8 vendors face off at the Piazza at Schmidts in Philadelphia for a good cause

Nabil Akkeh and his King of Falafel kitchen will be competing tomorrow at the Piazza. (ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff photographer)

By LAUREN McCUTCHEON, mccutch@phillynews.com 215-854-5991

Posted: July 08, 2011

USED TO BE, eating off a food truck meant grabbing a kielbasa or some General Tso's - or, if you were feeling reckless, a gyro. These days, thanks to the recession and the culinary world's teenagerlike eagerness to follow trends, Philly has a growing fleet of gourmet trucks that serve up delicacies like pork bulgagi and buttercream cupcakes. This weekend, old-school carts meet their tweeting newbie counterparts in our city's first-ever Vendy (as in "vendor") Awards, a competitive celebration of sidewalk grub.

The Vendys were born seven years ago in New York City as a fundraiser for the Street Vendor Project, a rights organization for street-side sellers. Today, NYC's street-fare smackdown attracts about 1,200 Big-Apple munchers.

This year, L.A. hosted its first Vendy Awards. On Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m., Philly will have its day.

Here's how it'll go: Eight local food carts will park in Northern Liberties' Piazza at Schmidt's, where they'll serve sample-size specialties to 500 to 600 ticket holders. And, just in case you might be interested, there will be a beer truck.

Eaters will eat their hearts out - seconds are permitted, provided you get back in line - and vote for favorites via paper ballots.

There will be judges, too - the mayor, a coupla chefs, a few food writers and healthy-food champion Lindsay Lidge - a/k/a Mrs. Brad Lidge - who will dive in, then weigh in.

The winner in regular-folk voting gets the "People's Choice" award. The judge's pick takes home the coveted Vendy Cup. And the Food Trust, a Philly nonprofit that promotes local food, farmers and purveyors, gets the proceeds.

Vendy Awards, 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Piazza at Schmidt's, 1015 N. 2nd St. Ticket prices range from $55 ($35 kids) to $500 for a "Platinum Sponsorship." Grab a friends- and-family four-pack for $165. Find out more at streetvendor.org/vendys/philly.

See a chart here of the competitors.