Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern (Getty Images)

At last night’s James Beard Awards for chefs, a spirit of camaraderie suffused the air like the steam from a stock pot.

Wolfgang Puck, when asked for whom he was rooting, replied: “Except myself, I don’t know! In a way, it’s just like the Oscars, with the movies. You root for this one, root for that one. It’s hard just to root for one person.”

Nominee Michael White, of Marea, told us, “Everybody in my group—I’m rooting for them all. I’m prepared to lose. We’ve all put our dues in in hot kitchens.” While Mr. White would later lose the Best Chef in New York prize to Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, he’d already received another honor. He reported to us that Mr. Puck and Mayor Bloomberg had both dined in his restaurant over the weekend.

Celebrity chef Todd English declined to choose a favorite in a different way, citing two recent outstanding meals enjoyed overseas. One was chicken with foie gras at Danish favorite Noma, the other a crêpe with duck confit and foie gras at a little joint in Paris. “I guess there’s a foie gras theme there,” said Mr. English, who was unconcerned that anti-foie gras protests would ever endanger his preferred paté. Speaking of past PETA entreaties, he said: “I haven’t gotten those letters lately. It’s not as harmful as they say. We’ve been eating animals for a long time. There’s nothing pretty about it.”

French Laundry chef Thomas Keller, on the other hand, declined to cite a recent favorite meal at all, mentioning only the experience of enjoying good company over a table. “The table is about sharing. Without sharing food and wine, you’re not really having the experience,” he said. “I think we get a little carried away with this idea of pilgrimages and it’s a religion. It’s just food. Get over it.”

His advice was hardly taken in the press room, where a swarm of food journalists noshed on caviar and cured ham as the show was broadcast, inaudibly, on a closed-circuit TV. Ted Allen, a winner at Friday’s media awards for his television show Chopped, told us he wasn’t surprised to have won, given that his fellow nominees Ming Tsai and Jacques Pepin had won before. “I think there’s kind of a momentum that goes into awards shows. I thought that might play in our favor. We’ve been doing really well in the ratings and people are talking about us.”

Mr. Allen expressed a fondness for wd-50's Wylie Dufresne, noting that Mr. Dufresne’s cuisine seems intimidatingly modern but that “there was a time when holding a stick and putting meat over a fire was modern.” Mr. Allen wore his James Beard Award as a medal over his chest despite its three-day-old vintage. We suggested he never take it off.

“I should wear it to my next contract negotiation!” he replied.