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Best Street Food in New York is the 'Wurst'

The first-ever "Vendy" award given to New York City's best street food vendors went to a sausage stand.
Jesse Baker, NPR
The first-ever "Vendy" award given to New York City's best street food vendors went to a sausage stand.
"Vendy" winner Rolf Babiel's bratwurst cart is located on W. 54th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City.
Jesse Baker, NPR /
"Vendy" winner Rolf Babiel's bratwurst cart is located on W. 54th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City.

: It comes as no surprise to New Yorkers that some of the best food in the city is served on its sidewalks. New York City is home to thousands of food stands and carts, which hawk everything from pretzels to kielbasa sausage, falafel and even vegan delights.

Last week, a cook-off was held in Manhattan to honor the men and women who help keep the pace of lunch in the city down to a New York minute. The competition was held to raise awareness for the Urban Justice Center's Street Vendors Project, which supports the city's estimated 10,000 food and merchandise vendors, many of whom have been targeted by the business community for removal from New York's crowded thoroughfares.

Food fans wrote letters nominating their favorite street corner food slayer. From hundreds of candidates, four finalists were chosen to face off in a large make-shift loft on East 4th Street where pushcarts are stored.

NPR's Jesse Baker stopped by to get a taste of the competition.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jesse Baker