• I was invited to be a guest on "Top Chef" earlier this year in Wisconsin.
• My invitation didn't provide many details, and I signed a non-disclosure agreement when I arrived.
• The chefs all served their dishes at different times to keep them hot, and the judging felt fair.

As a journalist who's covered food, travel, and entertainment for nearly two decades, I was invited to participate in the production of "Top Chef: Wisconsin" earlier this year.

I wasn't given many details, but I was able to choose from a list of dates that corresponded with different episodes. I selected a Friday in September and made plans to fly into Milwaukee, where it was being filmed, the day before.

Here are a few things that surprised me about being a guest on "Top Chef."

With vague descriptions and NDAs, a lot of effort was made to prevent spoilers

I received an email three days before filming letting me know I'd be participating in the 10th episode of the season, which would be a Door County fish boil.

It said the filming location was a 20-minute drive from the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, where guest judges were staying.

Production said I'd need to be on set from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and this would be an outdoor event requiring me to stand and walk during service.

Lastly, I was advised that this would be a seafood-focused challenge, and chefs would not be able to accommodate any allergies or dietary restrictions.

The night before the big day, I received a call sheet with more specific directions to the filming location.

When I arrived, my credentials were checked before I was let onto the set. The production team had me sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), then briefed me on more details of the challenge.

Once I was on set, though, filming felt somewhat laid-back

As contestants cooked, we could get drinks from the on-set bar. We were also able to get name-brand snacks and beverages from production's craft services but were told to keep those off of the set.

The production crew also reminded us to mingle and keep our phones away to help create a buzzy atmosphere.

Contestants staggered the start times of their cooks so food was served hot

Although it often looks like contestants are all done at the same time on television, this wasn't the case while I was on set.

The chefs started and stopped at staggered times so the final dishes would be spaced out and served hot. We walked in behind the judges every 20 minutes or so as a new contestant's time ran out and they served their dish.

Not all diners got to try food from each chef

When we arrived on set, each guest was assigned two stations to try food from but told we could sit wherever we liked.

I was surprised each of us wasn't guaranteed to try every dish. Fortunately, my table had diners trying each of the chefs' food, so we all shared bites.

I agreed with the judges' decisions, which seemed very fair

It was also cool to see firsthand how judges dissect and discuss the dishes. To me, judging felt very fair — and really seemed all about what's on the plate.

When watching the episode back, I very much agreed with the judges' decisions.