The Oscars ceremony had nothing on the tension in the Clarence Hotel when the winners of the Taste of Temple Bar awards were announced on Wednesday night. As the judges and restaurateurs mingled, nerves were beginning to show - designer and judge Marc O'Neill commented that he was going to have to scarper after the announcements for fear that he would be lynched by angry chefs crying "What does a frock-maker know about food?"
In the event, there was no need for a lynch mob as most people seemed pleased with the choice of the judges, who also included writer Clare McKeon, the chief executive of Dublin Tourism, Frank Magee, wine writer Jacinta Delahaye and chairman John McKenna. The top award went to The Mermaid Cafe in Dame Street, whose proprietors, Ben Gorman and Mark Harrell, seemed delighted if a little fazed by the bank of photographers.
They were presented with a Raymond Kinghan teapot by the English food writer and broadcaster, Sophie Grigson. Sophie was on a flying visit - long enough for the award ceremony and for her husband to visit the fish market in Smithfield at dawn. That's not quite as odd as it may seem - he is a fish expert and he and Sophie are currently working on a book about fish.
Other foodies and Temple Bar groupies at the awards included Jay Burke and Eoin Foyle of Meeting House Square's Eden restaurant; a radiant Laura Magaghy of Temple Bar Properties, whose baby is due in two weeks; Aileen Corkery of Temple Bar Galleries and countless chefs and restaurant owners, including those from the other winning restaurants - Les Freres Jacques, Fitzers, Da Pino and The Old Mill.
After months of good meals and furious discussion, one can only suppose that the panel of judges was delighted to get out of Temple Bar - and head to Cooke's Cafe - for a celebratory meal.