Now to the prestige picks, the ones New Yorkers themselves chose. TONY editor-in-chief Michael Freidson noted at the beginning of the evening (after some deadpan role-playing as Tom Colicchio) that this was a record year for voting, with over 17,000 ballots cast. Thanks to everyone who participated (and if you didn’t, there’s always next year).

Let’s be honest, this is no make-or-break moment for these chefs, but there is legitimately more buzz before the readers’ awards. There’s a little more suspense, more vigorous applause. I’ll offer a few highlights:

* Mermaid Waverly Inn won for Best place to be seen. Stunned guests immediately compared it to Crash for biggest awards-night upset. [NOTE: Thanks to Grub Street for helpfully calling out my initial gaffe. This is why I don't actually cover the dining scene.]

* Hill Country won best barbecue (a vigorously contested category in recent times, as any observant city diner could attest). This award also comes with a mild caveat, in that Hill Country changed pit masters a couple of months ago (from Robbie Richter to Pete Daversa). While our Eat Out folks express full admiration for both men, it’s hard to know whether readers were responding to the old master’s work or the new.

* Huckleberry Bar won Best new bar. Ace Eat Out reporter Jordana Rothman described Huckleberry to me as a potentially "tide-changing" establishment, in that it’s a shade more upscale than one would expect from the Burg. Or, as Rothman put it to me, "it’s not your typical Pabst-swilling whatever." Amen to that!

Read all the Readers’ picks here.