Wedge Salads And Burgers At Good Stuff Eatery On Capitol Hill

Mesclun and bitter greens may dominate the menus at tonier restaurants, but at Good Stuff Eatery, Spike Mendelsohn elevates the old-school wedge salad.

When Mendelsohn launched the fast, casual burger joint, he knew he wanted to offer more than a halfhearted side salad. "I've seen a lot of salads made with arugula and gourmet greens, but I missed salads that are crispy and fresh, with texture and body," says Mendelsohn.

So he took a cue from old-fashioned steakhouses and created wedge-based variations on the classics. The Greek salad comes with Feta cheese, toasted sesame seeds and Kalamata olives; the garlicky Caesar gets a smoky flavor from applewood-smoked bacon.

Now, in The Good Stuff Cookbook, Mendelsohn continues the tradition. Along with sharing the secrets to his spicy Blazin' Barn burger and thick shakes (hint: use dense custard instead of ice cream), the new book celebrates the wedge with the restaurant's four recipes and five new takes.

The most elegant addition to the collection is the Poached Eggs and Frisée Wedge (click here to download the recipe). This classic combination–served with mustardy sherry vinaigrette–benefits from the added crunch of the iceberg.

"I like to tell people that I brought back the wedge," says Mendelsohn. It's certainly no toss-up.