WestEnd Bistro's tall topiaries and flowering plants separate its patio from busy M Street.

Come summer, Washington is all about cafe society, and every restaurant with a sliver of sidewalk unfurls the umbrellas and hauls out the patio tables and chairs.

Newcomers to the dining scene have joined in this Parisian-style exodus outdoors. French architect Pierre-Charles L’Enfant, who envisioned Washington as a Paris on the Potomac long ago, would be pleased. Some new addresses for dining al fresco this summer:

Tall topiaries, market umbrellas, and chrome and wood furnishings create a chic outdoor oasis on the wide sidewalk outside the Ritz-Carlton’s French-inflected WestEnd Bistro (1190 22nd St., NW; 202-974-4900). A few blocks away at Hudson (2030 M St., NW; 202-872-8700), oversize beach umbrellas make for an island feel, which is the idea, especially on Friday nights when steel-drum performers provide the tunes and Caribbean cocktails, such as Cruzan-rum mai tais, rule.

Last week, amid all the chatter about Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn’s burger spot opening up in DC, Michael Landrum, owner of Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington and Ray’s the Classics in Silver Spring, quietly unveiled his latest project. In an unmarked space in the same Wilson Boulevard strip as Ray’s the Steaks, Ray’s Hell-Burger (a.k.a. Butcher Burgers, for the legal documents) opened July 1 and serves only one dish: ten-ounce hamburgers made from prime beef. It’s the same farm-raised meat—aged in house—that steak lovers line up for at Ray’s the Steaks and Ray's the Classics, just ground in-house several times daily.

•Happy July 4, everybody! In the mood for burgers? If so, it’s your kind of week. Columbia Heights residents just got a new Five Guys, and you’ve probably heard about a certain Top Cheffer’s burger spot on the Hill, which is opening Monday. But this past Tuesday came an even bigger development on the upscale fast food scene. That's when Ray’s the Steaks proprietor Michael Landrum unveiled Ray’s Hell-Burger (1713 Wilson Blvd., Arlington)—the official name is Butcher Burgers, but nobody’s calling it that—in the same stripmall as his jampacked steakhouse.
    According to Landrum’s post on Donrockwell.com, the chargrilled patties are 10-ounces of freshly ground premium and prime aged beef, and come with toppings such as charred jalapenos, roasted garlic, and mushrooms sauteed with sherry and brandy. We’re most excited about the cheeses, which include an all-the-time lineup of Vermont cheddar, Gruyere, and smoked mozzarella (among others) plus a changing variety of fancier cheese shop finds like the excellent Smokey Blue from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery, Bel Paese, and runny, stinky Epoisses. At Ray’s the Steaks you get complimentary creamed spinach and mashed potatoes with your dinner; here, the freebies are buttered corn and a slice of watermelon.

Inspired by his Peruvian mother and Cuban father, BLT Steak executive chef Victor Albisu barbecues simply marinated hanger steaks and adds a touch of pimenton, or Spanish paprika. This July 4, he’ll be at home in Vienna, firing up the grill for his wife, Suzanne, and two-year old son, Julian. If you can’t find the flavorful hanger cut, Albisu recommends substituting skirt or flank steaks.

A few of our readers clamored for a written transcript of the 10-minute-long video interview that Spike Mendelsohn did with us yesterday. For those of you who prefer your news about Top Chef and Spike's new venture, Good Stuff Eatery, in the written word, check below!

A couple of summers ago, Hank's Oyster Bar chef Jamie Leeds and her son Hayden helped fisherman reel in bluefish in East Hampton, New York. Inspired by the light flavors of the summer catch, Leeds created this easy dish and spruced it up with the zing of radishes, the crunch of carrots and celery, and the sweetness of juicy tomatoes. It's become a favorite of her backyard barbecue guests.

Spike speeds past a burger and shake in his new Capitol Hill burger joint.

We caught up with fedora-obsessed former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn at his soon-to-open Capitol Hill burger joint, Good Stuff Eatery. After a toasted-marshmallow milkshake, he revealed (on video) which DC chef-buddy you'll see on the next Top Chef, his real feelings for judge Tom Colicchio, and in-the-works locations of more family restaurant ventures. Scroll down for our video interview with Spike—plus a video-tour of the interior of Good Stuff and photos of everything from his dad to the Five Napkin Burger.