Cart, Food and Vendor

The trinity of cart, food and vendor and the meaning and importance of street food are being re-examined. Those who believe that mustard, ketchup and relish are the way to nirvana are being challenged.

Whilst Toronto City Council ponders Ontario's new street food vending regulations and the exciting cart vending projects and other initiatives seeking greater food diversity are underway, lets not forget the guy or gal behind the grill.

I am grateful to Jennifer Bain, Toronto Star Food Editor, who today mentions in her column a short documentary about Marianne Moroney, who has run a hot dog cart outside Mount Sinai Hospital for nine years. Watch this video and ask yourself if street vending is an important element of city life and urban planning.

It may be a little premature, while we are still fed only a strick diet of pre-cooked meat on a bun, to commence awards similar to the Vendy Awards, held by Sean Basinski's (lawyer and former Mexican food vendor @ Park Avenue and 52nd Street) New York based Street Vendor Project.

I am hopeful that when we come to recognize a greater diversity of both cart and food on Toronto's streets, that the individual vendor and his or her unique contribution to our streetscape are not forgotten.

Photograph above © Michael Fletcher [Flickr.com]