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‘Top Chef’s’ burger joint is a family affair
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Chef Spike Mendelsohn is probably one of the few people to refer to D.C. as “laid-back.”
But the description — at least compared with New York City — is what prompted him to found his own restaurant company, Sunny Side Group LLC, in D.C., even after successful stints at Manhattan’s Le Cirque and Tribeca’s Mai House. His first restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery, opens on Capitol Hill on July 7.
“For young guys like us, it’s about the worst thing you want to put yourself through,” he said of New York’s cutthroat restaurant scene. “We both think D.C. is the next big food city.”
The other half of the “we” is Mendelsohn’s partner, Mike Colletti. Also in the mix are Mendelsohn’s family — parents Harvey and Cathy own the restaurant, and sister Micheline is the publicist.
Mendelsohn just finished a run on Bravo’s popular reality series, “Top Chef.” On the show, he was known for a sly, occasionally abrasive style, and his omnipresent fedoras.
“I wanted to do something simple,” he said of Good Stuff, which features 11 varieties of burgers, milkshakes, homemade custard, fries, sides and salads. “I want to open up my own fine dining establishment eventually, but I’m young; it seemed a bit premature.”
Good Stuff’s plans aren’t small scale, though — Mendelsohn has already scouted locations in Adams Morgan, Rosslyn and Dupont Circle for eateries that may open in the next six months. He wants to take the brand nationwide, even into airports.
The menu’s unique touches include fries tossed with rosemary, thyme and olive oil (Mendelsohn uses an American variety of potato he keeps secret), and a fried egg-topped burger. It will be open for lunch daily, with Mendelsohn working every day in the kitchen.
Mendelsohn said his “Top Chef” experience ended up being good publicity and a place to learn — thanks to one judge’s comment, he’s reluctant to ever pair grapes and olives on a menu.
D.C. has seen many celebrity chefs take up residence here recently, such as Wolfgang Puck, Eric Ripert and reportedly Gordon Ramsay of “Hell’s Kitchen.”
“The city had been unfairly branded as a meat and potatoes town for too long, despite that it’s an international city filled with folks who have been craving a more ambitious dining scene,” said Melissa McCart, author of the food blog Counter Intelligence.
melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com
