Although he started his career in fine dining, Mendelsohn has turned to recession-friendly comfort food at Good Stuff Eatery.
Photo: Joe Shymanski

by Ashley Cirilli

Former Top Chef star Spike Mendelsohn has had all of Capitol Hill buzzing since he opened his Good Stuff Eatery last year. Mendelsohn opted out of what he calls the "cutthroat" New York restaurant world, bringing his hip burger-and-shake restaurant to D.C. instead. The idea? Simple: Build a better burger. Now he has everyone from members of the Obama family to tourists lining up for his quirky creations: Among them, the Vegetarians Are People too 'Shroom Burger, the Big Stuff Bacon Meltdown Burger, and the Free Range Turkey Burger. There are fresh salads and fries on the menu, plus milk shakes made from Mendelsohn's own frozen custard. In the background, a feel-good sound track of classic rock and oldies plays the day away.

"You're building an experience for the customer and I have people tell me they love my playlist all the time," Spike said. "It's awesome for after a hard day of work as a politician."

The Obama Burger: bacon, blue cheese, onion marmalade, and horseradish mayo. We're told the president himself prefers the Farmhouse Cheese Burger (with cheddar).
Photo: Joe Shymanski

Mendelsohn's not stopping with the joint that's got Obama's secret service coming in to order the president a bacon cheddar burger. In addition to expanding the Good Stuff Eatery chain, he has a pizza place in the works for Capitol Hill. And somehow he has plenty of time to explore D.C.'s hot spots. Read after the jump for a list of his favorite places to wind down after a day spent over his own hot stove.