Y’all, I have Discovered Pure [Hot Dog] Gold in DC
For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Elizabeth. I had the pleasure of getting to know both Sarah and Mallory while in school at UT. GO VOLS! Can we all raise our glasses (if it’s not an appropriate time for a libation as you’re reading this, suck it up and channel some KLG and Hoda) to these seriously cool broads and their blog? CHEERS, SALUD, HERE HERE, etc.!
Moving on, if you know anything about me, you probably know that I love to eat. I would, by no means, declare myself a foodie, my palette is not sophisticated enough. But I am always up for trying a new restaurant, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or… second dinner (also referred to as drunk food, late night, fourth meal, you get the idea), re: unsophisticated palette. It’s by far my favorite meal of the day, who’s with me?!
Moving on, if you know anything about me, you probably know that I love to eat. I would, by no means, declare myself a foodie, my palette is not sophisticated enough. But I am always up for trying a new restaurant, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or… second dinner (also referred to as drunk food, late night, fourth meal, you get the idea), re: unsophisticated palette. It’s by far my favorite meal of the day, who’s with me?!
On that subject, one of my favorite foods in the whole world is a good ole’ HOT DOG! I am loving their new-found trendiness, by the way. You can find a dog (or some sort of variation) on any uppity menu in DC nowadays, and I don’t hate it. Speaking of trendy, even if you don’t agree with his policies, who can deny that President Obama is about THE trendiest guy in… well, ever?? Maybe Fox News, but that’s neither here nor there. When the Pres was elected back in 2008, one of his first meals as President-elect was at
Ben’s Chili Bowl
a true DC staple offering the messiest, nittiest, grittiest chili dogs in town. Upon hearing about this, I knew I had to go. It was practically my patriotic duty to do so, right?
Here’s BO going for it at Ben’s back in the day. A Chicago (Kenya? WHERE’S YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE??! I joke, I joke) native eating a hot dog elsewhere?! That’s practically blasphemy! This place had to be good.
And good it was. Sarah and I made the trek last weekend, and I don’t think there was an ounce of disappointment from either of us. I ordered Bill Cosby’s (another famous Ben’s fan) Original Chili Half-Smoke and Chili-Cheese Fries. The Half-Smoke is Ben’s signature dish. It’s a pork and beef sausage on a steamed bun, loaded high with onions, mustard, and homemade chili. Looking back I probably shouldn’t have ordered both the dog AND the fries. But then again, I ate every last bite… when in Rome, or U Street rather. I just could not stop eating. So. Damn. Delicious.
If you live in DC, you have got to go check it out. I recommend going for lunch the day after a long night of too many beers. The salt and the grease will comfort the heck out of that semi-hangover. If you don’t live in DC – I am so sorry for you – but check it out when you come to visit Sarah. And for those of you who reside in Nashville and are now craving a dog, check out Hot Diggity Dog. That right there will change your life.
God bless Ben’s, God bless Tennessee, and God bless the United States of America.
--Elizabeth
And good it was. Sarah and I made the trek last weekend, and I don’t think there was an ounce of disappointment from either of us. I ordered Bill Cosby’s (another famous Ben’s fan) Original Chili Half-Smoke and Chili-Cheese Fries. The Half-Smoke is Ben’s signature dish. It’s a pork and beef sausage on a steamed bun, loaded high with onions, mustard, and homemade chili. Looking back I probably shouldn’t have ordered both the dog AND the fries. But then again, I ate every last bite… when in Rome, or U Street rather. I just could not stop eating. So. Damn. Delicious.
If you live in DC, you have got to go check it out. I recommend going for lunch the day after a long night of too many beers. The salt and the grease will comfort the heck out of that semi-hangover. If you don’t live in DC – I am so sorry for you – but check it out when you come to visit Sarah. And for those of you who reside in Nashville and are now craving a dog, check out Hot Diggity Dog. That right there will change your life.
God bless Ben’s, God bless Tennessee, and God bless the United States of America.
--Elizabeth
