Rate-A-Restaurant #347: Good Stuff Eatery (Chicago)

Restaurant: Good Stuff Eatery

Location: 22 South Wabash Ave (Chicago)

Type of restaurant: Burgers





We stipulated: Looking for a quick dinner after an afternoon at Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park and Grant Park, we decided to find a spot to eat in the Loop.



They stipulated: "Top Chef" alum Spike Mendelsohn is behind the eatery. "Good Stuff Eatery was inspired by Cathy Mendelsohn'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." Also: any burger can be ordered as chicken instead.





What we ordered: Maria: Spike's Sunnyside (Dairy Fresh Cheese, Applewood Bacon A Farm Fresh Fried Egg On A Brioche Bun With Good Stuff Sauce) $6.98; Mike: Blazin' Barn with chicken (Pickled Daikon & Carrots, Mint, Cilantro, Thai Basil & Spicy Mayo) $6.98; Kids: Farmhouse Burger $6.50 each; plus we splurged on shakes (chocolate and blueberry/raspberry, $5.95 each) and fries (3.75).







High point:  The dipping sauces. Sriaicha mayo, chipotle mayo, mango mayo, etc. The kids liked their shakes and Maria liked the egg in her burger.



Low point:  I thought my chicken sandwich looked limp, and didn't pack the spice as promised.





Overall impression: Maria liked it more than I did. We splurged and spent $50 on what is essentially fast food, but I'm not sure I was feeling it.





Will we return: I might be willing to try the turkey burger instead next time.

Los Angeles Cameo: "Top Chef Masters" Visits Union Station's Old Fred Harvey Restaurant

We're a little late to this, since we just finally watched the "Top Chef Masters" finale last night... but it was pretty cool to see Union Station's old Fred Harvey restaurant -- where Maria and I had our wedding reception -- up on screen.

The room looked great on camera, and even chef Rick Moonen remarked at the beauty of Union Station.

The Fred Harvey made its cameo early in the episode, as the show's three finalists -- Susur Lee, Rick Moonen, Marcus Samuelsson -- sat down for breakfast before heading into competition.

Border Grill Makes a Push To Get Into LAX

LAX continues to be a culinary wasteland -- particularly in some terminals. The Border Grill gals want to change that.

The restaurant has launched a campaign to try and persuade airport commissioners to allow an outpost of the Border Grill at LAX.

Here's a note from chef/owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger:

Wouldn't it be great to have the delicious Mexican food of Border Grill at the Los Angeles International Airport?

With a Border Margarita and a Yucatan Pork Taco, suddenly getting to the airport two hours early isn't that bad. Grab a Carne Asada Quesadilla to go, and you'll never go
hungry on a flight again.

For over 25 years, Border Grill has been shaping the food culture in Los Angeles. Now we're so excited at the possibility of showcasing Border Grill to the world at LAX. More importantly, we would love to share our food, flavors, and fun with you
when you're at the airport.

Yes, please. Go here for more info.

SPEAKING OF Feniger, she has signed on to compete in the next edition of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters." Here are the L.A.-based contestants for the competition, which returns for season two on April 7:

Govind Armstrong - 8 oz Burger Bar, Los Angeles, Calif.
Susan Feniger - Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
Ludo Lefebvre - Ludo Bites, Los Angeles, Calif.
Mark Peel - Campanile, Los Angeles, Calif.

Lefebvre and Peel return from season one.

Looking For a Few Good Top Chefs

Here's another chance to join the ranks of Stephanie, Hung and Ilan. "Top Chef" is recruiting contestants for its season six, including here in L.A.:

Sunday, March 15, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Craft Restaurant

Just do us a favor: Ask Padma why her critiques all seem to basically be echoes of others. (Tom: "That dish is too spicy." Padma: "Yes, it is too spicy!" Guest judge: "I thought the presentation was off." Padma: "The presentation was off!")

Scenes from a New York Visit

At the NBC "Experience" event: NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-chairman Ben Silverman... and COOLIO! That's right -- Mr. Gangsta's Paradise, now the star of an Internet cooking show, in da house!


Also at the NBC event: Last season's "Top Chef" winner, Hung.


Walking down Jerry Orbach Way.


Dunkin' Donuts, baby!


American Gladiators and their giant Q-Tips.

Maria's Thursday Three

Oinkster burger; Flickr pic by Jeremy Okai.

1. Where's your favorite place to get a burger in L.A.? For me, the burger at Oinkster is pretty top-notch and what I usually get when we go. My friend Andrea likes to get one at The York. This is not necessarily a best-burger-in-L.A. question but where do you like go for a burger in Los Angeles?

2. Woot.com - Has anyone ordered anything from this site? They offer daily electronic deals on $5 shipping, and the savings are good, really good. The descriptions are a hoot and the customer reviews guide you as you consider a product. I also like the wine and t-shirt deals; I'm most likely to buy a shirt first ($10, free shipping!) if I ever get to one before it's sold out.

3. I have to post about Top Chef since last night was the season finale: Casey faltered, Dale shined but was spotty and Hung came through perfectly. Last night's highlight was the sous chef surprise: Rocco DiSpirito (who assisted Hung), Michelle Bernstein (Casey), and Todd English (Dale)-- the pairings were exciting to watch. The lowlight was seeing losing contestant Brian at the dining table -- I took offense to the fact that he was suddenly on the other side of the table critiquing the dishes. Just a few days ago, he was a contestant, and it seems unfair that he was given a voice at the judges' table. It would've been fine if he was there to observe as a prize perhaps for making it that far on the competition. But shush-it! I did not want to hear what he had to say about the food.

Maria's Thursday Three

It's apparently still 1998, and "The Rachel" is still all the rage, at "Top Chef" contestant Casey's hair salon.

1. Really happy that the final three on Top Chef are Casey, Dale and Hung. Hung has gotten likeable in the later episodes and you got to give him props for his skills. Dale has the knowledge and Casey has the heart. I'm especially happy for Casey as she's proven herself to be a real contender in the kitchen. Plus (above), she's in a much better place now after Brad left her for Angelina.

2. Can't wait to check out Verdugo Bar in Glassell Park, which is a hop, skip and jump from our house. Verdugo Bar, 3408 North Verdugo Road, between West Avenues 34 and 35.

3. The frozen pie crust from Trader Joe's is my new best friend. There have been many, many frustrating moments in our kitchen with me trying my hand at making pie crusts. As far as store-bought crusts are concerned, the crust from TJ's is the best.

Maria's Thursday Three

1. One of my favorite Los Angeles bands, Division Day are re-releasing their album Beartrap Island on iTunes September 18th and to stores on October 2nd. Not a lot of new music excites me these days but Division Day is an exception and this album is on my iPod playlist. Go here to hear some of their songs but if you really want to see a cool show, check them out live at The Echo on October 2nd.

2. Last night was a new episode of Top Chef but what excites me more is reading Bourdain's Blog the next day.

3. The South Pasadena Farmer's Market on Meridian Avenue & Mission Street starts at 4 pm and ends at 8 pm every Thursday. I took Evan there a few weeks ago and it's what you'd expect from any other Farmer's Market but the draw for a two-year-old? It's right by the Gold Line and trains are always a plus.