Contacts: Lorraine Gimblett Joanne Jordan Jennifer Lea Cohan (917) 523-2327 (917) 673-9305 (917) 549-7574 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] MEET THE 2012 PHILLY VENDY AWARDS EMCEE, JUDGES AND FINALISTS Vendy Cup, Best Dessert To Be Determined by Philly Food Impresarios Philadelphia, PA – July 23, 2012 – Nominees have been chosen and the emcee is on board. The battle will take place Saturday, July 28, 2012, 3:00-7:00 p.m. at The Lot @ 39th and Market. “The People” will designate a “People’s Choice’’, but winners of the coveted Vendy Cup and Best Dessert? That power is in the hands of five local food stars. In alphabetical order: Collin Flatt - editor of Eater Philly, and the first and only editor of NBC’s now-defunct The Feast, and before that, Phoodie.info. He teaches classes at The Wine School of Philadelphia, is a beer consultant for bars, and an educator at The Beer School of Philadelphia. Anna Goldfarb (Emcee) – A local author, humorist, and screenwriter, her first book, “Clearly, I Didn’t Think This Through” is a humor memoir about how terrible she is at being an adult. She writes the popular blog, Shmitten Kitten, and is a contributing writer to The Frisky and Hello Giggles. Tony Luke Jr. - Twice hailed by Gourmet Magazine for quality and innovation, and covered by GQ, The New York Times and scores of other media, Tony Luke’s redefined the Philly Sandwich experience with specialty favorites. Under his helm, the business has expanded into eight premier locations, making it one of the biggest success stories of the Philadelphia dining renaissance of the last two decades. Joy Manning – Former restaurant critic for Philadelphia Magazine, Manning is a food writer specializing in restaurant coverage, recipe development, and culinary culture. Her work has appeared in Details, Food & Wine, Relish, Cooking Light, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Serious Eats. She is the co-author of “Almost Meatless” and most recently, worked at Prevention magazine as nutrition editor. Lari Robling – Former food critic for the Philadelphia Daily News, and author of the internationally acclaimed cookbook “Endangered Recipes”, Robling produces sound-rich audio food segments for WHYY radio, and created a series of podcasts on the history of French cuisine for the American Philosophical Society Museum. Marcie Turney - One of Philadelphia’s most prominent entrepreneurs, Chef Turney has worked for nearly a decade with partner Valerie Safran to transform the 13th Street neighborhood into Midtown Village. Their businesses include restaurants Barbuzzo, Lolita and Jamonera; gourmet prepared food market Grocery, and lifestyle boutiques Open House and Verde, which is home to Turney’s signature line of chocolates, Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. *ABOUT THE FINALISTS: • Delicias – Serves arepas and Venezuelan cuisine, with a strong focus on ‘choripan: spicy chorizo sandwiches with sweet plantains and caramelized onions. • The Foo Truck – Changing the way Asian food is consumed by serving trademarked ‘”foowiches”, including lemongrass chicken and green curry quinoa. • King of Falafel – Middle Eastern cuisine with some of the best chickpea fritters Philly has to offer. • Lil Dan's Gourmet – Italian and American fare. Specialties are meatball parm and sausage and pepper sandwiches. • Little baby's ice cream – Small batch, handmade premium ice cream and non-dairy desserts like birch beer vanilla bean and Earl Grey sriracha. • Lil Pop Shop – Delicious popsicles in unique flavors, including cantaloupe rose with goat cheese and chocolate salted brownie. • The Smoke Truck – Serves traditional Southern barbecue and soul food. Specialty is Carolina chopped pork. • Sugar Philly – Features macarons with interesting local flavors, including seasonal blueberry compote and tiramisu. • Sweet Box – Distinct and delicious one-of-a-kind cupcakes made with love, including red velvet with delectable cream cheese frosting. • Tacos Don Memo – Specializes in authentic Mexican, with tacos al pastor at the top of the list. • Vernalicious – Creates eclectic comfort food specializing in banh mi’s, and pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches. • Yumtown –Locally sourced menu influenced by Southern, Mexican and Asian cuisines. Popular items are Lancaster County pulled pork, and butternut squash and tofu sandwiches. Tickets for the Philadelphia Vendys, an all-you-can-eat event inclusive of beer and wine, can still be purchased at http://phillyvendys2012.eventbrite.com for $55 in advance and $60 day of event. The Vendy Awards are an annual event organized by The Street Vendor Project 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 eight years, becoming one of the most beloved and widely anticipated food events in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, the Vendy Awards will serve as a fundraiser for The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that strives to make healthy food available to all. Follow the Vendy Awards on Twitter for the latest news and announcements @vendysphilly and like them on Facebook at Vendy Awards. 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. To join their list of supporters, please click here. * Please note: these items are on the trucks daily and may not be served at The Vendys as each truck may want to create “extra special” specialties to wow the attendees and judges. .