"Whether you wait at Ben's or simply grab one half-smoke from the street cart, it might be unfortunate to go to D.C. without tasting one."
[Art photos: Hawk Krall]
The half-smoke is Washington D.C.'s signature street food, but rare to find outdoors from the D.C. area. By a few definitions, it isn't technically a warm dog. Otherwise, it's all of the traits of the in the past significant, regional variation of tubular meat on the bun. It calls for a mildly smoked, natural casing beef and pork sausage. The meat is coarsely ground and spicier than the usual standard frankfurter.
At Ben's Chili Bowl, a D.C. landmark and also the best-known spot for one half-smoke, they're grilled on the flat the top to the a dark crispy char (similar to the Chicago "Char Dog") and covered in homemade chili, onions, and mustard, offered on the waitress or bun. The half-smoke has some really effective flavors--the mixture from the charred spicy sausage, mustard and slow-cooked chili is actually incredible, along with a amaze if you are expecting something similar to a normal old chili dog.
You may also grab one half-smoke from street vendors throughout D.C. where they're grilled or dirty water style, offered with your toppings as relish, chili, and New You are able to-style red onion sauce. Or create a journey to among the original half-smoke restaurants, Weenie Beenie, opened up in 1950 by local pool shark Bill Staton in Arlington, Virginia.
The very first half-smokes were created by Brigg's Meatpacking company within the 1930s or 40s and offered throughout D.C. by street vendors. Briggs, a household business, was eventually offered and the caliber of the sausages went way downhill. Many cheaper brands make half-smokes with emulsified meat and do not smoke them, leading to nothing more than a rather spicy jumbo waitress or.
Nowadays the very best half-smoke sausages, a minimum of individuals nearest towards the original, originate from Manger Packing Corp. in Maryland, who supply to Weenie Beenie along with a "secret recipe" sausage to Ben's Chili Bowl. For any thorough history, look at this fantastic article from 2007 within the Washington City Paper, which delves into a few of the theories behind the way the legendary sausage took its name.
Ben's Chili Bowl, apart from serving great food, includes a fascinating history. Opened up in 1958 by Ben and Virginia Ali, their whereabouts on U Street was ground zero for D.C.'s infamous 1968 race riots. The majority of the companies in the region closed, but Ben's remained open like a calm within the storm, serving half-smokes to activists and riot police alike. Through the 1970s and 80s once the neighborhood declined, Ben's survived like a community meeting place, and it was famously Bill Cosby's favorite spot to take his fiance on dates.
Since that time, Ben's Chili Bowl has turned into a mandatory stop for politicians and celebrities. This past year Obama stopped by for his first half-smoke and thrust Ben's the main attraction once more. I had been there a couple of days following the inauguration and also the line snaked nearby. The lettering around the facade am beautiful I simply could not resist, despite a 2-hour wait. The power inside Ben's was incredible--soul music blasting, Obama shirts and American flags everywhere, a crazy mixture of politicians, vacationers, hipsters and old neighborhood dudes which have been eating there every single day during the last 4 decades.
The sign behind the counter reads "Who Eats Free at Bens: Bill Cosby and also the Obama family" having a hands-written detail underneath: "however they compensated."
Obama Visits Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's is becoming very popular they lately opened up a sit-lower restaurant nextdoor, literally known as Nearby having a more formal atmosphere and an affordable, Southern-accented menu of she-crab soup, ribs, steaks and sea food dishes. You may also order half-smokes online.
Whether you wait at Ben's or simply grab one half-smoke from the street cart, it might be unfortunate to go to D.C. without tasting one--undoubtedly, among the nation's most original and in the past significant hotdogs.
Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U Street NW, Washington D.C. 20009 (map )
202-667-0909
Weenie Beenie
2680 S. Shirlington Road, Arlington Veterans administration 22206 (map )
703-671-6661
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Hawk Krall is really a Philadelphia-based illustrator with a serious factor for warm dogs. Dig his dog sketches? Most of the illustrations he's produced for warm Dog each week are for sale to purchase: hawkkrall.internet/prints/ .