The foodies are raging in waves as eating, and blogging about eating is becoming hot gossip. If you tune into Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" or read any of his books, you'll read the same snarky comments about new celebrity chefs frosting their hair and grabbing their first chance at a new t.v. show, thusly selling out to the pirate world of chefdom they once starred in.
Cases in point, look at the reality shows involving Gordon Ramsey berating future chefs, Iron Chef America, Top Chef, and even a foodie movie devoted to Julia Child (her book "My Life In France" is an amazing memoir of her learning to cook and live...highly recommend it). That said, there is a celebrity buzz to certain chefs, it's almost reminiscent of collecting baseball cards when compared to eating at certain establishments. My wife and I will often name drop when referencing "The French Laundry", "Michael Mina", "Komi", etcetera.
And playing further into the hype we decided to visit "The Good Stuff Eatery", partially owned and operated by Chef Spike Mendelsohn, who was on Top Chef Season IV. Chef Spike opened a burger joint. And instead of reuniting with our med school buddies at a haute cuisine esque place, we all opted to play it on the cheap, and schlepped it over to Capitol Hill.
Honestly, it's a step above "Five Guys". The burgers are made to order per se, but not cooked to the liking of the guest...meaning all are cooked well done. All advertise farm fresh ingredients and gibe with the recent hippie hysteria of free range, freedom of speech, freedom to vote and own land that everyone insists on when buying their meat from Whole Foods (we nickname them Whole Paycheck).
On the whole, the burgers are greasy, and good. Being that Chef Spike curiously placed the burger joint in the middle of a bunch of bars where sloppy drunk horny interns will get the hankering for a burger and fries, it's genius. However, to echo the sentiments of my wife...we expected more. I guess seeing Spike cook his ass off on TV, we wanted a Foie Gras laden black truffle dusted pork belly sprinkled gut bomb of ecstasy. Instead, we found ourselves eating solidly constructed "burger joint" burgers a shade better than five guys (I consider Five Guys to be a good old standard especially if you reference my latest blog).
Of note, the "Village Fries" were limp, lacked texture, and had too much damn thyme and rosemary. My wife makes much better in our oven. His milkshakes however, golden! The strawberry was the best I have ever had, it actually tasted like the tart fresh yet small ruby red picked berries you find at the beginning of the summer. Seriously, I tasted summer, I saw sunlight, and envisioned a picnic and white linen drying on the line.
The "Milky Way Shake"...get a spoon, don't even try a straw...unless you are interviewing a potential date for fellatio. It was thick fudgy, chocolaty, and caramelly malty goodness. After several NCAA tourney beers we ate here, we tried to rally and drink afterwards, no go...food coma.
Thusly, a good meal, it was enhanced with the company of some really good friends of whom we also call Doctors.
