About Us

Good Stuff:

“Good Stuff Eatery” was inspired by Cathy Mendelsohn and her son Spike's vision for a place where people can enjoy the nostalgia of eating the best of their American favorites: Handcrafted burgers, handcut fries, handspun shakes and farm fresh salads made with the highest quality ingredients.

The pilot store of Good Stuff Eatery opened on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. in July, 2008. This is a family operation, with Chef Spike; his mother, Cathy; father, Harvey; sister, Micheline; aunt, Suzie and cousin, Peter Polatos!

We hope to bring Good Stuff across the nation!

Chef Spike:

Chef Spike was 13 years old when he got his first real experience in the kitchen. His parents owned and operated a restaurant in Clearwater, Florida and a young Spike spent most nights and weekends washing dishes and running around the room as a busboy.

One night, in the heat of the kitchen, one of his mother’s main sauté cooks was unable to work, so Spike jumped right in to take over. The restaurant had 350 seats and a 45-minute wait. In the panic of the moment his mother looked over at the dishwashing section and motioned for him to get on the line and replace the sauté cook.

His mother remembers the night vividly, because when she looked down the line and saw Spike flipping sauté pans in the air, slamming the oven doors with his foot and handling the food with care and finesse, she instantly knew that he’d be a great chef one day.

Over the years Spike moved around the restaurant and filled in for every possible position from waiter to bartender to maitre d. He was hooked.

Spike was 19 years old when he told his mother that he wanted to become a chef. Aware of his potential and understanding the level of commitment it takes to become a great chef, his Mom made him a deal: work for one full year and live up to the demands of a Chef; learn some humility and perseverance… and she and his father would send him to any Chef anywhere in the world.

In January 2004 Spike started his formal education at the Culinary Institute of America. For his externship he unrelentingly sought a position with Chef Gerard Boyer at the famous Restaurant Les Crayeres in Reims, France. He soaked in every ounce of knowledge that he could during that time and kept a journal about it documenting recipes and techniques in detail.

Upon his return to the Institute he joined the Culinary Society and eagerly participated with Chef Pardus and Chef Michael Huynh in a series of fusion dinners in the hope that he would be chosen as one of the 10 students that would be afforded the opportunity to go to Vietnam a culinary adventure with both Chef Pardus and Chef Huynh. He was chosen to go on that trip and it would be the beginning of the very unique and delicious Vietnamese influence on most of his cuisine.

Spike graduated on March 4, 2005 receiving the highest award offered at The Culinary Institute of America, The Francis Roth Leadership Award. He pursued and landed a job working for Thomas Keller at Bouchon Restaurant in Napa Valley.

Sleeping in his car on his way to California and living on the meager salary of a start up Chef, he took in whatever he could from that experience. He later moved to New York city to work for the Maccioni Family at Le Cirque. After leaving Le Cirque Spike went to work for Drew Nieporent of the Myriad Restaurant Group and later Chef Michael Huynh to open Mai House in Tribeca.

Only a few months after Mai House opened, Frank Bruni of The New York Times awarded the restaurant two stars. In 2008, Mai House was listed as one of the ten best new restaurants by The New York Times, due in no small part to Chef Spike.

Chef Spike is currently in the kitchen at Good Stuff Eatery, participating in cooking demonstrations, speaking venues around the country and can be seen on the Top Chef Tour Bus. He also participates in special events most recently with the culinary iconoclast Paul Liebrandt at the James Beard Foundation.

Chef Spike was a contestant on Top Chef Chicago, on the Bravo TV Network. Spike contends, "Becoming a ‘Top Chef' cannot be accomplished on a reality show, because it takes a lifetime..."

On a more personal note, Spike will continue to pursue his professional dream which is to one day bring the very coveted Three Michelin Stars to his resume.