"Last time I had butterflies like this it was at St. Anne's 8th grade dance," Bryan Caswell tweeted just before he hit the red carpet at the James Beard Awards, the American culinary world's version of the Oscars, wearing his slickest suit and a kelly green ribbon that marked him as a nominee. Caswell didn't take home the win (it went to Claude Le Tohic of Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas), but when it comes to the James Beard Awards, it really is an honor just to be nominated.

It's also easier to stomach that with a full belly — as Caswell turned his Beard trip into his own New York culinary adventure.

Hitting the ceremony at Lincoln Center, Caswell tweeted increduously that he was standing in the red carpet line between Jacques Pépin and José Andrés. Other chefs he was excited to meet? "Rick Moonen ... gosh, there were so many I can't even remember," Caswell told CultureMap in a phone interview from New York. The awards may have started early, but it sounds like the chefs made it a very late night.

While we may never get a coveted invite to Bon Appetit's Chefs Night Out party or walk the James Beard carpet, here's a rundown of the NYC spots the Reef chef checked out in the Big Apple.

Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria

New York Magazine says "San Francisco hotshot Nate Appleman joins forces with Keith McNally on a project sure to shatter the current crusty status quo. Appleman made his name at A16 and won a Beard award but has yet to encounter New York’s pizza partisans." Of course, with a pedigree like that, this place is much, much more than a pizzeria, with steak, scallops, fazzoletti and the crema gelato sundae all recommended by Sam Sifton.

Caswell dropped in for brunch and got the roasted grapefruit with muscovado sugar and mint.

Roberta's

A Brooklyn warehouse joint in the only recently gentrified neighborhood of Bushwick, Roberta's pizzeria is as known for it's foodie-ready pies, salumi and classic dinner entrees like sweetbreads and squab as they are for their organic backyard garden and rooftop greenhouse, plus the live music and hordes of hot young things. Caswell took pics of the testa with honeyed sourdough, oxtail terrine with pickled ramps, sea urchin with buratta and pea shoots, and the roast aged rib steak platter, tweeting "holy smokes this place is good!"

Marea

The day before it won the prestigious James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, Caswell hit up Central Park South's Marea. Since opening a year ago, chef Michael White has already earned a Michelin star and three stars from The New York Times for his elevated, modern coastal Italian cuisine.

Má Pêche

After the awards, revelers hit the new Midtown spot by David Chang (of Momofuku fame), Má Pêche, a multi-level and multi-concept space focusing on "Asian-inflected bistro staples." Of course, according to Grub Street, with the gaggle of top chefs, it was more of a "pork-rind-fueled frat party" complete with keg stands and flip-cup.

Eleven Madison Park

The grande dame of fine dining in the Flatiron district (and a Danny Meyer proprty) Eleven Madison Park's soaring art deco dining room puts out the ne plus ultra of modern French cuisine. But aside from chef Daniel Humm's new Beard for Best Chef: New York, you'd never know it from the packed Beard after party crowd.

Grub Street's report: "The ersatz dance floor was packed, the bar was a free-for-all, and Daniel Boulud (who picked up Outstanding Restaurant for Daniel) dancing on a table, was spraying everyone (including Thomas Keller) with champagne."