Spike and Emeril in Studio
Today on "Cooking with Emeril," we learned that Spike Mendelsohn wants to do a lot of things: Take home top honors at the New York Wine and Food Festival's Burger Bash again this weekend, go big on "Top Chef All-Stars," and expand his Good Stuff Eatery from DC to New York City to give Shake Shack a run for its money. He also wants to feed you exquisite French fries and make you laugh by telling stories about his Uncle Denny.
Spike Mendelson spins a yarn about his Uncle Denny
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After few more yarns about his culinary training (formal, French stage and all), his family's culinary traditions (ran dozens of restaurants over the years, cooking half Greek and half Jewish at home), and what he'd be doing if he weren't a chef (marine biologist), Spike submitted to Emeril's rapid-fire questions about a few of his favorite things.
Ingredient? Lemon
Country to eat in? Vietnam
Cookbook? Bouchon by Thomas Keller
Kitchen gadget? Spoon (Come on, not the burger bun butter roller?)
Cocktail? Hendricks Gin and Tonic with Cucumber
Cooking technique? Roasting
Now that you got to know a little more about Spike, check out the Good Stuff. Warning: Viewing these photos may make you salivate.
1 My husband and I went to Good Stuff Eatery recently with my friend Pam, who lives in DC and makes regular visits at lunchtime. It was 2 pm on a Saturday and the place was packed.
2 The Toasted Marshmellow Shake is Good Stuff's #1 seller, perhaps because it is, according to Spike "like a campfire in your mouth."
3 The secret to Spike's fries: aging potatoes so the starches turn to sugar. The many mayo dips don't hurt either.
4 Last but not least: behold Good Stuff Eatery's award-winning Coletti's Smokehouse Burger. It disappeared from the earth seconds after this photo was taken.
