good stuff eatery: a washington dc must

good stuff eatery ... the name says it all. i first heard of good stuff eatery after the chef/owner spike mendelsohn was a contestant on bravo's top chef. having gone to good stuff only once before when i lived in DC, i knew i HAD to go back when i visited this past weekend.

good stuff is essentially a burger place ... however, it's unlike any other burger place you've ever been to. when we got there it was a such a beautiful day we grabbed ourselves a table outside and went in to order. good stuff is a "boutique" burger place ... it's not fast food and it's not sit down; it specializes in gourmet burgers (and other burger-esque inspired cuisine). i have to admit i was more than disappointed with the service. the first time i went it was great - the place was packed, i got to meet spike and the food was excellent. this time though, perhaps because of the late afternoon awkward timing, it took us almost ten minutes to order ... and not because we were waiting in line. despite the wait it was, of course, delicious as their slogan, "say hello to fresh" is reflected in the pure quality of their ingredients. 

i ordered the "good stuff melt" with bacon ($6.89+1.00 for bacon). it was layered with mushrooms and caramelized onions, melted cheddar and muenster cheese with "good stuff sauce" ... it was absolutely mouth-watering. when i unwrapped the burger the cheese was literally oozing out. it was cooked perfectly. i usually eat my burgers medium, but even though this was cooked well-done, the meat was juicy. the sauce was creamy and the bacon was a perfect addition. i also shared a side of the "spike's village fries" ($3.79: enough for two); slightly soggy, which i'm a fan of, and topped with fresh thyme, rosemary & sea salt. i also sampled my friends' mint chocolate chip milkshake (featured flavor of the day) and milky way milkshake but decided on a classic chocolate.

good stuff eatery is exactly that: good stuff. and it's not just for burger lovers, good stuff also offers free range turkey and naturally farm raised grilled chicken sandwiches. and for all you vegetarians (or for your lame friends that are) there are plenty of vegetarian options as well like the "vegetarians are people too 'shroom burger" and wedge salads. so, if you're a burger lover and are in the DC area stopping by is a must! especially for those of us on a budget  - all of the menu items are under eight dollars!

upscale bleu cheese juicy lucy recipe

not your run-of-the-mill kind of burger.

after first seeing a juicy lucy on an episode of man v. food awhile ago, we knew it was something we wanted to try. vegetarians, this one is NOT for you. 

ingredients: for the patty 

• ground beef (we usually use 85/15 but for this burger we used 87/13 sirloin - it was on sale)
• worcestershire sauce
• soy sauce
• finely crushed garlic
• black pepper

for the stuffing 

• crumbled bleu cheese
• onions
• salt + black pepper

et cetera 

• sweet rolls
• mixed greens
• onion
• tomato

this recipe was created and executed by boyfriend. originally posted here. 

to make the patties: mix the beef, garlic, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce and black pepper together in a bowl making sure all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least thirty-minutes. 

while you wait ... make the filling: slowly caramelize the onions, making sure they are dark brown in color. while the onion are still hot, combine with crumbled bleu cheese in a bowl. this will form an onion infused bleu cheese paste. 

to make the burgers: form two patties and place a good amount of filling in the center of one. sandwich the filling between the patties ... fold and pinch the edges to ensure the filling will not leak out while cooking. 

we cook everything either stovetop or in the oven. the joys of apartment living. anyways, to cook the burgers in a pan, first sear the exterior at a relatively high temperature, then turn the heat down to medium low. cover the pan with a lid to steam the burger. let the patties rest for five minutes. while the burgers rest, toast the sweet rolls in the residual burger fat. 

we topped the rolls with the burger, mixed greens, tomato, raw onion and ketchup. 

the flavors were delicious! ... the original juicy lucy features a patty stuffed with american cheese. by substituting in bleu cheese and using a sweet roll there was a balance between sharp and sweet.