The last time we checked in on the 5th Avenue food cart battle, elected officials including Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and City Councilman Vincent Gentile had begun to weigh in. Then Brooklyn Paper’s Will Bredderman reported the news that Sammy Kassen – who doesn’t actually have a vendor permit, was renting his Middle Eastern Halal Cart from the permit holder which, according to city law, is illegal.

But that didn’t stop the Vendy Awards – an annual rundown of the best mobile food vendors in NYC, from naming Kassen the “Most Heroic Vendor” of 2012 for defending his turf from an alliance of brick and mortar businesses organized by Lone Star Bar owner Tony Gentile [no relation to Councilman Gentile] called Save Our Streets. Continue reading »