I’ve got a couple of weeks off of work - despite House Republicans’ best efforts, Congress has adjourned for the traditional August recess and things at the office are slow - so I hit the W&OD bike trail yesterday afternoon.

I got into riding thanks to an old roommate who was an avid outdoorsman and competitive cyclist. One of his safety tips for the W&OD trail is that you should never ride with an iPod on. Naturally, I ignored that bit of advice yesterday. I was only out for a relatively short trip - 20 miles, from my house to Reston and back - but I much prefer working out with a soundtrack.

Any of you who also read DCist will have seen some of their extensive comment threads on cycling in and around the city. This is one point, though, that I haven’t really seen addressed extensively. Is it kosher to ride/run/rollerblade with the music on while out on a bike trail?

Just about every jogger I saw yesterday had headphones on, though none of them seemed to have any problem hearing me when I passed. I’m not about to go out on the trail with tunes on a sunny Saturday afternoon when every yuppie with tight shorts in Northern Virginia will be out for a stroll, but aside from that, I say go for it. Just use your head - and, obviously, keep the volume at a reasonable level for those “on your left” calls. I can’t imagine that it’d be a good idea on the Capital Crescent trail in Bethesda, either, but maybe you Murrahlanders disagree.

And for goodness’ sake, please, stop at the stop signs!

At the urging of a friend from school, we ventured to Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn’s new restaurant on Capitol Hill: The Good Stuff Eatery on Friday night. As yet another entry in the DC burger scene (recently chronicled by the Post’s Tim Carman), I found myself wondering if a celebrity like Chef Spike could move product. The answer, as proven by the crowds on the sidewalk on Pennsylvania Ave. SE, is unquestionably “yes.”

Full review after the jump.

Eight of us braved the line for about 20 minutes on Penn Ave. for entry into The Good Stuff. Spike’s new digs aren’t a sit-down restaurant; customers stand in line to order, take a pager while their meal is prepared and find a table on their own. Controlled entry into the line prevented overcrowding, which was a nice touch - and we found a table for 8 upstairs without too much trouble.

The burgers were tasty, if not quite as big as I’ve seen at the local Five Guys. I tried the “Colletti’s Smokehouse” burger, which is topped with applewood bacon, sharp Vermont cheddar, fried Vidalia onion rings and chipotle BBQ sauce. A freshly-made burger is always better than one that’s been sitting under the hot lights, but I wasn’t totally blown away. I’m willing to concede, though, that I have high burger standards - growing up with In & Out in California spoiled me!

I found the restaurant’s strengths elsewhere. Spike’s Village Fries (French fries seasoned with lots of fresh thyme, rosemary and cracked pepper) were fantastic - crisp, hot out of the fryer and served with a mayonnaise bar nearby. That’s right - four kinds of mayo for your fries! I particularly liked the Old Bay variety. I also tried out a Black & White milkshake, which was spectacular. Thick, creamy and perfectly complementary to the meal.

My only real complaint was the price tag - my dinner ran about $16 for a burger, seasoned fries and a milkshake - but I’m sure that won’t be an impediment to the Top Chef fans in the area. One of my companions noted that their portion sizes need work - her burger seemed relatively small compared to the mountain of French fries served with it. Still, one can’t expect perfection from the new kid on the block, and the lines out the door must mean they’re doing something right. If you don’t mind a moderate wait for a chance to spot Chef Spike (we didn’t see him during our visit, but I’m sure he’s around on occasion), it’s worth a trip.

In fact, [Java Shack owner Dale Roberts] is more than fine. His first-quarter sales were up 23 percent. The second quarter: up 12.5 percent. His foot traffic is up. His business is energized. Not only has Roberts survived an onslaught of Starbucks shops — there are several within a couple of miles — now he feels he is doing to them what everyone thought they would do to him: beating ‘em.

I haven’t been by that particular store, but the smaller java suppliers I’ve tried seem to be doing a superb job at feeding the DC area’s coffee addiction. My new roommate is a fervent devotee of Murky Coffee’s Clarendon location, and I loved patronizing their DC store until it closed down. I’ve been known to conduct college interviews at Misha’s in Alexandria and I can’t wait for Peregrine Espresso to open at Murky’s old DC location.

600 Starbucks stores closing down or not, there are still three outposts within a couple of blocks of my office in DC. I can’t imagine it’s a losing proposition to supply our fair city’s caffeine addicts (thousands of lawyers, lobbyists, government workers and staffers can’t go without!) Any favorite local coffee shops you, our readers, would recommend?