Former Clearwater Beach resident Spike Mendelsohn, who came within a hair of making the finals of Bravo’s “Top Chef: Chicago” series, opened a new restaurant last weekend in Washington, D.C. I was able to press D.C. blogger Jacqueline Dupree into service. It helped that she lived in the neighborhood. It also helped that we went to college together.

She reports (click the photos for larger versions):

Spike picked an interesting spot for his burger joint, on a two-block stretch of small local restaurants just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, where no doubt House and Senate workers will be thrilled to have easy access to burgers and fries that are above and beyond typical fast-food fare, especially the $10 “Lunch Bag” of a burger, fries and soda that will be available daily from 11:30 to 2:30.

It’s not a large space, so the counter and grill are on the main floor and the seating is upstairs in a loft space, along with some sidewalk tables out front.

A huge “Good Stuff” cowbell hangs just inside the entry. (Paging Christopher Walken.)

Since this was a “preview” night, they were still working out a few kinks, according to Spike’s sister Mich. (Signs in the window even said “Staff in Training, Be Gentle.") And with the doors opening a little late, there was a big crush of invited guests right at the beginning waiting to get to the front of the line, but even so, I didn’t have to wait more than five minutes once I ordered. Spike was up front handing out the food, but was doing a lot of good-natured ribbing of the cooks to keep the orders flowing.

The fresh ingredients--down to the definitely-not-Heinz ketchup--are a big part of Good Stuff’s profile, and the thin, loosely packed burgers do have the backyard/homemade feel that Spike mentions on the large welcome sign at the entrance. The buttery buns are soft but hold up well to the pile of ingredients, including the chipotle mayo. He was serving his Village Fries, a variation on what’s known in these parts as “boardwalk fries,” served in a cup and seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and pepper.

I was there for the burgers, but did catch a few glimpses of the wedge salads that some guests were opting for (heretics!), and they looked sizeable and well put together. They weren’t serving the entire menu, so I’m still looking forward to trying the Vidalia onion rings, Uncle D’s chili, and of course the shakes, cones, floats, and sundaes from the ice cream menu. I did snag one of their large soft white chocolate chip cookies, which made for a nice chewy accompaniment to my walk home.

The response to the preview was so big that they ran it over two nights, and I imagine Spike will be seeing good-sized crowds when the eatery opens for real next week. Certainly I’ll be back, especially since my husband is still grumbling about my getting to sample the place on a night when he had to work.

To see a gallery of Jacqueline’s photos, click here.