When I first heard, via this NBC Washington report, that former Top Chef contestant Richard Blais was going to open a burger joint in D.C., I immediately thought: God, it’s come to this. Chefs are following Spike Mendelsohn’s lead.

But then I looked further into Blais’ concept at Flip Burger Boutique in Atlanta, the hamburger joint with the pretentious name and the cool concept. The operation combines Blais’ affection for molecular gastronomy with the foodstuff that Washingtonians seem to love more than even Wimpy does.

The molecular gastronomy side of Flip seems, for the most part, limited to the milkshake section of the menu (PDF), where the creamy drinks are flash frozen with liquid nitrogen and come in oddball flavors such as Krispy Kreme and (I kid you not) foie gras. Here’s what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Meridith Ford wrote in her (I kid you not) four-star review of Flip:

Read More “Former Top Chef Contestant Blais to Open Flip Burger in D.C.” »

Mike Isabella withstood charges of misogyny, but he couldn’t stand up to Natalie Portman’s palate during last night’s vegetarian challenge. He was told to pack his knives and go, officially ending the Zaytinya chef’s run on the reality show.

But at least his departure gave Isabella an excuse to dish about the show, which he did today during a Q&A with WaPo readers. The highlights:

Read More “Highlights from Mike Isabella’s Chat with WaPo Readers” »

This surreal exchange among judges gets my vote for the funniest moment yet on this season’s Top Chef:

Toby Young describes Eli’s pork balls as looking like “a couple of bull’s testicles.”

To which Padma Lakshmi chimes in: “Believe it or not, I’ve actually had bull’s testicles…”

Read More “Padma Is No Stranger to Bull’s Testicles” »

In response to yesterday’s breakdown of 25 ugly food tattoos, Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group publicist Charissa Benjamin landed on a clever way to promote the relatively new chef de cuisine at Jackson 20: send me pics of his tats.

I bit on it like a baby trout. How could I not? Derek Simcik has some seriously hardcore tats. I’d love to see a tat-off, whatever that would be, between he and Zaytinya toque (and Top Chef contestant) Mike Isabella.

So who is Simcik? I’ve sampled his food only once, back in the summer, and found his wedge salad tasty and his version of barbecued pulled pork sweeter than Paula Deen hopped up on peach tea. But after reading the bio forwarded by Benjamin, I have to admit that I need to dig deeper into Simcik’s work.

More tats and Simcik’s bio after the jump.

Read More “Jackson 20’s Simcik Is the Illustrated Chef” »

One by one, we’re running through the 50 restaurants that made the cut on this year’s Young & Hungry Dining Guide. If you have visited the day’s featured restaurant, let us know what you think. If you’re planning to visit for the first time, tell us about your meal when you return.

Ever since Mike Isabella took over the kitchen at Zaytinya in 2007, I have been drawn to this downtown power spot in an unhealthy (and unsustainable) way for someone of my tax bracket. I dare say that, these days, I’m far more likely to be ordering small plates here than at José Andrés’ three temples to Spanish gastronomy, which either means that Isabella’s one helluva chef or that I’ve picked up some seasonal allergy to cured meats. I think it’s the former. Isabella has, to my mind, solved Zaytinya’s once-maddening inconsistencies while injecting a creative seasonality into the mezze menu. A recent plate of spring bean plaki was as fresh as a snap pea from the garden, while a special of fried squash blossoms pulled off a neat trick: They were simultaneously rich and delicate.

Addendum: Will Mike Isabella stick around Zaytinya following his Top Chef appearance?

 Zaytinya, 701 9th St. NW, (202) 638-0800

Photo courtesy of Zaytinya

Bryan Voltaggio is so gonna bury bro Michael

The first thing I wanted to know from Bryan Voltaggio is why. Why did the former executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak and the current chef/owner of his own restaurant, VOLT, in Frederick feel the need to appear on Season 6 of Top Chef? He, of all people, doesn’t seem to need the career bump that comes from allowing Bravo to manipulate the crap out of a chef’s public image. I mean, he’s not Carla Hall.

It seems Voltaggio has his motivations, and it concerns a certain younger brother, Michael Voltaggio, the chef de cuisine at the Bazaar by José Andrés.

“There’s always been a bit of sibling rivalry between us,” Bryan Voltaggio tells Y&H. “We wanted to prove who’s the best.”

Read More “The New Spin for Next Season’s ‘Top Chef’: Sibling Rivalry!” »

Mike Isabella from Zaytinya: Top Chef material

When Mike Isabella got the call to appear on Season 6 of Top Chef, the Zaytinya chef apparently didn’t want to do it. It took a little urging from THINKfoodGROUP’s big daddy, José Andrés, before the chef decided to pack his knives and go onto the show. So says Andrés, who has a little experience with food TV himself.

“I said, ‘You have to do it,’” Andrés told Y&H this afternoon. “I said, ‘I want you to do it.’”

And so Isabella is one of 17 contestants who will appear on Season 6, which debuts on Wednesday, Aug. 26, in Las Vegas. Isabella is not the only D.C. area toque to compete this season. VOLT chef/owner Bryan Voltaggio is also a contestant, as is Voltaggio’s brother, Michael, who’s chef de cuisine at the Bazaar by José Andrés in Los Angeles. Whew, it’s getting rather incestuous in here.

Read More “Jose Andres Thinks His Zaytinya Chef Will Stick Around After ‘Top Chef’ Appearance” »

Eagle-eyed beerspotters could catch a glimpse of real-live good beer on Wednesday’s episode of Top Chef Masters. On two occasions for a split-second, the camera showed contestant Graham Elliot Bowles drinking Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, a hefty, hoppy black seasonal. However short-lived, the sighting felt like payback on behalf of all beer drinkers after sitting through ad after ad for Michelob Ultra (actual slogan: “Live life to the ultra”).

And yes, the ad featured in-line skating.

I’ve seen Top Chef contestants actually drink Michelob Ultra, but I’ve also seen Brooklyn beers make it on the show. Were either of these product placements? Were both? The Stone likely wasn’t, given its <1-second cameo. I also got to taste the Sublimely Self-Righteous at Savor; billed as a “black double IPA,” it had dark-roasted coffee notes followed by a bulldozer of hops to clear your palette. Sadly I think this season’s is all gone, but if you spot it, tweet it!

At Sunday night’s RAMMY awards, I had the pleasure of sitting at the same table as Carla Hall, who may be the nicest person on earth, and Ariane Duarte, who was introduced to me as yet another former Top Chef contestant making the rounds. That’s when my embarrassment meter went into the red zone. I couldn’t remember Duarte — and couldn’t immediately cop to the minor embarrassment.

Finally, after sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, I turned to Duarte and asked some questions about her Top Chef experience in hopes of jump-starting my memory. She was kind enough to give me the hint I needed. “They called me the Cougar,” she said.

A light flipped on inside the dull fog of my brain. “I’m sitting next to The Coogs?” I said. “That’s awesome!”

Did I mention that I had a glass or two of wine in me?

Read More “There Is Life After ‘Top Chef’ for The Cougar” »

From practically the day he opened Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill, Spike Mendelsohn has been promising more outlets, which of course has only intensified the interest and speculation among his faithful. But as Y&H noted last week, Mendelsohn has his hands full with a number of other projects these days, including his planned pizzeria.

So is there still room in the Mendelsohn family portfolio for more Good Stuffs?

“I’m positive we’re going to be opening up many more in the near future,” Mendelsohn told Y&H last week. “I think I’ve learned that the concept belongs in urban areas, high-traffic areas.”

Mendelsohn proceeds to mention South Beach and Tokyo as possible locations. But what about the District and surrounding areas? Aren’t you planning to open more to keep up with the demand that Michelle Obama’s visit caused?

Read More “Where Will Spike Mendelsohn Open His Next Good Stuff Eatery?” »