This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending The 8th Annual Vendy Awards on Governor’s Island. It was a perfect, beautiful day too! It was also my first & hopefully not last year attending the Vendy’s. The entire subway ride to Governor’s Island Station I was preparing myself for how much food I’d be eating.

Just in case you didn’t know already, The Vendy Awards are an annual event organized by Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, a membership-based organization ofmore than 1,500 vendors. SVP’s famed Vendy Awards have determined New York City’s top street chef for 8 years, and have become one of the most beloved and widely-anticipated food events in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.

If you’ve seen my previous posts, you know I am a huge supporter of street vendors! I also constantly see their tweets so it was great to see some of the vendors I always read about in their zone and serving up their best dishes. It was a constant debate– sweet or savory? I had to have a little bit of both. It was a rough 5-6 hours of eating & I started my day with Uncle Gussy’s.  See some of my food pictures below:

It was great to be there on behalf of Small Chick Big Deals & New Fork City & meet more foodies including OMG Foodie, NYC Foodie Finder, & more! I have never been so overwhelmed by so much great food in my life! I have so much respect for food truck vendors because you can always see their passion in the food they make & how they approach their customers. I feel like bloggers, they are the underdog of the food industry but love what they do and may even do it better than people expect! I was really happy that I was able to try the Vendy cup winner before the awards started, I loved their dish!

Before I announce who the winners were, I want to share some pics my foodie friend, NYC Foodie Finder took, you can also follow her @nycfoodiefinder, see more, here:

Now without further a due, here are the winners of the Vendy awards:

The Vendy Cup: Piaztlan Authentic Mexican

Best Dessert: Melt Bakery

Best Market Vendor: Lumpia Shack

Rookie of the Year: Phil’s Steaks

People’s Taste Award: Cinnamon Snail

The Most Heroic Vendor award went  to Bay Ridge halal vendor Sammy Kassem, who was honored for withstanding immense opposition from anti-vendor business owners in his community.

It was the perfect day & event filled with food, meeting new friends, & of course quenching our thirst with some wine & GuS Soda! It was great to meet & see the vendors in action! Congrats to all the winners & nominees — keep it up!

I’ll be back with my coverage on the post Vendy’s NYCFTA Food Truck Rally soon enough!! These events were just the beginning!

TTFN– Happy Eating!!!

This past Friday was the unveiling of the #SCBD, Sarah Smile cupcake at Jarets Stuffed Cupcakes in Totowa, NJ. If you are an avid #SCBD follower you know I wrote about them this past March, see here. It was a great experience to team up with Maureen Jaret, the owner of Stuffed Cupcakes on my perfect cupcake. The Sarah Smile cupcake has vanilla & chocolate cake, caramel fondant inside, and is topped with vanilla frosting & a piece of caramel. It’s heaven, here are some pictures from the event:

For more pictures see the album on the Small Chick Big Deals Facebook, here.  All the photos were taken by Ayasha Roberson of Jerz Hot Spots!

As always, happy eating!

Here’s to having a sweet tooth!

I’m going to try to keep this up and post some of my favorite foodie quotes every Fridays. Here are some of my inspirational foodie quotes this week:

& for perspective:

I have a few posts on the way for here as well as Jersey Bites, New Fork City, and more!

Also don’t forget to RSVP to the events on my Facebook page for next week, I’ll be posting about them as well!!!

Have a great weekend, new posts soon!

’til next time, Happy Eating!

Last Friday I went out with my boyfriend, Jason to this local dive near his house now. I haven’t seen a place like it in New Jersey, cheap drinks (cocktails are $5 and beers are $3-4) and delicious food to eat, especially if you are a sucker for comfort food like I am. I’ve been there twice and my second experience just justified how great it is. Here are the reasons why Top O’ Th’ Hill is another one of my Jersey favorites!

Top O’ Th’ Hill Tavern (1182 US 202, Bridgewater, NJ)

Customer Service: 5- If your sitting behind the bar, Jim will most likely take care of you. He knows everything about the restaurant and takes care of all the customers. Everyone is attentive because they serve a lot of locals.

Atmosphere: 5- It’s definitely a dive, a few tables and a big bar in the middle towards the back. They have a huge tv near the bar that usually has sports on. It works very well for it. They have a lot of memorabilia up too, it’s very local but that’s what I love about it.

Food/Drink Quality: 5- I was actually more impressed than I thought by the food. The first time I went I split the boneless fried chicken with Jason’s mom and Jason had a burger. The dinners are huge by the way, big enough to split and come with two sides which range from cucumber salad to potato pancakes. We were silent the entire time because it was so delicious. The second time I came I had the crab cakes and had leftovers because it was huge. I want the recipe for the cucumber salad, it’s so delicious.

The bar is very typical. They have a great beer selection which includes blue moon and they also have some craft beers. But if you like cocktails you have to get their signature cocktails, the Tennis Ball or Red Death. My personal favorite is Red Death now. It’s a great mix of juices and liquors. It would be a sin to go and not get at least one of those cocktails. Jason even got the inside on the recipes so we can make them at home when we can’t come in, which probably won’t be often since I love it at Top O’ Th’ Hill.

Price: $- You can definitely get dinner for two for $40 or less depending on how much you eat or drink. Entrees are no less than $15 and the appetizers are budget friendly. Their signature cocktails are $5, strong & delicious.

Final Score: 15/15- I highly recommend going to Top O’ Th’ Hill Tavern if you are in the Bridgewater/Bedminster area. You’ll get your money’s worth of food (portions are huge) and drinks are top notch plus it’s a great little date spot. They also have a band every Friday night for entertainment. I love this place and try to go to at least once on a Friday or Saturday, since they are closed on Sunday’s,  when I’m staying by Jason.

The Red Death at Top O’ Th’ Hill Tavern, Bridgewater

Cucumber Salad

Crab Cake Dinner

If you are in the Bridgewater area and stop in let me know if you agree!

Top O’ Th’ Hill is everything that my blog stands for: great local food, great drinks at a great price, and a friendly staff to top it off.

Look out for me covering: NYC, Hoboken & more!

Also I’ll be guest blogging for Carter Int’l Concierge, contributing for Jersey Bites & New Fork City, be on the look out. Links will be on this page as well! There will also be more interviews & recipes in the near future. Can’t wait tell you more of what’s in store. Make sure you’re following @smchickbigdeals on Twitter and a fan on Facebook!

‘Til next time…

Happy Eating!

 Who doesn’t love pie?!

I know I can’t deny an ooey, gooey piece of pie especially if there is chocolate in it! This is the perfect pie to bring to any Fourth of July BBQ or party you’ll be attending!

So a few weeks ago after being inspired by Apron Anxiety and determined to cook again one of my co-workers told me about this super easy pie to make. It’s called Hello Dolly Pie. I was able to make two for about $20 in ingredients which isn’t too bad. It was a hit when I brought it to work and when my family had it!

Hello Dolly Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 premade or homemade graham cracker crust
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• 1 cup of chopped pecans
• 1 cup of flaked coconut
• 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350* 
2. Make or unwrap graham cracker crust.
3. Insert 1 cup of each dry ingredient (in order as listed above)
4. Top with can of sweetened condensed milk
5. Let it bake in the oven for 20 minutes
6. Let it cool for a few hours, when it’s totally cool, cut and enjoy!!!

It’s delicious and you can be creative with what you put in it. I know I want to put in peanut butter and chocolate chips next time I make it!

So next time you’re bored and want to bake, try it and let me know if you like it!!!

Happy Eating & don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth

…’til next time!

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Peace, love, and Happy Eating!

PS: I have an exclusive interview on the way tonight! #smallchickbigdeals

I did my Cinco de Mayo grocery shopping yesterday and had to decide whether i should go to Trader Joe’s, Wal-Mart, Aldi, or Stop & Shop. After deliberating for a few minutes I decided on Trader Joe’s because I know they have pretty good deals and good quality food, but I was a little apprehensive since it was my first time getting beef and I was worried it might’ve been out of my budget, but I was wrong.

There are plenty of a Trader Joe’s locations on the East Coast so I recommend you stop by sometime. There are way to many reasons why I love Trader Joe’s so I’ve decided to narrow it down to a top 5.

Top 5 Reasons why #smallchickbigdeals loves Trader Joe’s:

1. It’s economically friendly: I spent less than 20 dollars yesterday and got juice, ground beef, taco seasoning, 2 apples, and 2 kiwis.  In other words, they have great deals and there prices won’t break your wallet.

2. The food is great quality: I’ve never had anything I’ve been disappointed with at Trader Joe’s. Not only is most of there food healthy but its delicious. They also have some great frozen meals in their freezer section.

3. SAMPLES!!!: If you come in hungry, don’t worry they have samples!!! They usually have a frozen entree (thats cooked) to sample along with a desert and they always have small cups of coffee available to drink while you get your groceries.

4. Amazing Customer Service: I was in awe when I saw they sold ground beef by the pound so I asked someone who worked there if the price I saw was really the price. They kindly said yes and was eager to answer my questions.

5. Two Buck Chuck: Unfortunately the location I went to did not have alcohol. But some locations have wine and beer. Trader Joe’s is known for its “2 buck chuck” aka 2 buck wine! Now what can be better than that? I’ve had it before and it tastes great!

Hope you stop by a Trader Joe’s next time you see one nearby!

Happy Eating

Hey everyone! Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve posted a new review, but they will be up shortly. Expect some Tasti D Lite, Cups, Havana Lounge in Hoboken & more! I decided to switch my post up this time to quick and easy recipes that won’t break your budget.

These recipes are for none other than Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo has been one of my favorite holidays to celebrate while I’ve been in college. Every year two of my friends and I celebrate together and with our other friends. It’s been our tradition since freshman year. Our celebration has evolved from simple chips, dip, and drinks to celebrate to chili, tacos, and homemade sangria. This may seem expensive but these recipes are really easy to make and won’t break your budget.

Here’s a simple slow cooker chili recipe:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) black beans
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• onion powder
• Pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Brown ground beef in skillet; drain excess fat. Combine remaining ingredients with ground beef in slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Makes 6 servings.

That’s just one of many chili recipes, you can find alternates online, especially if you are a vegetarian, etc. This year my friends and I are having chips, salsa, and making homemade tacos. Tacos are a quick and easy recipe. Another easy recipe that won’t cost you a ton is to make homemade sangria. I made it last year and it was a huge success with everyone who came. I looked up some recipes online and made my own recipe. Also since I am half Colombian I was able to find out how some of my relatives make their Sangria. Here’s a sample recipe:

Sangria is very easy to prepare, the longer you let it sit the more of a fruity flavor it has. You can use either white or red wine depends on your preference. It will be nice and cold to serve the next day or later in the week!

 Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 small glass of fruit juice
• 3 shots apple schnapps
• 3 shots of rum of choice
• 1 lime, sliced (optional)
• 1 lemon, sliced (optional)
• 2 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
• 3 ripe green apples seeded and cut into wedges
• 1-2 bottles of white or red wine.
• 1 pint raspberries or blueberries

Directions

Combine sugar, schnapps, rum, lime, lemon, peaches and apples in a large pitcher. Cover with 1-2 bottles of wine of choice. and chill sangria several hours. To serve, spoon fruit into glasses and then pour sangria out of pitcher and its ready to serve. This recipe is meant for a large pitcher but if using a smaller pitcher use ingredients to your liking!

 Hope you all enjoy these cinco de mayo recipes and can use them when you get together with your friends! Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Eating

As you know I love cupcakes and I love to review them. This morning I had the pleasure of being in SoHo and was super close to Georgetown *DC* Cupcake so of course I stopped by before I headed home! I was very impressed with my experience, I’ll tell you why…

Georgetown Cupcake (111 Mercer St, New York, NY 10012)

Customer Service: 5– Everyone who worked there was friendly and informative. I was able to speak to the GM quickly too. Everyone was up beat and willing to answer any questions.

Atmosphere: 5– There was just enough room for people to sit. Three round table which had a view of Mercer Street. Of course today it was beautiful out so it was even more enjoyable. The music they played was great and definitely helped the atmosphere.

Cupcake Quality: 5– I rarely ever give a 5, but I was really impressed. FYI Georgetown Cupcake is a new competitor in the corporate #CupcakeContest! I enjoyed the free cupcake of the day: Chocolate Salted Caramel with a coffee. It was delicious. It was decent sized and had just enough filling inside and the cake was great! I got a few to go as well.

Price: $ — Now you’d expect a place like Georgetown Cupcake to be expensive since the founders and owner have their tv show– DC Cupcakes. But no, each cupcake is sold for $2.75 which I think is decent compared to most places in the city. I’d definitely buy them for a holiday or party.

Final Score: 15/15– As I mentioned earlier they are now in my corporate #CupcakeContest and giving Crumbs some competition. The price and taste can’t be beat and the service is top notch!  If you’re in SoHo you’re crazy if you don’t stop in. They have tons of flavor choices and I’m sure you’ll find a cupcake you like! I highly recommend it!

Happy Eating & Stay Sweet!

Last week I had the pleasure of eating at tons of great places, which only means that there are tons of reviews on the way. If you haven’t read my post on contests, you should. I won a gift card to Joe’s Crab Shack awhile ago and decided to go with my boyfriend Jason this past week & it was a great experience.

Joe’s Crab Shack (various locations)

Customer Service: 5– The service was excellent and our waiter friendly and on top of everything.

Atmosphere/Cleanliness: 4.5 — The atmosphere was nice, but it was really crowded and we had about an hour wait (the location we went to just opened) but it was a fun atmosphere.

Food/Drink Quality: 5– For a chain I was pretty impressed, since I’m from the Jersey shore I love good local seafood and I felt like I was eating just that. Jason and I got the Joe’s classic steampot and it was good. We also got the double dip appetizer which was great. It had both spinach & artichoke dip and their famous crab dip. We both loved the crab dip and the spinach & artichoke dip was pretty good.

Price: $$$– Joe’s Crab Shack is definitely not a cheap place and you really need to save up or be prepared before you go but it’s worth the money and if you live in a place where you can’t get seafood easily I recommend you go to one nearby.

Final Score: 14.5/15– I recommend you take a trip if there’s a Joe’s near you! The food is great, atmosphere is fun it’s just a bit pricey and you may have a wait!

Happy Eating!