![]() ![]() I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so I emailed Seth and said, ‘You’re onto something here. They had a reaction just like meat and they tasted fabulous. ![]() I cooked these burgers on the grill in my backyard and I was baffled by how well they cooked. Everything was always falling apart or too moist. “She’s vegan and I knew we’d always struggled in the burger category. Still, Mendelsohn gave it a try for the sake of his wife. I’d love for you to take this home and let me know what you think.’ I said thank you but kind of scoffed at it.” Courtesy of PLNT Burger He said, ‘I heard you’re the king of burgers. He brought a cooler full of both and snuck it under my seat. I ended up on a panel with Seth Goldman from Honest Tea and Beyond Meat. But then I started working on a lot of food policy in the DC area and getting intrigued by how a plant-based lifestyle can really help our food systems. “I was never out there preaching veganism or vegetarianism. “The funny thing is, I was never really into plant-based anything except for the natural vegetables that I’d work with,” Mendelsohn tells COOL HUNTING. This year will see even more expansion and, with it, greater conversations about plant-based dining. Earlier this year, Mendelsohn opened PLNT Burger’s first-ever independent brick-and-mortar storefront nearby NYC’s Union Square. The former-a vegan fast food chain with 11 locations (10 of which are inside of Whole Foods stores)-has become a cherished destination for its delicious 100% plant-based burger the latter is a snack company that’s emphasizing the power and flavor of fungi and vegetables. In the past few years, the restaurateur, celebrity chef and food policy advocate founded two brands that have the potential to change the way people eat and think about eating: PLNT Burger and Eat the Change. That has been one of the most rewarding takeaways from the show for me.Chef Spike Mendelsohn cares about the future of food. Without the show, I don’t think we would have had such a platform to do all this, fighting for GMO labeling, better local food systems, sustainable seafood, food aid, SNAP, and more. “Top Chef” host Tom Colicchio is the leading chef driving food policy right now, and then you have others like Sam Talbot, myself, Mike Isabella, and the Voltaggio brothers-all “Top Chef” contestants-lobbying on the Hill. What’s really great is that the show has set a platform for chefs like myself to have a voice in policy. Seriously, though, the show definitely plays a role in getting chefs TV-ready for interviews, promotions, books, etc.-skills that as a chef you don’t necessarily already have. The second time around, several seasons later, I knew what to expect, which maybe didn’t serve me the best because I called it in sooner than I had the first time! How did being on “Top Chef” help you with media training?īefore “Top Chef,” I had never done anything in TV whatsoever. The real celebrities in our industry and untouchable gods of the culinary world were always Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, and José Andrés, but now many chefs are more recognizable. It’s given our industry a lure and a buy-in that we didn’t really have before. It has definitely made being a chef seem more glamorous chefs are the new rock stars, and the show has given us more clout. Now you have the “Next Food Network Star” and a host of other reality cooking shows. I think shows like “Top Chef” and “Project Runway” were the two most successful shows that really impacted industries. My season had a huge roster of talent, and the show was still really raw and exciting. Not everyone was an executive chef at a top restaurant. It was really fresh every show had a little bit of everything. What was “Top Chef” like in those early years compared to later seasons? market, which was not as recognized as much for its restaurants back then. That exposure really helped me launch in the D.C. When I was first on the show, it was still very new and not completely accepted throughout the industry like it is now. The biggest thing for me was that it laid out a marketing and PR platform for me to capitalize on. How did being on “Top Chef” help you in your career? His other passions have centered on food policy and lobbying on the hill for changes that can help food makers, farmers, consumers, and others around the world. READ MORE: Catching up with five former "Top Chef" contestants. He has since made several other TV appearances with Bravo! and other networks while opening multiple fast-casual restaurants in Washington, D.C., including the burger chain Good Stuff Eatery. As one of the earlier “Top Chef” contestants, Mendelsohn instantly became a fan favorite and recognizable by his many stylish hats. ![]()
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