The Cure for World Hunger? More Elections!

<<EDIT 11/4 @ 10 AM:  As you might expect, we’re not the only ones on the Internets spreading the word about rewards for voting.  DCist has what might be the best of the bunch – a free cheese plate at Dino – and Endless Simmer clues us in to Top Chef Spike’s largesse in the form of a free brownie or cookie at Good Stuff Eatery.>>

There are plenty of reasons to vote: civic responsibility, a desire for real change, the right to complain about the outcome after the fact.  But we all know those just aren’t enough for some of us…and it’s getting harder and harder for politicians to outright buy our votes.

So what’s in it for you this year?  Plenty, as long as you’re willing to load up on sweets and treats.  Your “I Voted!” sticker is like a grown-up version of a Halloween costume on Election Day, allowing you to trick-or-treat your way to free food and drinks throughout the city. 

Coffee, tacos and Bourbon are just a few of the democra-licious incentives to cast a vote tomorrow – find them and more after the jump:

 

Good Stuff from Top Chef’s Spike Opens on the Hill

Every milliner’s favorite Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn opened the doors of Good Stuff Eatery tonight for the friends and family tasting. We we were lucky enough to score an invite and get a sneak peek at some of the menu items Spike and Mike discussed with us a few weeks ago. (Double bonus, our buddy Jon from So Good was there to enjoy the fry and burger sampling with us.)

Spike, his GM Mike and assorted members of the Mendelsohn family were in full form behind the counter flipping, frying, expediting and generally making sure everyone was happy.

The evening’s menu (right) wasn’t comprehensive, but it was a solid start. The Blazin’ Barn, Spike’s banh mi-influenced burger, was available and definitely the hot item of the night. This is easily the most buzzed about burger on the menu and with good reason. It was perfectly cooked, pink in the middle and seasoned with daikon, carrots, cilantro and a kickin’ spicy mayo.

 

Top Chef’s Spike Comes to DC

In the world of dining, even the most loyal local foodies would agree that DC is a small pond with a couple of killer whales. Starting this June, DC can add another bold name when Bravo’s Top Cheftestant Evangelos “Spike” Mendelsohn opens his Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill. On Tuesday night, Mike and I were lucky enough to have dinner with Spike and his partner-in-food Mike Colletti at Dr. Granville Moore’s on H St NE.

 

Say what you will about his performance on Top Chef: Spike brought this season’s most engaging and controversial character. Doubt us? Take a look at Television Without Pity’s Top Chef forum: On the night before the season finale Spike’s thread comments still vastly outnumber the three finalists, even gripetastic Lisa Fernandes.  So how does this food personality stack up in real life?

 

Look, I’ll be honest. If Tom Colicchio himself granted me the power to choose any Top Chef participant to start up in DC, I’d probably opt for Harold “Top Chef Saint” Dieterle or Sam Talbot. (Do I need to explain the latter?). Spike, though a serious contestant who came damn near the final three, always had an onscreen persona that put me a little on edge. Part experienced chef (his resume includes culinary school plus due diligence at the openings of Le Cirque and Mai House), part aggressive competitor and part-time schemer, it was hard to tell if he belonged in the good or evil column of reality show contestants. I was worried which version of Spike we might get – would “part-time slickster politician” make an appearance?