Owners of Foodiecall NOLA show off their Vendy Award (photo: Facebook)

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Last Wednesday marked New Orleans’ first Vendy Awards, which crowns one local mobile food vendor king of the streets.

“Taceaux Loceaux is the first spot I hit of course. I love Taceaux Loceaux,” said Claudia Gehrke.

She was one of dozens who lined up at the French Market to get a taste of the New Orleans Vendy Awards.

“So far the brisket taco and the pull pork taco,” said Eric Brown, who is visiting from Kentucky.

From tacos to falafel to a cup of Yakamein, the dishes being served up showcased what’s become a growing food truck trend in New Orleans.

“I love the food vendor trucks. If it weren’t for them after Katrina. I probably would have starved in my neighborhood,” said Gehrke.

Nine local mobile food vendors spent the evening feeding a growing hungry crowd and hoping to win their votes.

The Vendy Awards, which lets foodies vote on their favorite vendor’s recipe, is part of the New York-based Street Vendor Project.

“We’re trying to build a national movement to support vendors, and New Orleans is a perfect fit for that,” said Helena Tubis with Street Vendor Project.

As these vendors try to work with the city to create new laws on where and how best to operate, on Wednesday night they had the greenlight to set up shop in the French Quarter to the delight of the crowd.

“I think food trucks are a great thing for the city. I think they provide an affordable option for people to eat,” said New Orleans resident Matthew Newman.

The winner of the’s competition was “Foodiecall Nola,” which won both the judge’s and people’s choice awards.

As for the proposed mobile food vendor law, it’s being reintroduced for a third time to the City Council on March 21. A vote on that pilot program is slated to happen in April.

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