THE LOOP — When Good Stuff Eatery opens in Chicago in late November, its menu will feature the same farmhouse burgers and spiced mayo dipping sauces as its many East Coast locations — though owner and former "Top Chef: Chicago" star Spike Mendelsohn said he "may put something on the menu that's a little more Chicago, like a Chicago dog."
The Chicago outpost of the D.C.-based restaurant chain at 22 S. Wabash Ave. will be Mendelsohn's first franchise location, "so it's not going to be run by the corporate team, it's going to be run by the franchisee," Mendelsohn told DNAinfo.com.
Lizzie Schiffman got a chance to chat with Chef Spike Mendelsohn:
For the first few months, Mendelsohn and his team will be in Chicago frequently to get the eatery up and running. The chef said he was looking forward to spending time in his old stomping grounds, which he first visited while his sister was at Northwestern and where he later made a name for himself on the Bravo series' fourth season.
"I've gotten to know Chicago really well ... [and] I just love the city," he said. "I think it's a meat-and-potatoes city. It really kind of mirrors what [Washington] D.C. is all about."
Mendelsohn was most recently in the city Friday for the Chicago Gourmet Hamburger Hop, where his "Prez Obama Burger," first created for the 2008 election alongside a McCain burger, won Judge's Choice.
"That's good momentum moving in the right direction for us," Mendelsohn said of the win, adding that he expects presidential election burgers to be included on the Chicago menu in 2016.
"It's a great food city. Whenever we open a new location, I'm really excited to get out there and taste the food that I don't usually get to eat. In Chicago, that will be a real treat."
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