A late night excursion at Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington D.C. provided Jill and I with blissful indulgence and our first experience with chili half-smokes. To put it in perspective, the half-smoke to D.C. is much like the cheesesteak to Philly.
Apparently, according to locals, Ben’s is a D.C. institution of sorts. It is a glowing landmark eatery on U street that has seen the frequent patronage of Bill Cosby and President Obama. In fact, according to a hand written sign just below the massive menu, these two eat for free. You won’t find white table cloths at Ben’s, but after a 1 AM chili half-smoke with onions and mustard and a side of chili fries you’ll find yourself in complete understanding why people have flocked to Ben’s for over 50 years. It was tasty, vibrant and probably an absolute “must” have while in the area. I’m thinking a chili half-smoke is in order for my next visit. That’s what I have been told anyhow. Who gets it, will get it. The staff even serves while dancing and singing old school Motown tunes. I thought it was fantastically inviting.
If you are not familiar with half-smokes, they are similar to a hot dog yet larger, spicier and with more coarsely ground meat. They can often be mistaken for kielbasa. However, the etymology of half-smokes is uncertain. I was just informed of them myself while being in D.C. this past weekend. All I was told was that they were damn good. Very true.
