User:Spike-Mendelsohn

CHEF SPIKE MENDELSOHN

Chef Spike Mendelsohn was 13 years old when he had his first real experience in the kitchen. His parents owned and operated Pepin Restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida where he spent most nights and weekends washing dishes and running around the dining room as a busboy.

One night in the heat of the kitchen, one of his mom’s main sauté cooks was unable to work, so Spike Mendelsohn jumped right in to take over. The restaurant had 350 seats and a 45 minute wait. In the panic of the moment his mom looked over at the dishwashing section and motioned for him to get on the line and replace the sauté cook.

His mom remembers the night vividly, because when she looked down the line and saw Spike Mendelsohn flipping sauté pans in the air, slamming the oven doors with his foot and handling the food with care and finesse, she instantly knew he would be a great chef one day.

Over the years, Spike Mendelsohn moved around the restaurant and filled in for every position from waiter to bartender to maitre ‘d. He was hooked.

At 19 years old he told his mother that he wanted to become a chef. Aware of his potential and understanding the level of commitment it takes to become a great chef, his mom made him a deal: work for one full year and live up to the demands of a chef; learn some humility and perseverance…and she and his dad would send him to any chef school anywhere in the world.

In January 2004, Spike Mendelsohn started his formal education at the Culinary Institute of America. For his externship he unrelentingly sought a position with Chef Gerard Boyer at the famous restaurant Les Crayeres in Reims, France. He soaked in every ounce of knowledge that he could during that time and kept a journal about it documenting recipes and techniques in detail. The opportunity of working at Les Crayeres, a Three Michelin Star restaurant for nearly 25 years, along side Chef Thierry Voisin and his team set the standards for the rest of his career.

Upon his return to the Institute he joined the Culinary Society and eagerly participated with Chef Michael Pardus and Chef Michael Huynh in a series of fusion dinners. Spike Mendelsohn was chosen as one of the 10 students that would be afforded the opportunity to go to Vietnam on a culinary adventure with both Chef Pardus and Chef Huynh. It was the beginning of the very unique Vietnamese influence on his cuisine.

Spike Mendelsohn graduated on March 4, 2005 receiving the highest award offered at the Culinary Institute of America, The Francis Roth Leadership Award. After graduation, he pursued and landed a job working for Thomas Keller at Bouchon restaurant in Napa Valley where he enjoyed working with and learning from Executive Chef Jeffrey Cerciello, formerly of The French Laundry.

He later moved to New York City to work for the Maccioni Family at the legendary Le Cirque restaurant. Spike Mendelsohn and Marco Maccioni had both externed at Les Crayeres with Chef Gerard Boyer and with that recommendation he was afforded the opportunity to work with Chef Pierre Schaedelin formerly of Alain Ducasse’s famed Le Louis XV in Monaco.

Chef Michael Huynh, the Master of Vietnamese Cuisine, later approached Spike Mendelsohn and Drew Nieporent of the Myriad Restaurant Group; one of Americas most respected and celebrated restaurateurs, to join them in opening Mai House in Tribeca.

He made the difficult decision to leave Le Cirque because he had always wanted to add an exotic flair to his knowledge of French cuisine and could not pass up the opportunity of being mentored by Chef Huynh. In addition, Mr. Neiporent was willing to give him the freedom to put together his own team at Mai House.

Only a few months after Mai House opened, Frank Bruni of The New York Times awarded the restaurant two stars. In 2008, Mai House was listed as one of the ten best restaurants by The New York Times, due in no small part to Chef Spike Mendelsohn and his team.

Chef Spike Mendelsohn’s new concept Good Stuff Eatery was inspired by his vision for a place where people can enjoy the nostalgia of eating the best of their American favorites: handcrafted burgers, handcut fries and handspun shakes made with the highest quality farm fresh ingredients.

The pilot store of Good Stuff Eatery opened in Spring 2008 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Although Chef Spike Mendelsohn had the vision, his family (which includes his mother, father, sister, aunt and a bunch of cousins) are involved with the start-up. Chef Spike Mendelsohn hopes eventually to spread Good Stuff Eateries throughout the nation.

Chef Spike Mendelsohn is currently in the kitchen at Good Stuff Eatery, where the First Family has visited several times. Chef Spike Mendelsohn is also participating in cooking demonstrations, speaking venues around the country and can be seen on the Top Chef Tour Bus and Food Networks Food 2 website (www.food2.com) with a show “By The Book, Off The Hook”.

Chef Spike Mendelsohn is the host on the pilot show “The Original Recipe” where he travels the world discovering the origins of different foods. He also participates in special events most recently with Chefs Art Smith and Jose Andres at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Chef Spike Mendelsohn was a contestant on Top Chef Chicago, on the Bravo TV Network. Spike Mendelsohn contends, “Becoming a ‘Top Chef’ cannot be accomplished on a reality show, because it takes a lifetime…"

On a more personal note, Spike Mendelsohn will continue to pursue his professional dream which is to one day bring the very coveted Three Michelin Stars to his resume.

Spike Mendelsohn Personal Website - http://www.spikethechef.com/ Spike Mendelsohn's Resturant - http://goodstuffeatery.com