Every once in a while you visit a restaurant which is not just an eating place. It has been around for a long time and seen history in the making. Such an establishment has an unassuming entrance, has stayed true to its roots and is an integral part of the history of that area. The iconic Ben's Chilli Bowl on famed U-Street next to Lincoln Theatre fits this description perfectly. It has been in continuous business since 1958 and has lived to tell its story from the time when DC was officially segregated and U-Street fell in the 'Black zone' to the 1968 riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Junior to the present day when the hoi polloi and glitterati all descend on Ben's Chilli Bowl for their fill of chili dogs and milkshakes.
I am not a big fan of chili dogs. When you are standing at Times Square on a chilly evening, this is the most easily available comfort food in sight and that is probably the only time I've given in to the temptation of holding onto this most American of food items. On a visit to DC, old timer resident friends of mine jokingly said 'obviously you'll be checking out Ben's Chilli Bowl as well?' Up until that point, it wasn't really on my itinerary but then a renowned food place (and that too one which is inexpensive and has a historical twist to it) and me seem to have Karmic connections and I really look forward to stepping into them. So here I was at Ben's Chilli Bowl for lunch on a weekday.
The restaurant occupies a former movie house which was in business in the 1920's and was founded by Ben Ali, a Trinidadian born immigrant of Indian origin and his new American bride Virginia Ali. Ben's Chilli Bowl was made famous by the regular patronage of jazz greats performing in the area like Nat King Cole in the 60's and more recently entertainer Bill Cosby. But it was put firmly on the tourist map in 2009 when Barack Obama visited the place as part of his welcome to DC. There is a cheeky poster at the counter which proclaims credit is extended only to these two parties! Innovative way of saying please check your wallet before placing the order.
It wasn't too crowded at our visit hour and we promptly placed our order for 2 of 'Ben's Original' items. I settled for Bill Cosby's favourite (as the menu proclaims) - Chili Half Smoke which is a sausage of half pork and half beef grilled and served on a warm steamed bun with mustard, onions and Ben's spicy chili sauce. Absolutely lip smacking fare and at $5.70, the most value-for-money delicious lunch I've ever had. My better half settled for Ben's Chili beef dog ($5.70) which is prepared the same way as the half smoke and is for die-hard beef lovers. We washed these down with the super sinful chili cheese fries and chocolate shakes. I am sure we were at least 5 pounds heavier that day but how does one give up on these indulgences?
The decor at Ben's Chilli Bowl is basic. The two seating areas are done up in themes of red and white and black and white respectively. I believe much of the furniture also dates back to the founding year. The walls are adorned with photographs of celebrities who've come calling over the years including Nicholas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni who even with few minutes to spare in DC dropped in at the 'home of the famous chili dog.' Of course, the pride of place is occupied by a large photograph of a relaxed Barack Obama enjoying his outing at Ben's soon after his first inauguration.
As we were getting ready to leave, a distinguished looking old lady walked up to our table and we started chatting. She introduced herself as Mrs. Virginia Ali. On learning we were Indians living in Singapore, she happily informed us her late husband was of Indian origin and she has had the opportunity to visit the Indian subcontinent on a few occasions. The soft spoken and elegant Ms. Ali had been to Singapore too and reminisced about the grandeur of Raffles Hotel and how much she had enjoyed her stay there. We chatted a few minutes on sundry topics and she proudly told us how she had lot of time to relax now with the business being looked after by her children (whose photos along with families also adorn the walls of Ben's).
It was time to leave Ben's Chilli Bowl and with a certain sadness I set out. Sometimes, spending hundreds of dollars on a meal doesn't give the same joy and satisfaction which a visit to a place like Ben's Chili Bowl can give where the food is fresh, service is genuine, ambience is no-fuss and most of all, a genteel and affable owner makes you feel like their top most customer when all you've done is run up a bill of odd $30. I promised to be back and till such time, I can only wait to walk down U-Street again and be enticed by the wafting aromas of Ben's Chili Bowl to do an encore.
I am not a big fan of chili dogs. When you are standing at Times Square on a chilly evening, this is the most easily available comfort food in sight and that is probably the only time I've given in to the temptation of holding onto this most American of food items. On a visit to DC, old timer resident friends of mine jokingly said 'obviously you'll be checking out Ben's Chilli Bowl as well?' Up until that point, it wasn't really on my itinerary but then a renowned food place (and that too one which is inexpensive and has a historical twist to it) and me seem to have Karmic connections and I really look forward to stepping into them. So here I was at Ben's Chilli Bowl for lunch on a weekday.
The restaurant occupies a former movie house which was in business in the 1920's and was founded by Ben Ali, a Trinidadian born immigrant of Indian origin and his new American bride Virginia Ali. Ben's Chilli Bowl was made famous by the regular patronage of jazz greats performing in the area like Nat King Cole in the 60's and more recently entertainer Bill Cosby. But it was put firmly on the tourist map in 2009 when Barack Obama visited the place as part of his welcome to DC. There is a cheeky poster at the counter which proclaims credit is extended only to these two parties! Innovative way of saying please check your wallet before placing the order.
It wasn't too crowded at our visit hour and we promptly placed our order for 2 of 'Ben's Original' items. I settled for Bill Cosby's favourite (as the menu proclaims) - Chili Half Smoke which is a sausage of half pork and half beef grilled and served on a warm steamed bun with mustard, onions and Ben's spicy chili sauce. Absolutely lip smacking fare and at $5.70, the most value-for-money delicious lunch I've ever had. My better half settled for Ben's Chili beef dog ($5.70) which is prepared the same way as the half smoke and is for die-hard beef lovers. We washed these down with the super sinful chili cheese fries and chocolate shakes. I am sure we were at least 5 pounds heavier that day but how does one give up on these indulgences?
The decor at Ben's Chilli Bowl is basic. The two seating areas are done up in themes of red and white and black and white respectively. I believe much of the furniture also dates back to the founding year. The walls are adorned with photographs of celebrities who've come calling over the years including Nicholas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni who even with few minutes to spare in DC dropped in at the 'home of the famous chili dog.' Of course, the pride of place is occupied by a large photograph of a relaxed Barack Obama enjoying his outing at Ben's soon after his first inauguration.
As we were getting ready to leave, a distinguished looking old lady walked up to our table and we started chatting. She introduced herself as Mrs. Virginia Ali. On learning we were Indians living in Singapore, she happily informed us her late husband was of Indian origin and she has had the opportunity to visit the Indian subcontinent on a few occasions. The soft spoken and elegant Ms. Ali had been to Singapore too and reminisced about the grandeur of Raffles Hotel and how much she had enjoyed her stay there. We chatted a few minutes on sundry topics and she proudly told us how she had lot of time to relax now with the business being looked after by her children (whose photos along with families also adorn the walls of Ben's).
It was time to leave Ben's Chilli Bowl and with a certain sadness I set out. Sometimes, spending hundreds of dollars on a meal doesn't give the same joy and satisfaction which a visit to a place like Ben's Chili Bowl can give where the food is fresh, service is genuine, ambience is no-fuss and most of all, a genteel and affable owner makes you feel like their top most customer when all you've done is run up a bill of odd $30. I promised to be back and till such time, I can only wait to walk down U-Street again and be enticed by the wafting aromas of Ben's Chili Bowl to do an encore.
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