Monthly Archives: June 2012

The results are in! The coveted Vendy Cup was awarded to  Chef Sumant Pardal of India Jones Chow Truck at today’s 2nd annual LA Vendy Awards, sponsored by The Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center. Hundreds of street food lovers came to Pan Pacific Park for this year’s intense grill-to-grill cook-off to determine LA’s top street chef. Categories this year also included the People’s Choice Award, handed out to the crowd favorite.
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The 2012 LA Vendy Award Winners:
Vendy Cup:  Chef Sumant Pardal of India Jones Chow Truck

People’s Choice Award: Caridad Vazquez of Karina’s Food  

People’s Choice Award: Caridad Vazquez of Karina’s Food

“Every year, the Vendy Awards get bigger and better, and this year was another huge success,” said Sean Basinski, Director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center. “We’re proud to be back in Los Angeles, shining a spotlight on LA’s incredible street food and vibrant street culture, and to honor these vendors who keep thousands Los Angeles residents well fed and satisfied.”

The winner of the coveted Vendy Cup was determined by a star-studded panel of judges, who evaluated the vendors on a number of factors, including flavor, portability and personality. Host of this year’s awards was comedian and TV personality James Cunningham, and judges included The Spice Table’s Brian Ng, Top’s Chef’s Lee Ann Wong and editor of New York Magazine’s Grub Street Los Angeles, Hadley Tomicki. Music was provided by ArtistsPalooza, a non-profit organization that provides creative support and resources to help artists develop their careers.

Starting in May, LA street food enthusiasts were encouraged to nominate their favorite street vendor online. Loyal customers packed the ballot boxes to determine which sidewalk chefs would face off as finalists.

The Vendy Awards are an annual event organized by Street Vendor Project (SVP) at the Urban Justice Center, a membership-based organization of more than 1,300 vendors. SVP’s famed Vendy Awards have determined New York City’s top street chef for 8 years, and have become one of the most beloved and widely anticipated food events in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. In Los Angeles, the Vendy Awards will serve as a fundraiser for L.A. City Farm, a non-profit whose goal is to make locally farmed organic produce and prepared foods more easily available to Southern Californian communities.

Follow the Vendy Awards on Twitter for the latest news and announcements at @vendyawards.

ABOUT THE STREET VENDOR PROJECT AT THE URBAN JUSTICE CENTER

The Vendy Awards are an annual benefit event for the non-profit the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center. The Street Vendor Project is a membership-based project with more than 1,300 active vendor members who are working together to create a vendors’ movement for permanent change. The Street Vendor Project is part of the Urban Justice Center, a non-profit organization that provides legal representation and advocacy to various marginalized groups of New Yorkers.