Her loss.
Unfortunately, the 6th Best Vegan finalist, The Vegan Bandwagon was unable to participate.
So, it was just the fabulous five:
In addition to these offerings, some of the non-vegan vendors had a vegan option. I’ve not mentioned any here specifically because A) I’ve yammered on long enough, B) the options didn’t wow us, or C) we consciously chose to avoid in cases where it seemed likely the tempeh was likely seared on a grill alongside sizzling meat grime.
Now I know what you’re thinking and I want you to know that I was already fretting about it on the line for the ferry over. There was no 100{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} vegan dessert option! Such a travesty. Come on, dessert-creating friends; get to participating! Peaceful Provisions, I’m looking at you, sisters (see what I did there?)
Finally, the winners were announced:
Best Vegan, People’s Choice: Monk’s Meat! So well deserved.
Best Vegan: Mystikk Masaala, with a warm and gracious acceptance by the owner in appreciation of The Street Vendor Project.
A fun time was had by all. We spotted a few fellow vegans while we were there
(messagewear, natch)
and I identified a few after the fact on IG. It was nice to see the vegan set represent, but it was also pretty fabulous that so many non-vegans, including the non-vegan judges who participated in all categories, were able to get so many tastes of inventive vegan fare and perhaps realize we’re not all celery sticks and hummus. Viva la Vegan Vendys!
