Nicole Byer Reveals the 'Worst Thing' She Tasted on Nailed It!: 'Truly Wild' (Exclusive)

Like many comedians, Nicole Byer got her start at the wildly popular Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB). But little did she know that in a few years, she would become a big name in the cooking competition game, specifically on Netflix’s hit series, Nailed It!.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on behalf of Resy and American Express, Byer says that her career path hasn’t been exactly what she envisioned — but that’s totally okay with her.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Nailed It! would be as big as it was, or that I'd be known for hosting a food show,” she says. “But honestly, it's really f---ing cool.”

Of course Nailed It! isn’t like other cooking shows, with gourmet-level food to judge. The competitors have their fair share of baking fails as they try to replicate famous desserts.

“It's always memorable when someone makes something that you're like, ‘This is actually good,’" laughs Byer. "But, one of the most memorable dishes, which came during an early season, was particularly memorable for all the wrong reasons. "

“[A contestant] made a unicorn cake. And half of it was baked, half of it was not baked," she recalls. "So it was truly wild to put cake and goop in your mouth, and then be like, ‘I have to judge this?’ And also, This might not be the worst thing I put in my mouth today?" 

Now, Byer is looking forward to hosting an event with a bit higher quality food. She is partnering with Resy and American Express to host The American Express Gold Card and Resy Present: Dip into Gold, which is taking place on Saturday, Sept. 30. Guests will be able to try dishes from various popular New York spots, including: Foul Witch, gertrude’s, Laser Wolf, Lure Fishbar, Jacob’s Pickles, Potluck Club, Ras Plant Based, Seoul Salon NYC, Sylvia’s, Shuka, Stretch Pizza, and Yellow Rose.

Byer says she isn’t looking forward to trying any specific dish but rather “getting to taste everything” — with the unspoken promise of forgoing any goopy cake. 

“When they asked me to be a part of it, I was like, 'Of course. This sounds like so much fun,'" Byer says.

Byer has been a big fan of cooking shows for quite a while. She loves Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives — telling PEOPLE she plans to emulate the likes of Guy Fieri at the “Dip Into Gold” event — and thinks Gordon Ramsey is “kind of hot” on Hell’s Kitchen. But her real guilty pleasure is watching Kids Baking Championship. 

“There's something about a kid in a fedora, being like, ‘I want to make my dad proud,’ and then he's crying the next second, because something he made got all messed up,” she says. “It makes me sound like the Grinch, where I'm like, ‘I love watching children's dreams get dashed.’"

Tickets for Resy and American Express' Dip Into Gold event can be purchased here.