Hugh, consider me a lover. You're awesome and hilarious. I live in Atlanta and I love Empire State South. Your "In Jars" appetizers are so good...that boiled peanut hummus is amazing! As our fellow Atlantan (since we must claim her, unfortunately) NeNe says, "Hey, haters!" Forget them! Please, please, go on Watch What Happens Live with Andy...

Yep, count me in as a non-hater! Chef you rock, your witty and sly blogs are the highlight of the Top Chef Texas website mixing great culinary insights and wicked observations. Reality TV should be about the actual event not the observers who take themselves too seriously, it's organized reality for heaven's sake and your irreverence is a welcome relief from some of the more self-aggrandizing blogs...and my vote is for Dakota by the way, love Nyesha too, her win on Chef Hunter was a blast to watch so it's neck and neck between the Ink-Goddess and the "no crying in culinary" Queen.

Yep, count me in as a non-hater! Chef you rock, your witty and sly blogs are the highlight of the Top Chef Texas website mixing great culinary insights and wicked observations. Reality TV should be about the actual event not the observers who take themselves too seriously, it's organized reality for heaven's sake and your irreverence is a welcome relief from some of the more self-aggrandizing blogs...and my vote is for Dakota by the way, love Nyesha too, her win on Chef Hunter was a blast to watch so it's neck and neck between the Ink-Goddess and the "no crying in culinary" Queen.

One more fan for Team 'Love.' Hugh, just let me know when I should have the t-shirts printed. I liked you on TCM, but didn't really appreciate your biting humor or become a superfan until now. Question: do you watch the show with a different eye when not judging the episode?

My wife and I both heartily agree you're a great addition to the TC judging/blogging team, and we were big fans of yours on TC Masters.

Season 9 looks to be fantastic. Thanks for all the intelligent insight and dry, witty humor.

Richie blew it.

You're halarious! Thank you for this blog! Look forward to more episodes then your break down of them.

Sad ending though, you can see the passion Richie has. I like that there were two chefs (Chris and Richie) from the same restaurant, it gives a more real perspective of food and bev.

Add me to team "love". I really look forward to your blogs after each episode. Thanks for the pure delight and entertainment. Geez, you better be on the next episode!

Thank you for the chili/chile comment. Commenter Wayne, above, look up "chile" in a culinary dictionary and you'll see the proper definition. (I'm a cookbook editor, so I see this a lot.) Great blog; the smart and funny analysis helps us to appreciate the show in a whole new way.

Agree with your chile/chili assessment. It drives me insane as well. And enchiladas are properly made with corn tortillas, though I have seen it done with flour (raw dough anyone??).

Richie didn't get enough sleep OR he didn't wear enough headbands simultaneously. I always wear four pair of underpants simultaneously in the event that I must cook without 72 hours of sleep.

Hugh, I'm a total non-hater, I love your one-eyebrowed brand of sarcasm. Yours is the only blog I need to read for the inside track. Hope to also see you back on the show soon.

Love your blog Hugh.. loving the sarcasm. I am always giggling to myself each week while my roommates stare at me wondering why I'm so into Top Chef.

Love this season.. really liking the chefs and how they are getting along (besides Heather). And I just moved to the South so I am learning more about their way of cooking.

Don't know where Lois eats, but 12 years LIVING in AZ and 6 LIVING in NM and the obvious crossover with TX and enchiladas are corn, burros/burritos are wheat. In the "southeast" and Appalachia, though, this has not been the case, so I can see where he would have needed advice.

"Its chile time. This is spelled as chili on the signs. I hate that, though it is accepted usage."

"To me chili is the meat dish and chile is the vegetable of the nightshade family."

I agree with the second statement, but that means that the signs got it right. It was a chili (meat dish) cook off, not a chile pepper (vegetable) cook off. Aren't you contradicting yourself?

". “Authentic” is tossed around a lot. I find when people say “authentic” about food then it usually isn’t. "

THANK YOU HUGH!!! :)