I think the best response I've seen appeared here -- http://www.bloghouston.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6135#p6135
Edd often jokes on-air and in person about having "married above" himself-- anyone reading Nina Hendee's letter in the Houston Press in response to Robb Walsh could hardly disagree. Edd is merely a great guy. Nina is a class act.
In the interest of full disclosure I want to state clearly that I am both a close (radio and political) colleague of Edd Hendee and on a personal level enjoy a mentoring relationship with the man. Over the past year he has played a significant role in paying my bills, and the Taste of Texas is a primary paying advertiser on LoneStarTimes.com.
Which is mostly why I have held off writing anything until now, and why I have decided not to write anything over at LST. Whatever appears over there would quickly be dismissed as defensive propaganda.
But since you all have already weighed in, letters have already been published in the Houston Press, and anyone will be free to critique my points here without my having the power to exercise editorial control and "censor" those who disagree with me, I thought this would be a good forum and time to contribute my thoughts.
Robb Walsh is an elitist bigot, and his review of the Taste of Texas is was one of the most embarrassing examples of limousine liberalism I have ever witnessed.
I'm no fan of viewing everything through the lens of critical theory identity politics, but is it not painfully obvious how much class-prejudice and thinly veiled misogyny are evident in Walsh and his (male) dinner companion dismissing a condiment they were offered as something that "even" suburban housewives would consider passé?
Que horror, ziz iz not ayven feet for a seyboobin housewhiff!
And Walsh's elitist theme (oh hell, "motif") permeates the entire review, beginning with his condescending sniff at the iceberg lettuce in the salad bar. He conveniently fails to mention the more NPR-esque spinach and mixed greens options that are equally available to all.
For an advocate of authenticity and local culture, this supposed "Indiana Jones of food writers" seems awfully uncomfortable eating amongst Texas-heritage collectibles and people that are friendly towards and pray with Tom DeLay. Apparently his commitment to cross-cultural adventure and understanding doesn't extend to conservative Christians.
Most disgraceful of all was the following smear.
Robb Walsh wrote:
“Hendee took over the show when the previous self-righteous far-rightist, Jon Matthews, was arrested for exposing his genitals to an 11-year-old child. Hendee reportedly encouraged listeners to bring letters of sympathy to Taste of Texas so he could deliver them to his fellow conservative.”
Excuse me—he “reportedly” did this? So in other words, Walsh doesn't know Edd did this, he can't claim it as a fact that Edd did this, but someone once told him something about it "reportedly" happening.
Nice. Perhaps the next time Mr. Walsh wants to publicly accuses someone of having solicited letters of sympathy for an admitted sex offender he will discover the professional ethics and personal decency to first contact them and find out if what he “reportedly” knows is “actually” true?
Perhaps most intriguing is Walsh's assertion that despite the Taste of Texas having been "showered with awards" over the course of nearly three decades in business it has somehow "long ago slipped into the second tier."
Clearly Walsh doesn't think very highly of the readers of his very own paper, who have seen fit to name the Taste of Texas "Best of Houston" for three of the past six years—1998, 1999, and waaaay back in 2004.
Fortunately it is still a big country, with plenty of room for us all. The Taste of Texas can continue to prove its value in the free-market, where thousands of people choose of their own volition to part with millions of dollars every year in exchange for the food and experience Edd and Nina are offering.
And Mr. Walsh can keep on pursuing his bliss—a steakhouse full of pictures of naked women, employees with pierced tongues, caviar-drenched baked potatoes, and nary a single Baptist Republican suburban housewife to be found.
Ouch! :)