40 The Queens Courier • SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com LICFLEA&FOOD LIC Flea vendors up for Vendy Awards ITIZY www.itizy.com Itizy offers four to five flavors of their handcrafted ice cream and one sherbet flavor. Ice Cream Pops are also introduced with a shell of white chocolate and candy and ice cream inside. Itizy can be found at LIC Flea every Sunday. “It’s been great at the Flea,” said co-owner Ann Yu. “It’s fun to have that interaction with customers.” Along with sharing their treats, Itizy also gives back by donating one meal for every five scoops to children in developing countries. These children receive school meals that also serve as a means to receive an education. KHAO MAN GAI NY www.facebook.com/KhaoManGaiNY Only started four months ago, Khao Man Gai NY has been selling Thai street food, including its signature dish and namesake, khao man gai, one of the most popular one plate meals in all of Thailand, at the LIC Flea & Food. Eric and Emorn Henshaw, the husband and wife team behind Khao Man Gai NY, started the business after Eric moved to New York from Thailand and longed for a familiar dish. Khao man gai consists of organic chicken poached with garlic and ginger, Jasmine rice cooked with the poaching liquid and Thai herbs, served with a salty, sweet, sour, and spicy balanced sauce that ties the whole dish together, and a soup for sipping between bites. Khao Man Gai NY can be found at LIC Flea both Saturdays and Sundays. “LIC Flea has been great,” said Eric. “It’s been kind of an education process, teaching the customers what the dish is.” LUKE’S LOBSTER www.lukeslobster.com Not being able to find a good lobster roll in New York, Luke Holden decided to bring a taste of Maine to the Big Apple. With a total of 11 locations, Luke’s Lobster now has six locations in New York City, plus a city food truck. For LIC Flea & Food, Luke’s Lobster does a popup shop menu including lobster roll, crab roll, shrimp roll, chips and sodas. Depending on their catering calendar, Luke’s is at the Flea every Saturday and Sunday. “We really didn’t know what to expect and we have been very well received,” said Lauren Gibson, director of catering and events for Luke’s Lobster. “It’s just a lot of fun to be part of it.” POPITBABY www.popitbaby.com Partners Jackie Walsh and Christopher Twele have been working for over a year on their popsicle project, sending out their first popsicle truck just a month ago. All of their products are created at Organic Food Incubator, a site with 16 different kitchens all using and producing organic products. Pop It Baby offers unique, refreshing flavors, such as watermelon mint, mojito, chai tea, honeydew basil blueberry and much more. Twele and Walsh’s trucks can be found throughout Long Island City, and they are ecstatic to be a part of the LIC Flea. Four LIC Flea & Food vendors are not only shining at the market. Luke’s Lobster, Itizy, Popitbaby and Khao Man Gai NY are each finalists at the 9th Annual Vendy Awards taking place this Saturday, September 7 from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at 116 39th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Each year finalists come with their food trucks or carts to serve their treats for judges and attendees. The event, emceed by Negin Farsad, also includes beer, wine, non-alcoholic drink, tables and chairs, live music, performances and a raffle. The day will end with a ceremony awarding the winners. Luke’s Lobster, which could be found at the Flea almost every Saturday and Sunday, is nominated for this year’s Vendy Cup. “We’re super excited and we’ve been preparing,” said Lauren Gibson, director of catering and events for Luke’s Lobster. “I’m also looking forward to trying all the other food and I’m really excited to see what other people are bringing to the plate.” Itizy, found at the Flea on Sundays, is going up for the Dessert Award for its handcrafted ice cream and sorbet. “People love our ice cream and it’s really great to see that in the nomination,” said Itizy co-owner Ann Yu. “This will be for us to really show people not just our ice cream, but what we are really all about.” Within only four months of starting the business, Khao Man Gai NY was nominated in the Market category. “We were super excited,” said Khao Man Gai NY co-owner Eric Henshaw. “It’s going to be a great day, everyone that is there is excited to try your food. I think it’s going to be a really good energy, it should be a good day.” Popitbaby, which started only one month ago, has also been nominated for the Dessert Award. On the official website for the event, the Vendy Awards are described as “a festival of respect and gratitude for all vendors an everything they provide us.” The awards also serve as a fundraiser for The Street Vendor Project, a membershipbased non-profit organization started to serve and stand up for the rights of New York City vendors. LIC Flea vendor Luke’s Lobster is one of the finalists at the 9th Annual Vendy Awards this Saturday in Brooklyn along with vendors Itizy, Popitbaby and Khao Man Gai NY.
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