After meeting Spike Mendelsohn at Graffiato, he invited Aly and I to lunch the next day at his restaurants on Capitol Hill: Good Stuff Eatery & We, The Pizza. As we turned onto Pennsylvania Ave around 1pm, my stomach began to churn. It hit me like a pound of bricks: I was full. OMG. But I’m never full. In all my excitement I remembered how much we had eaten at Graffiato the night before. Add 5 cocktails + a bacon, egg & cheese bagel I had for breakfast only a couple hours earlier and you get one, full Shari. There I am, on my way to eat with a killer chef, at his own restaurant nonetheless, and I’m stuffed like a freaking turkey. There was no turning back.
I texted Spike that we had arrived and, while we waited, explored the restaurant. Casual, fast-paced, loud, sweet-smelling (think grilled meat, aromatic french fries, and sweaty tourists craving the aforementioned meat). We spotted Spike upstairs and he led us to the front of the line.
{Insert excited girl who, in her Texan twang, asked for a picture with the chef.}
She likely knew him of Top Chef fame and was celeb spotting. I was just as giddy as she was, but for other reasons. Upon hearing stories from his gig as CBS’ food correspondent, my heart melted and I immediately wanted to cling to his ankles, ask him to teach me everything he knows about pork belly, and then rub his cute, scruffy beard a little bit. In the least creepy way possible.
The two-story restaurant was packed. The heat index was 118 and people were still lining up for Spike’s meat. [Yea, yea] After ordering our food, per Spike’s recommendations, he walked us next door to his other restaurant, We, The Pizza, for homemade sodas (see below).
Close up: Toasted Marshmallow milkshake. Speckled with vanilla beans, topped with actual toasted marshmallow and a whipped cream quenelle. It took every ounce of class in me not to stick my fingers in the shake to grab the mallow when we were sitting with Spike. Class lost. Mallow won. Spike told me about his recent venture in New Orleans on a shrimp boat with an incestual, yet brilliant, sea captain, while I had milkshake running down my arm. It was delicious, especially the story. I tried to take the milkshake home with me but Aly, sensing my increasing fullness, had to pry this shake out of my kung fu grip. It was that good. 
{Toasted Marshmallow milkshake and a Strawberry Milkshake}
Colletti’s Smokehouse: Applewood Bacon, Sharp Vermont Cheddar, Fried Vidalia Onion Rings With Chipotle BBQ Sauce. As we chatted, I tried taking as many bites as my little stomach would allow. Upon noticing the burger, practically in its entirety, still on my plate, Spike asked if I didn’t want to eat in front of him. Au contraire, my friend. I wanted nothing more than to devour every ounce of the bacony, BBQ-y goodness, and applaud him. It was super flavorful, although I wished it was less squished. The bun was sweet and extremely light, in contrast to the thick burger, battered onions, and gooey cheese. But I was so damn full I just picked at my food like a measly bird. A sad, bacon-loving, bird.
Prez Obama Burger: Applewood Bacon, Onion Marmalade, Roquefort Cheese & Delicious Horseradish Mayo Sauce. Aly loved this burger and said it was one of the best she’s ever had. Can’t argue with ever. The horseradish mayo was a good compliment with the cheese and helped cut the richness of the burger. The bun was soft and buttery. It didn’t get soggy from the burger, it only absorbed the fat like a sponge, imparting even more flavor.
Spike’s Village Fries: Topped with Fresh Thyme, Rosemary & Sea Salt. Served in a paper bag to absorb just enough grease, the crispy, yellow-brown fries were coated with fresh herbs. At last, an herbed fry sans truffle oil. Thank you, Spike, it’s about damn time. The fries were crispy on the ends, soft in the middle, and perfectly rustic.
{We, The Pizza}
C.R.E.A.M. Soda & Strawberry Soda: Sweet, refreshing, and full of flavor. None of that overly-sugary syrup here. These sodas were perfect for the 105 degree weather. Actually, I would drink them in Antarctica, inside an igloo, during a snow storm.
Spike was so gracious and cool. As much as I wanted to pick his brain about cooking, it was refreshing to just chill and eat great food with even better company. I seriously recommend checking out Good Stuff Eatery when in DC, and next time I will have to get some pizza from his spot next door. Any man who sports a fedora and boasts a menu with toasted marshmallows has a warm place in my heart.
-Shari
