People love flying into Reagan National Airport because of the view of the monuments downtown upon landing and the airport's accessibility via its own stop on Washington's Metrorail station. But while being teeny tiny means security lines can move swiftly, it also means there are fewer decent options when it comes to food. Still, there are a few gems within the airport itself and, conveniently, there are several restaurants worth visiting within reach for those travelers facing long layovers and delays.

Good Stuff Eatery: Tourists may be familiar with chef Spike Mendelsohn from Top Chef and the Food Network. His expanding Good Stuff Eatery chain now includes Crystal City, where customers can get burgers and fries alongside the restaurant's popular milkshakes, which come in such flavors as toasted marshmallow. (2110 Crystal Drive; about 5-10 minutes from airport).

Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., CNN hostJake Tapper, and D.C. chef Spike Mendelsohn all donned Nationals helmets and swung a bat on Wednesday night for the annual Home Runs for Horton's Kids at Nationals Park.

Organizers estimate the event raises about a third of the budget for Horton's Kids activities, such as mentoring, health services, and food deliveries for families living in Anacostia. Tapper and Mendelsohn, who have both volunteered for the nonprofit, spoke and, in the latter's case, sang for the cause.

After his off-tune rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," Yeas & Nays asked the former "Top Chef" competitor how he got talked into singing on the jumbo scoreboard.

"I'm a sucker," Mendelsohn said. "Sucker just in general, but especially if there's kids involved."

Mendelsohn said that after he first opened Good Stuff Eatery he wanted togive back to the community that welcomed him.

"The irony was that Ward 8 was maybe like a seven minute drive away from my restaurant," he said. "Everything was happening so well right there on Capitol Hill, but across the bridge in Ward 8 is very depressing."

Mendelsohn said Horton's Kids creates opportunities those kids will grab and run with -- and run they did, beating the Nationals' giant-headed Teddy, who usually runs with the presidents, but on Wednesday raced the kids on field.

Washington Examiner 

Mendelsohn will help fete Horton’s Kids at Nationals Park. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The invite-only Nationals Park event, scheduled for Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., will raise money for the Ward 8 charity, which provides direct services on the Capitol campus for about 500 children and families in D.C.’s Anacostia neighborhood.

Several of the Horton’s kids and families will join the congressional posse of fun, which will include Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Reps. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., Dan Kildee, D-Mich., Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., Cynthia M. Lummis, R-Wyo., Jack Kingston, R-Ga., Dennis A. Ross, R-Fla., and Joe L. Barton, R-Texas.

The young and the young at heart will be able to participate in on-the-field batting practice, indoor batting cages, face painting, arts and crafts, a silent auction and a Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 kiosk.

Washington Nationals mascot Screech and Racing President Teddy will also be there. Special treat, kids: Mendelsohn, a former “Top Chef” contestant and owner of Capitol Hill mainstays Good Stuff Eatery and We, the Pizza, will create a special signature drink for the night. He will also lead the children in a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

No word on how many drinks Spike will need to pound before the public singing can commence.

The 'Shroom Burger from Good Stuff Eatery is better than Shake Shack's, hands down.

The Daily Meal's editors, contributors, and readers dig into some pretty great restaurants, festivals, and meals. There's not always enough time to give a full review of a restaurant or describe in depth why a place, its food, and the people who prepare it are noteworthy, so Snackshot of the Day does what photographs do best, rely on the image to do most of the talking.

Today's Snackshot is of Good Stuff Eatery's 'Shroom Burger. Good Stuff is the restaurant of favorite Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn. There are two locations in Washington, D.C. (Capitol Hill and Crystal City, and a third coming soon to Georgetown), and one in the works in Philadelphia. The 'Shroom Burger they serve is among the best out there. It's two big portobellos stuffed with Meunster and American cheese, fried to perfection, and topped with their signature Good Stuff sauce.

Four members of D.C.’s “Top Chef” contingent helped exhausted journalists and government types relax from a whirlwind weekend of White House Correspondents’ Dinner events Sunday morning. Spike Mendelsohn, Mike Isabella, Bryan Voltaggio and Bart Vandaele joined the Reuters/Yahoo News brunch atop the Hay-Adams Hotel, passing out dishes inspired by politicos and talking new restaurants.

Mendelsohn, likewise, took a fairly unexpected approach. No burgers or pizza for this brunch; instead, an airy artichoke cappuccino with truffle oil creme. The dish was a nod to his upcoming Bearnaise Restaurant, a steak frites joint on Capitol Hill near Good Stuff Eatery and We The Pizza.

Sometimes it's time to switch up the burger routine and step away from the beef. From burgers made from poultry to those featuring morsels of the sea, here are some unique burger choices on area menus — no cows allowed. Is a shrimp burger really a burger? It's open to debate, but here are some options for the non-purists.

Good Stuff Eatery: Although you aren’t supposed to eat dessert before your meal, we give you permission to go straight for the toasted marshmallow milkshake; just be sure to finish it off with one of their handcrafted burgers. The ‘shroom burger with muenster, cheddar and stuffed portobello mushrooms topped with the secret Good Stuff sauce has our vote.

Good Stuff Eatery will be opening its third location in Georgetown in spring 2013. The burger and shake diner is owned and operated by mother and son Cathy and Spike Mendelsohn. The first location opened in Capitol Hill in July 2008. Good Stuff Eatery is a place where food is handcrafted rather than served in an assembly line.

A visit at the Capitol Hill location felt like an assembly line. It was packed on Saturday. The line to place an order was long. After placing an order, you wait for the food to arrive in bags on a red tray. While you wait in line, you see how the cooks actually prepare the food. That's a good thing. Seating can be difficult. You may find yourself waiting for an empty table.

The blazin' barn is a beef burger with pickled daikon and carrots and seasoned with mint, cilantro, and basil thyme. It was good but not much kick. Spike's village fries were the best. The combination of thyme, rosemary and sea salt was delightful. Forgo using ketchup on fries. Spike's village fries are best dipped in Old Bay mayo (which is the best mayo!), sriracha mayo, and sriracha hot chili sauce.

The toasted marshmallow shake is a good choice It tasted like heaven. One can imaging floating on a cloud while drinking this shake. It would be nice to have the ingredients listed on their shakes.

There is no need to super size because the food served is a reasonable portion and it's worth the money.

Burgers and shakes are an easy sell. They’re cheap, delicious, and so wrapped up in Americana that the thought of enjoying either elicits a nostalgic grin. In the Washington, D.C. area, there’s no shortage of burger joints ready to grill up bun-bound, cheese-covered, beefy masterpieces. It takes something special to stand out from the crowd. And Good Stuff Eatery, with its farm-fresh ingredients and fun and tasty burger recipes, has found a way to distinguish itself.

The growing venture, the brainchild of “Top Chef” alum Spike Mendelsohn, put down roots in Crystal City last summer after the 2008 opening of its flagship Capitol Hill location (and a Georgetown spot is expected soon).

On a late weekend evening at the Crystal City location, customers fill the restaurant, chatting between burger bites over the sound of upbeat tunes and the sizzle of the grill. The restaurant is urban-loft-meets-rural-barn. The grill sits behind a long, stainless steel counter that runs parallel to a large farmhouse-style communal table. Over the dining area, ceiling joists suggest the shape of a barn, but the comically oversized cowbell emblazoned with the signature Good Stuff cow logo hanging above the soda fountain area says it loudly. But the restaurant’s “not far from the farm” motto goes beyond décor.

One bite of the Farmhouse Burger ($5.95) says it all. The lettuce and onion slices are crisp, the tomato is flavorful, and it’s all undeniably fresh. But the toppings are just an accent to a well-seasoned, well-grilled beef patty. Topped with a bit of house special sauce, the Farmhouse Burger is quality in simplicity (but adding some American cheese or Applewood bacon for a few cents more won’t hurt).

For diners looking for more fun on their bun, the Original Burgers selection offers 10 clever creations. The Prez Obama Burger ($6.98) shows the care Good Stuff takes in balancing the flavors of its toppings. The horseradish sauce could easily be too overpowering, but instead it gives the burger just a breath of heat. The onion marmalade could be too sweet, but it’s tempered by tangy Roquefort cheese and savory, crunchy Applewood bacon. It’s all combined atop a delicious beef patty and within a pillowy potato roll that’s sauce-soaked at the edges but still clinging on to this mighty burger creation. Other burger feats follow: a Steakhouse Burger that isn’t dominated by onion straws or sauce ($7.25), and the Blazin’ Barn ($6.98) that combines pickled daikon and carrots and herbs with spicy mayonnaise for a light and fresh burger that packs potent heat.

Burgers and fries are a match made, and Good Stuff doesn’t disappoint in the French fry category. The hand-cut fries are offered up two ways: Sunny’s Handcut Fries ($3.69), simply fried and sea-salt dusted, and the Spike’s Village Fries ($3.79), which gets almost as creative with toppings as the burgers. Here, fresh thyme, rosemary, and sea salt combine for a blend whose herby aroma is unmistakable, even if it’s buried deep in a take-away bag. It’s a pleasant way to dress up the fries, which are just crispy enough and fried to a light brown. The dipping bar is an added bonus, and goes far beyond the standard ketchup and mustard (think chipotle mayonnaise, Old Bay mayonnaise, and the list goes on).

Any burger can become a meal for a few dollars more with a snack-sized portion of either of the fries and a small shake, an excellent way to sample the restaurant’s hand-spun milkshakes. Vanilla and chocolate are covered, but with options like Salty Caramel Kiss and Toasted Marshmallow, it’s hard to stick with the classics. The honest, rich cream flavor comes through in these thick shakes, and the dollop of whipped cream is – like fun toppings on a stellar burger and good food made with great ingredients – icing on the cake.

Good Stuff Eatery is located at 2110 Crystal Drive, Arlington. For more information, call 703-415-4663 or visit goodstuffeatery.com/crystal-city. Restaurant hours are Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

We’ve been chowing down on these suckers for years now and even after all our conquests, it’s still one of our top picks. And since there’s now a Crystal City joint to satiate our fix (not to mention, a G-Town spot on the way), our consumption levels are at an all-time high.

Screw term limits– Prez Obama burgers for life.

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In honor of the presidential inauguration Sunday and the festivities today, we’re highlighting one of our favorite burger concoctions in D.C.: the Prez Obama burger from Good Stuff Eatery.

It made its debut back in 2008 when Spike’s beefy creations for Obama and McCain went bun-to-bun against each other in Good Stuff’s own burger election. Much like the real deal, the Obama burger won in a landslide and it soon became a permanent addition to the Good Stuff lineup.

It’s not a real attractive thing but then again none of Good Stuff’s burgers are all that pretty. Fortunately, looks don’t coincide with taste. The toppings come together with the beef in a gooey, sloppy hot mess, but damn, it’s a hell of a delicious hot mess.

More here

SOON after President Obama places his hand on the Lincoln Bible on Monday, he will join lawmakers for a luncheon of steamed lobster, hickory-grilled bison and New England chowder in the Capitol’s ornate Statuary Hall.

Meanwhile, in the trendy corridors of this city, the Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill will be gearing up to serve its signature Prez Obama Burger (with applewood bacon and Roquefort cheese) and its Michelle Melt turkey burger (free range, of course, on a whole wheat bun), the staff at the Boundary Road restaurant on H Street Northeast will be pouring craft beers from Baltimore and Brooklyn, and at the U Street Music Hall, the rock music will be playing long after the swearing-in is over.

None of these places existed before 2008.

That was the year when Barack Obama won his first election and started putting together an administration that would soon replace that of President George W. Bush. And for many of Mr. Obama’s young supporters, this secondinauguration — and its revelries — are symbols of the transformation of the nation’s capital into a younger and livelier city.

More here

Visiting Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration? NewsHour political editor Christina Bellantoni gives an insider's guide to sites that are off the beaten tourist path. She visits the best places to get grub, meet the the locals and rub elbows with some real politicos. Take her cue and you just may find yourself lunching on a half smoke next to a Supreme Court justice.

• Good Stuff Eatery: NewsHour recommends the Milky Way milkshake, plus the Village Snack Fries with Sriracha dipping sauce

Face it, if you're planning on attending the inauguration on Monday, you should be bracing yourself for crowds of biblical proportions. It may not be projected to be nearly as packed as Obama's first go around, but don't expect getting around to be easy. That said, don't let the patriotic hysteria keep you from enjoying a few good meals in the nation's capital. Since many of the Metro stations in the immediate vicinity of the National Mall will be closed the day of, here's a list of good bets within walking distance.

Good Stuff Eatery: Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn's popular burger joint that's spitting distance from the Capitol building. Obama themed burgers, rosemary and thyme seasoned fries, and toasted marshmallow shakes.

303 Pennsylvanie Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003; 202-543-8222;

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Where to Eat

Restaurants across the city will brag that the president and first lady have dined in them. Tourism officials have put together an itinerary for visitors to "Play in President Obama's Backyard" with some of their favorite dining spots.

Organic eatery Restaurant Nora, Blue Duck Tavern and BLT Steak have all been Obama picks for date nights. During the campaign, the president took supporters from battleground states to dinner in the hip H Street Northeast neighborhood.

For a quicker meal, the president and first lady have been known to grab a burger at Chef Spike Mendelsohn's Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill or at Five Guys. The president's favorite pizza is said to be the St. Louis-based District of Pi, which opened a spot in downtown Washington after he moved to the White House.

http://washington.org/dc-itinerary/dc-itinerary-play-president-obamas-backyard

Cayman Cookout: The food fest circuit's hottest ticket

Picture the ultimate winter get-away in the Caribbean. Then throw in 30-plus celebrity chefs, including Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert and Spike Mendelsohn and you have, quite possibly, the hottest ticket in the culinary fest circuit.

Grand Cayman’s 5th annual “Cayman Cookout” (January 17-20) features four days of beachfront brunching, lunching and dining on fresh Caribbean cuisine … no shoes required.

What makes this Caribbean food and wine festival stand out from the all the others? Organizers say that’s simple: intimacy.

“This one you can literally walk up and have a beer with your culinary icon, you really can get up close and personal to your favorite celeb chef,” says Nancy Harrison, Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman, the host hotel for the event.

The idea for a more intimate gathering came from the event’s ringleader, Chef Eric Ripert, best known for his Michelin rated restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City. Chef Ripert’s loyalty to the Cayman Islands started seven years ago after vacationing there for the first time. One year later he opened “Blue” at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman, the only AAA Five Diamond restaurant in the Caribbean.

“It is remarkable to see Cayman Cookout evolve over the past five years. Each year, the line-up is more and more impressive. Before we would extend invitations to my colleagues and today they are reaching out to me to be a part of the fun. It is one of my favorite weeks of the year,” says Chef Ripert.

Tickets to the culinary fest aren’t cheap, but well worth the price for the more than 3,000 die-hard foodies who travel from Canada, the U.S. and South America to attend. One event not to miss is the official kickoff “Barefoot BBQ” party held at the Royal Palms restaurant on Grand Cayman’s exquisite Seven Mile Beach. Chefs Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert and Jose Andres work their culinary magic on grill stations at the waters edge then guests wade into crystal blue sea to get their food and indulge, then relax the night away. Tickets are $299.

Without question, the ultimate daytime event is “Burgers in Paradise.” Guests board red-sailed catamarans and head out over the island’s North Sound to visit one of Cayman’s top tourist destinations, Stingray City. After snorkeling and swimming with the stingrays, guests re-board the catamarans and sail to Rum Point to experience a burger-lovers well…. paradise on a private beach.

Chef Spike Mendelsohn says there couldn’t be a more perfect setting. “I grew up with a lot of locals from this island we all went to military school together... (I’m) looking forward to hanging with some of them at Rum Point and taking a fishing trip,” he said. Burgers in Paradise tickets are $329.

The four days of over-indulging wraps up on Sunday with a Champagne Brunch & Cook-Off Brunch where local chef-testants compete for the title of Grand Cayman’s own amateur "Top Chef" at the Ritz Carlton. Tickets are $195. Next year’s Cayman Cookout is set for January 16-20, 2014.

For a more cost-friendly culinary option consider the Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival at Camana Bay.

The casual, day-long event showcases island creations from roughly 35 local restaurants, attracting close to 5,000 people. Take a break from eating and learn about the island culture while listening to live music and sipping on rum crafted by the Cayman Islands Distillery. A chance to witness the festival’s “Heavy Cake Competition” is reason alone to attend. A taste of the Cayman’s famous heavy cake (a classic Caribbean dessert made with cassava (local plant) coconut milk and brown sugar) will likely leave you wanting more and also dreaming about your next trip to the Caribbean’s culinary capital. Taste of Cayman tickets cost approx, $50. The Taste of Cayman serves as a fundraiser for the Cayman Islands Tourism Association.

You can also eat Obama-inspired meals: the Obama Burger, a creation of Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn, at his Capitol Hill burger and shake restaurant Good Stuff Eatery, pays homage to Obama’s highbrow taste with onion marmalade, roquefort cheese and horseradish mayo.

Missing the big bucks and black-tie gear required to attend a presidential ball? That shouldn’t stop you from getting into the spirit over inauguration weekend. Grab a few friends and party like the 47 percent—entitled to (delicious) food and drink. We’ve rounded up White House-themed eats and sips for throwing your own festivities, from gallons of Ben’s chili to Chicago dogs to stand-in brews for the President’s much-prized Honey Ale.

Burgers

If this balmy weather holds up, you may just be grilling on your inauguration/Martin Luther King Day off. Even if you’re pan-frying your patties, follow tips for the perfect burger from Ray’s Hell-Burger owner Michael Landrum, who has hosted the President on two occasions. Feel more like carrying out for the crowd? Make like the First Family and pick up sandwiches at Good Stuff Eatery, where the likes of a bacon-and-Roquefort-topped Prez Obama Burger can be had to stay or go.

HOW IS LIFE AFTER TOP CHEF?
Celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn talks cooking, holidays, life after Top Chef and more. Find out what he's been up to since becoming a fan favorite.

You probably remember Spike Mendelsohn from Top Chef, but he's been very busy since his season 4 appearance. You can now find him starring in Bravo's Life After Top Chef. He was a recent competitor on Food Network's Next Iron Chef.

And if multiple television shows aren't enough, he's also opening a new restaurant, Bearnaise, in Washington D.C. Still, Spike had time to talk to us about all this and more, sharing some holiday cooking advice and a few one-of-a-kind recipes, featuring Captain Morgan Rum that are sure to impress your holiday guests.

SheKnows: How is life different after Top Chef? What's changed?

Spike Mendelsohn: Life after Top Chef has been a complete turnaround for me. Before I went on the show, I was cooking in a New York City kitchen, running from one restaurant to the next. Going on the show gave me the opportunity to gain some notoriety and be able to have some marketing with my name. It opened the gates to so many opportunities. Now I own my own restaurants, and I'm opening a new one soon. I get to travel the world, participate in food festivals and do all sorts of charity events. It truly made my career, and when you're presented with an opportunity, you just have to take it and run with it. Top Chef gave me that opportunity, not only for me, but for everyone around me. It helped support my entire family, my friends. It's something truly unique.

SK: When you're busy filming, what do you miss most about being in the restaurant?"I come from a classic French background, where the importance of really delicious sauces is at the forefront of food."

SM: When I'm busy filming, I miss yelling at people in the kitchen (laughs). I miss the hustle, the rush of service and burning myself and having to put food out on time. Being on the line is an adrenaline rush and is something you wouldn't understand unless you were a chef. That's part of the reason why I'm opening a new restaurant. It allows me to be in the kitchen a lot more, as opposed to the fast casual restaurants I've been doing. I've been in the kitchen since I was 13 years old, so having a break these past three years from the everyday kitchen life has been really unique and a great learning experience. I've gotten to learn the business a lot more and how to build a restaurant. I enjoy both sides now.

SK: What is the concept for Bearnaise?

SM: Bearnaise is a classical steak frites restaurant out of Paris. It's a prix fixe menu that really takes the essence of a Parisian-style steak frites restaurant and replicates it in the United States. We're changing it up a little bit to provide more options and do a couple different things, but for the most part it's going to stay pretty classic. For instance, we're going to have French onion soup, classic walnut salad, different types of steak frites with all sorts of sauces. It'll be a steak frites place with my take on it, so I'm pretty excited about it.

SK: What tips would you give home cooks for making holiday dinners less stressful?

SM: My biggest tip is that you don't have to do it all by yourself. Ask your guests to bring something to eliminate some of the items off your prep list. If you want a sweet potato casserole or some mashed potatoes, ask someone to make it and bring it with them. I think that makes it a little more interactive and fun too, when people get to bring their sides and their sauces. Also, don't wait until the last minute to prep everything. Think about leftovers and how great those taste. Making things a day or two ahead always helps, and that food will only get better with time. Throw the stuffing together the day before and have it already made, so when you wake up in the morning you can just reheat it.

SK: What are your favorite holiday dishes to prepare?

SM: My favorite holiday dish to prepare is stuffing. I think they're so delicious, and I also love to make sauces. I'm known for my holiday sauces, like the gravy, red wine sauces and reductions. I come from a classic French background, where the importance of really delicious sauces is at the forefront of food.

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THE CHRON

The contestants arrive in the kitchen to find the altar is stocked – with canned meats. There is pâté, clams, ham, SPAM… and three sets of cans with question marks on them.  What is this – MYSTERY MEAT!? Will somebody end up with Pink slime?

Also, why didn’t they do this in a featured foodie locale – say, for example, one of the shuttered BPI plants.

AB then announces the theme of tonight’s Chairman’s Challenge: redeem canned meats using Transformation.

In other words, the Iron Chef wannabes have to turn a Steaming Pile o’ Turds into a sweet-smelling bouquet of roses.

The contestants pick their poison choose their cans. As the winner of last week’s Challenge, Chef Frietag gets theSignificant Advantage of picking her can last. She has the option of stealing someone else’s can, but decides she wants them to fail with what they chose, so she chooses corned beef.

One hour is put on the clock, and it is time to cook: GO!

And: cooking happens. In other news:

Chefs FoamBoy and Spike decide to form an “alliance.” Which the other contestants feel obligated to comment on. The scary thought? These things normally end up on the other Reality TeeVee shows with one member stabbing another in the back. And these contestants? Use real knives.

Chefs Spike and Falkner explain how important Transformation is to an Iron Chef. Apparently, it is very important.

Fun Fact: Chef Freitag DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO OPEN A CAN OF CORNED BEEF (“Oh, there’s a key on the bottom of the can! D’oh!“)

Ding! Cooking is done, and it is time for Tasting and Judgement.

Chef Falkner (Roast Beef) – First up, Roast Beef with Bordelaise Sauce. The judges like it. No… they LOVE it! I’m guessing there will be no Secret Ingredient Showdown for her this week.

Chef Freitag (Corned Beef) – Presents her Homage to Corned Beef. Iron Chef Zakarian liked it. But, did sheTransform it? Or was it just a garnish?

Chef Spike (Vienna Sausage) – He goes Asian again, with a Vietnamese Vienna Sausage Crepe. Simon Majumdar comments that the heat is very pronounced. Chef Spike hits the Room In Which Side-bars Happen to explain that his sauces are never unbalanced. Iron Chef Zakarian: it would have been better “as an omelette.”

Chef Mehta (Chicken) – He delivers a Chicken Pakora w/curry rice. Donatella Arpaia: it is “perfect.” Iron Chef Zakarian thinks it is a “touch of sheer genius.” Simon Majumdar observes that the “rice is overcooked.” (but, was it Transformed?)

Chef FoamBoy (Clams) – His dish is an Acqua Pazza with clam cake. Simon Majumdar commends Chef FoamBoy on his good presentation, but says the dish is too salty. So salty, in fact, that he calls for a priest to perform an exorcism on his mouth. Donatella Arpaia and Iron Chef Zakarian agree on the level of saltiness. Mayor Bloomberg shows up with his Food Police and has Chef FoamBoy summarily executed. (OK, that last thing didn’t actually happen. But, it would have been awesome if it had.)

Chef Appleman (Canned tuna) – He serves up Tuna Three Ways. Iron Chef Zakarian loved it. Donatella Arpaia and Simon Majumdar said it was transformative, but the results weren’t tasty.

Chef Guarnaschelli (Spiced ham) – She made a Ravioli w/spiced ham, peas, and basil sauce. Simon Majumdar observed that it “looks like Kermit in a blender,” while Iron Chef Zakarian noted that it “tasted better than it looked.” Chef Guarnaschelli is planning her strategy for the Secret Ingredient Showdown.

And then, Judgment is pronounced.

Chefs Freitag, Falkner, and Mehta were on the top. Chef Falkner got the W. (Finally! Yea!) Chef Appleman was saved by the shaved tuna. Chef Guarnaschelli’s dish was lacking in flavor. But it was transformative, so sheSurvives To Cook Another Day, as well.

Poor Chef Spike FoamBoy [thanks to readers/viewers MC and CL for the correction!] – it seems that the judges used the “I” word (“inedible”) when describing his dish. And so, it will be  Chef Spike vs. Chef FoamBoy in theSecret Ingredient Showdown. The Grand Alliance dies before it gets a good start.

The Secret Ingredient Showdown

The two chefs will have 30 minutes to create an amazing dish using the secret ingredient, which is… LOBSTER!Allez Cuisine! Let The Cooking Begin!

As she puts her shattered nervous system back together, Chef Guarnaschelli quips that “This is not s Showdown – it’s a Bro-down.”

Chef Spike, on his strategery for this segment: “I want to make the food that makes people want to go home and have the sex. Or go to sleep.”

Chef FoamBoy breaks out the Liquid Nitrogen to cool off his hibiscus mixture. Because all about the Molecular Gastronomy, he is. Which is a good thing, as it is very Transformative.

Chef Spike starts piping his lobster noodle into the boiling water. Will it work, or is he going to be in hot water with the judges? It works!

Chefs FoamBoy and Spike decide to take a major risk, and plate their dishes USING THE SAME PLATE. Will they both be sent home? They seem to hope that both of them will be safe. However, it is “Iron Chef” – not “Iron Chefsssssss!”

The other contestants, they are not amused. One of them says something about “disrespectful” and “breaking the rules.” AB looks at the whole thing, and his face gets even longer than usual. But, he notes that it will make presentation of the dishes to the judges much easier.

Chef Spike presents his Lobster Laksa. Iron Chef Zakarian noted he “used it [lobster] in a global fashion.”Doantella said it was “well balanced.” Simon thought it was “really nourishing.”

Chef FoamBoy presents his Lobster salad w/mango, black bean sauce and hibiscus. Simon Majumdar thought the lobster & fruit worked well, even though they shouldn’t. Iron Chef Zakarian and Donatella Arpaia also liked it.

So, it is on to the $64,000 question: Do they hang get judged together, or separately?

Iron Chef Zakarian thought they (the judges) got played by FoamBoy and Spike. Donatella Arpaia thought it showed arrogance on their part. AB said he would talk to the Chairman. Simon Majumdar thought that would be a good idea.

My bet is that both of them are 86ed.

Apparently, the Chairman had other ideas. AB coldly informs Spike and FoamBoy that the judges were not pleased. However, they had to render a decision: in this instance, they chose to reward creativity, so Chef FoamBoy Survives To Cook Another Day. However, AB says, the other contestants won’t be having his back in the future. (Unless it is for target practice, perhaps?)

Which means that, by process of elimination, Chef Spike Will Not Be The Next Iron Chef.

As Chef Spike takes his leave, Chef FoamBoy quips: “And then there were six.” The other contestants give him a dirty look.

Next week, on The Next Iron Chef: it’s the Auction Challenge, redux. In a hangar. Cow heads are seen. And bid upon. The whole thing should prove completely disgusting. Which is as it should be.

By Rene Lynch
November 26, 2012, 9:30 a.m.

"The Next Iron Chef" judges were clutching their pearls and reaching for the smelling salts. Why? Because Spike Mendelsohn and Marcel Vigneron dared -- dared! -- to make the best of an awful situation. Now, you could argue that the chefs were exhibiting adaptability, creativity and risk-taking, qualities befitting an Iron Chef.

But that doesn't make for good TV.

Instead, the judges had their knickers in a twist over the chefs' decision to plate their dishes together.

The two chefs, who happen to be BFFs, found themselves competing against each other in the secret-ingredient showdown after they both failed miserably in an earlier challenge that required them to transform canned foods into something magical. Spike used his ingredient -- canned sausages -- as the stuffing for a Vietnamese crepe that left the judges underwhelmed.

That showing was still far better than Marcel's: He had to transform canned clams, and came up with a clam cake that was easily one of the worst things the judges had ever put in their mouths. It was deemed inedible, and overly salty. And Judge Simon Majumdar said he might need a priest to "exorcise my mouth," which has got to be one of the single best insults ever handed down in "Next Iron Chef" history.

Spike and Marcel were then given a gift -- lobster -- in the secret-ingredient showdown that pitted the two against each other.

Spike offered a bowl of Lobster Laksa, featuring foamy lobster noodles of all things. They looked gross, but the judges seemed to love them. Marcel came up with the winning dish, a mango and lobster salad with a black bean sauce.

But what they cooked was almost beside the point: The chefs turned the "Next Iron Chef" world upside down when they decided to plate their dishes together on a single platter.

I'll pause here so you can fan yourself for a few moments, and recover from this unbelievably disrespectful and unprecedented act of defiance.

"We're in this together," Spike explained of the plating decision with his bestie, and added: "Iron Chefs embrace risk and we took a huge gamble."

The judges begged to differ.

"They're really overly cocky," Donatella Arpaia sniffed. (By that measure, both Nate Appleman and Jehangir Mehta should be heading for the door before the harmless Spike and Marcel.)

I was waiting for her to scream: "Off with their heads!"

"I felt like we got played here," said Iron Chef and judge Geoffrey Zakarian (who by the by is my favorite Iron Chef, just in case you were wondering.) Simon called it unbecoming "silliness."

Do you agree with the judges? Was this single-plating maneuver totally out of bounds?

I kinda liked it. I considered it a dash of fun by two guys who are outstanding chefs but, really, at the end of the day, know deep down inside they are long shots for the job opening.