These Vendors Will Vie For NYC's All-Time Street Food Crown

NEW YORK — Start whetting your appetites now. Fifteen legendary vendors will compete for New York City's all-time street food crown at the final Vendy Awards next month, organizers announced Thursday.

The throngs of eaters expected to attend the Sept. 21 event will choose the winner of the "People's All-Star Vendy Cup" from a field of street chefs who have participated in past competitions.

The competition will include The Cinnamon Snail, an all-vegan food truck once ranked among the best in the nation, and the Arepa Lady, the venerable Queens-based purveyor of stuffed cornmeal cakes.

"The Vendy Awards have provided a launching ground for so many of this city’s most iconic street vendors," said Mohamed Attia, the co-director of the Urban Justice Center's Street Vendor Project, which organizes the event. "For our final year, we wanted to celebrate all of their success and bring them back together for the ultimate showdown: the All-Star Vendy Cup, chosen by the people."

Attendees will also pick the best dessert from among three shops, while expert judges will crown the "Best Freshman" from among seven first-time competitors, organizers say.

The prizes will be handed out as the Vendy Awards wind down after 15 years. The event has achieved its goal of highlighting street vendors' contributions to the Big Apple's cuisine and culture, according to the Street Vendor Project.

The Vendys have grown from four vendors in a warehouse in 2005 to more than two dozen cooking at last year's event, which drew more than 2,000 hungry attendees, organizers say.

Tickets for the 15th and final competition on Governors Island are on sale now for $100. The general admission pass gets attendees samples from 25 vendors and unlimited beer and wine. A $170 VIP ticket comes with an extra hour of eating and access to a special bar and tent.

Here are the vendors competing in the last-ever Vendy Awards.

All-Star Vendy Cup

• NY Dosa
• King of Falafel and Shawarma
• Tony Dragon's Grill
• Patacon Pisao
• The Cinnamon Snail
• King's Souvlaki
• Harlem Seafood Soul
• Anton's Dumplings
• Nansense
• Mystikk Masaala
• Lechonera La Piraña
• Guandong Cheong Fun
• Nuchas
• The Arepa Lady
• Chef Samir Truck (formerly Comme Ci Comme Ca)

Best Freshman

• Antojitos Doña Fela
• Kingston Food Truck
• Tong
• Terry + Yaki
• Mom's Momo
• Mak's Malaysian Food
• Birria-Landia

Best Dessert

• Waffles & Dinges
• Grilla In Manilla
• Dulcinea