It is with great sadness that we recently learned that Ben Ali, the founder of the D.C. institution, Ben's Chili Bowl, passed away last night at the age of 82. Ben and his wife Virginia opened the restaurant in 1958, and it has thrived in its present U Street location against great odds. While businesses around it crumbled, Ben's stayed open through riots in 1968 and the extension of Metro's Green line in the early 1990's.
Ben's has a special place in our hearts as one of the first "authentic D.C." restaurants we ate at. We'll never forget standing in line at Ben's on the eve of President Obama's inauguration. Despite frigid temperatures, people waited in the long line for Ben's half smokes and fries. The energy and pure joy of the crowd left a lasting impression on us, and Ben's has become a favorite stop on the DC tour for our out-of-town guests.
Ben, may your legacy live on for generations to come.
Second Thoughts from B
Washington, D.C. is a wonderful and dynamic city. Its pulse is strengthened by the constant stream of those who come here overflowing with energy and optimism to change the world. While this transient nature adds tremendous diversity and cultural richness to our day-to-day lives, it also leaves us without a consistent core. In a city that often completely changes direction every 2, 4, and 6 years, Ben Ali and his Chili Bowl was the one constant. The greasy spoon on U St. has been this community's anchor through both historic highs and lows.
On the eve of one of those changes in direction (the aforementioned inauguration), J and I were hosting a friend from out of town and wondering where to take him. There was only one option: Ben's. Where else would we go but U Street, and where else could anyone get a true "taste of the city" but at Ben's Chili Bowl? This is Ben Ali's legacy. He not only added to his community, he has come to define it.
On behalf of a grateful couple of transplants from the West Coast, on behalf of a half-century of full stomachs, on behalf of a city that was able to find its soul through soul food, "Thank you, Ben." Today, we raise our half smokes to you. Rest in peace.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Crepeaway
Crepeaway isn't going to win the award for Best Restaurant Name, but we would suggest you ignore the name and the Lakers color scheme, and focus on the crepes. Like Pizza Autentica, this little restaurant is located on L Street in Downtown and has crazy hours. Who comes to eat crepes in the middle of the concrete jungle at 4am? Must be some nearby bars open that late.
We stopped in around 10:30pm on a Friday night and surveyed the menu. The first decision is whether you want savory or sweet, or both. They have combo meals which give you two crepes and a drink for around $10. Because we came for dessert, we tried to order two sweet crepes, and the cashier (and crepe artist) kindly told us that it would be cheaper to go for the combo. Thanks!
Unlike Crepes-A-Go-Go (read post here), Crepeaway has a limited variety of fillings, but scores points for some interesting ones such as crushed vanilla cookies and marshmallows. I ordered the Celine, which I can only hope is named after the owner's daughter and not Ms. Dion. Whatever the name, it was a tasty crepe. It was a huge crepe packed full of nutella, marshmallows, and strawberries. Once folded up, the heat of the crepe caused the marshmallows to melt into an ooey, gooey, messy delight.
B ordered the Cameron, which was made up of nutella and crushed vanilla cookies. Our crepes were on the doughier side, and I really like that texture. If you like your crepes really well-done and crispy, Crepeaway might not be for you (although perhaps you could make such a request).
While probably not traditional French food (lots of the savory options have hot sauce in them), Crepeaway is a convenient and yummy way to satisfy your crepe cravings at any hour of the day or night. They also deliver on Sunday through Friday evenings. Even lukewarm crepes would beat the heck out of greasy Domino's pizza.
Second Thoughts from B
I went to grad school with several people from France, one of which had semi-regular "crepe parties." She would prepare the batter and guests were invited to bring a topping or two of their choice. What resulted was a rather considerable spread of ingredients for savory or sweet crepes... and a bunch of unskilled cooks trying to flip their first crepe, which often ended up on the floor or ceiling. Needless to say, I've got a lot of fond memories associated with crepes, whether from those parties, ones J and I have hosted, or even from my wanderings through Paris.
Why crepes are seen as so much more sophisticated or refined than a taco, an empanada, or a stack of pancakes is beyond me. Once you've made them - much less hosted a party and taught others how to make them - crepes are far from exclusive cuisine. Since those same experiences that fostered our love have also revealed whatever magic is hidden behind the proverbial green curtain, we've become tough critics of store bought crepes (although if you put enough Nutella on anything, J's toughness melts away).
So how did Crepeaway fare? No bad. Most notable was the crushed vanilla cookie which was surprisingly good. Initially I thought it might be a throw away topping that got lost in the Nutella, but I was thrilled that it added a wonderfully sweet and complimentary flavor. I've previously written about how I love vanilla, so Crepeaway gets points there. They also get bonus points for having an ingredient that I've never seen at any number of crepe parties that I've attended or hosted. However, as J said, the limited number of available ingredients (unlike Crepes-a-Go-Go) would not make for very many unique trips and the bottom line is that paying $4-5 per crepe isn't particularly palatable when most, if not all, of the ingredients are found in your kitchen. However, if I worked in the area and this was a prospective lunch spot rather than just a dinner spot, I bet I'd change my story...
We stopped in around 10:30pm on a Friday night and surveyed the menu. The first decision is whether you want savory or sweet, or both. They have combo meals which give you two crepes and a drink for around $10. Because we came for dessert, we tried to order two sweet crepes, and the cashier (and crepe artist) kindly told us that it would be cheaper to go for the combo. Thanks!
Unlike Crepes-A-Go-Go (read post here), Crepeaway has a limited variety of fillings, but scores points for some interesting ones such as crushed vanilla cookies and marshmallows. I ordered the Celine, which I can only hope is named after the owner's daughter and not Ms. Dion. Whatever the name, it was a tasty crepe. It was a huge crepe packed full of nutella, marshmallows, and strawberries. Once folded up, the heat of the crepe caused the marshmallows to melt into an ooey, gooey, messy delight.B ordered the Cameron, which was made up of nutella and crushed vanilla cookies. Our crepes were on the doughier side, and I really like that texture. If you like your crepes really well-done and crispy, Crepeaway might not be for you (although perhaps you could make such a request).
While probably not traditional French food (lots of the savory options have hot sauce in them), Crepeaway is a convenient and yummy way to satisfy your crepe cravings at any hour of the day or night. They also deliver on Sunday through Friday evenings. Even lukewarm crepes would beat the heck out of greasy Domino's pizza.Second Thoughts from B
I went to grad school with several people from France, one of which had semi-regular "crepe parties." She would prepare the batter and guests were invited to bring a topping or two of their choice. What resulted was a rather considerable spread of ingredients for savory or sweet crepes... and a bunch of unskilled cooks trying to flip their first crepe, which often ended up on the floor or ceiling. Needless to say, I've got a lot of fond memories associated with crepes, whether from those parties, ones J and I have hosted, or even from my wanderings through Paris.
Why crepes are seen as so much more sophisticated or refined than a taco, an empanada, or a stack of pancakes is beyond me. Once you've made them - much less hosted a party and taught others how to make them - crepes are far from exclusive cuisine. Since those same experiences that fostered our love have also revealed whatever magic is hidden behind the proverbial green curtain, we've become tough critics of store bought crepes (although if you put enough Nutella on anything, J's toughness melts away).
So how did Crepeaway fare? No bad. Most notable was the crushed vanilla cookie which was surprisingly good. Initially I thought it might be a throw away topping that got lost in the Nutella, but I was thrilled that it added a wonderfully sweet and complimentary flavor. I've previously written about how I love vanilla, so Crepeaway gets points there. They also get bonus points for having an ingredient that I've never seen at any number of crepe parties that I've attended or hosted. However, as J said, the limited number of available ingredients (unlike Crepes-a-Go-Go) would not make for very many unique trips and the bottom line is that paying $4-5 per crepe isn't particularly palatable when most, if not all, of the ingredients are found in your kitchen. However, if I worked in the area and this was a prospective lunch spot rather than just a dinner spot, I bet I'd change my story...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Thai Chili
I was working late and B was still on the mend from the flu so I needed to grab takeout from somewhere located between my office and our house. Lucky for us, I work in Penn Quarter and have lots of fun options. B was craving thai noodles, so I stopped into Thai Chili in Gallery Place and was home in 15 minutes. We had ordered delivery (free for orders over $15!) from the restaurant before and were satisfied, so I figured it would be a safe bet. I've heard great things about Kanlaya, but it was another block further and I just wanted to get home quickly.
To fill B's noodle request, I decided to go with the classic pad thai with chicken and the spicy drunken noodles with shrimp. I think that most pad thai dishes taste about the same, so I wasn't expecting to be blown away with this one. It wasn't fantastic but was the warm, comforting goodness we were craving. I like that they don't put cilantro in their pad thai because there's nothing worse than having one piece of stinky cilantro messing up your whole noodle dish (at least that's my personal opinion). Also, the portions were huge! We both stuffed ourselves silly with noodles and still had two full lunches to take to work the next day. It's a good thing the portions are generous because the prices aren't dirt cheap. The pad thai with chicken is $11, while the drunken noodles with shrimp are $12.
To fill B's noodle request, I decided to go with the classic pad thai with chicken and the spicy drunken noodles with shrimp. I think that most pad thai dishes taste about the same, so I wasn't expecting to be blown away with this one. It wasn't fantastic but was the warm, comforting goodness we were craving. I like that they don't put cilantro in their pad thai because there's nothing worse than having one piece of stinky cilantro messing up your whole noodle dish (at least that's my personal opinion). Also, the portions were huge! We both stuffed ourselves silly with noodles and still had two full lunches to take to work the next day. It's a good thing the portions are generous because the prices aren't dirt cheap. The pad thai with chicken is $11, while the drunken noodles with shrimp are $12.
Thai Chili has those cute little chili peppers on the menu to denote when something is mild, spicy, or "fire." Don't mess around with anything labeled "fire!" We got the "spicy" drunken noodles and were running back and forth from the fridge water dispenser to the table. Holy noodles, that was spicy! The great thing about it was that though it was mouth-on-fire spicy, somehow the spice didn't overwhelm the other flavors. You could still taste the fresh veggies and garlic sauce. If you're spice-sensitive I would definitely recommend asking for the mild version or having a tall glass of milk handy.
Second Thoughts From B
I don't think anyone who knows us would say J or I are the most adventurous, most out-of-the-box types. We certainly like to explore and try new things more than most people, but we also are comfortable in our rather conventional lives. However, as this blog attests, we do push each other outside our boundaries which is no more evident than with food.
I'm proud that J now enjoys many things that I love to eat but were not a regular part of her childhood diet. On the other hand, dinners are much more interesting for me now that I've taken a liking to some of her favorites. It is all just another reason we make a great pair.
Craving thai food is certainly one of those things that I got from J. As I understand it, Mr. Noodle was a favorite of hers in college (its food is much better than its website). Growing up, I was exposed to many different kinds of cuisine, but those known for their spices were generally avoided in light of my father's sensitive stomach. When J entered my life, so too did thai food.
Flash forward 6 years and I'm craving thai noodles. Thankfully (or should I say "bless her heart" now that we technically live in the South), J shows up with what seems like 20 pounds of said noodles. Aside from the volume, the pad thai was ok - a little on the bland side for me - but the drunken noodles were anything but bland. However, the best part of all of it was, it made me feel whole for the first time in two days. Maybe this is my new version of saltines, chicken noodle soup, and The Price is Right as a stay-at-home remedy for the flu!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
In Sickness and in Health
With flu season kicking into high gear (and with B home on the couch), we thought it might be helpful to share our experience with health care in the District. When we moved from LA to DC two years ago, I got sick almost every month. It was a scary thing being in a new city and not knowing where to go to get medical help when I needed it. Sure, I know how to go on my insurance company's website and find a local provider but that didn't help me much when the average wait time for an appointment was 2 months. When I inconveniently came down with bronchitis on Christmas eve or tonsillitis at midnight, I needed some alternatives:
Arlington Urgent Care
It goes without saying that if you're really ill, don't mess around and head straight to the ER. DC has lots of hospitals within easy access. When you're not "ER sick" but still need to see someone, urgent care is the answer. Try googling "urgent care Washington, DC" and see if you can find a 24-hour option in the District. When I couldn't, I turned to Arlington Urgent Care.
It's not the fanciest place but they are open 'round the clock and I haven't waited longer than 20 minutes to see a doctor. They can write you that prescription that will get you through the night and will refer you to a specialist if needed. They also take many kinds of insurance so it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg to get help.
Farragut Medical and Travel Care
If your illness is of the 10am to 5:00pm (Monday -Friday) variety, Farragut Medical and Travel Care is a great downtown DC option that is Metro accessible. I got a flu shot there and was in and out in 10 minutes. They also offer the Gardasil vaccine if you haven't gotten it yet (note that this is a 3 shot series so you'll have to make return trips). If you're headed on an exotic vacation and need vaccines, you can easily head here during your lunch break.
Northwest Nurse Practitioner Associates
When it came time for my yearly checkup and I couldn't get an appointment with a primary care physician, I found NNPA and was able to get an appointment within days. It is located on Connecticut Avenue directly across from the National Zoo and their early morning appointments are great for those with busy work schedules. I saw Erin Bagshaw several times and was incredibly impressed by her warm bedside manner and thoroughness. They also offer travel vaccines and are a "certified Yellow Fever center" if that's important to you. The drawback? They don't take insurance so you're left paying the full amount and trying to get reimbursed by your carrier. While it's a terrific option for last-minute appointments, it can get pricey to use for your regular medical care.
Here's to hoping you never have to visit any of these places. I'm going to go wash my hands and take some Emergen-C now...
Second Thoughts from B
Irony (n): a blog post entitled "in sickness and in health" written when B is the one sprawled out on the bed, while moaning and thankful if he can keep down a small sip of water and a Saltine cracker.
I guess this is karma's way of telling me I should stop teasing J and calling her a "sickly kid." In all seriousness, its been years since I've been sick and I'm much more accustomed to being the doctor than the patient. But while doing my best impression of a quarantined and emaciated Howard Hughes (to be clear I have the flu and not the crazy bug, even if the imagery is similar), it struck me how much a change of coasts can really change your life. It isn't surprising that a move like that involves major life changes but sometimes the smaller, less dramatic changes are equally challenging.
When you leave for college (or even more so, when you stay close), frequent trips home and campus facilities can suffice for medical/dental/eye exams. But when you move to a new city and lack the network of family and friends that can point you in the right direction, sometimes trial and error is the best you can do. Take for example our experience with the DC Dental Spa. Sure, we should have known just by the name but because it was close, had convenient hours, and took our insurance, we gave it a try. In the 3 times I've been, I would estimate that I spend 45-60 minutes in the waiting room (keep in mind I have an appointment) and about 15-20 minutes in the chair. Somehow all the Reba reruns in the waiting room don't make this a good use of my time. Compare that to my dentist back home that had been cleaning my teeth since birth and took personal pride in them. Let's just say this isn't the type of experience I'm accustomed to...
So I'd love to end this post with some sage wisdom and expert referrals but the fact of the matter is, we're still looking (and accepting recommendations). The one thing I will say is to start your search early because you don't want to be hunting while you're hurting. Oh, and another piece of advice. Don't get the flu. It sucks for you and for the people around you... and results in health care-related blog posts instead of a review of the U2 concert that we had to skip because I got sick.
Arlington Urgent Care
It goes without saying that if you're really ill, don't mess around and head straight to the ER. DC has lots of hospitals within easy access. When you're not "ER sick" but still need to see someone, urgent care is the answer. Try googling "urgent care Washington, DC" and see if you can find a 24-hour option in the District. When I couldn't, I turned to Arlington Urgent Care.
It's not the fanciest place but they are open 'round the clock and I haven't waited longer than 20 minutes to see a doctor. They can write you that prescription that will get you through the night and will refer you to a specialist if needed. They also take many kinds of insurance so it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg to get help.
Farragut Medical and Travel Care
If your illness is of the 10am to 5:00pm (Monday -Friday) variety, Farragut Medical and Travel Care is a great downtown DC option that is Metro accessible. I got a flu shot there and was in and out in 10 minutes. They also offer the Gardasil vaccine if you haven't gotten it yet (note that this is a 3 shot series so you'll have to make return trips). If you're headed on an exotic vacation and need vaccines, you can easily head here during your lunch break.
Northwest Nurse Practitioner Associates
When it came time for my yearly checkup and I couldn't get an appointment with a primary care physician, I found NNPA and was able to get an appointment within days. It is located on Connecticut Avenue directly across from the National Zoo and their early morning appointments are great for those with busy work schedules. I saw Erin Bagshaw several times and was incredibly impressed by her warm bedside manner and thoroughness. They also offer travel vaccines and are a "certified Yellow Fever center" if that's important to you. The drawback? They don't take insurance so you're left paying the full amount and trying to get reimbursed by your carrier. While it's a terrific option for last-minute appointments, it can get pricey to use for your regular medical care.
Here's to hoping you never have to visit any of these places. I'm going to go wash my hands and take some Emergen-C now...
Second Thoughts from B
Irony (n): a blog post entitled "in sickness and in health" written when B is the one sprawled out on the bed, while moaning and thankful if he can keep down a small sip of water and a Saltine cracker.
I guess this is karma's way of telling me I should stop teasing J and calling her a "sickly kid." In all seriousness, its been years since I've been sick and I'm much more accustomed to being the doctor than the patient. But while doing my best impression of a quarantined and emaciated Howard Hughes (to be clear I have the flu and not the crazy bug, even if the imagery is similar), it struck me how much a change of coasts can really change your life. It isn't surprising that a move like that involves major life changes but sometimes the smaller, less dramatic changes are equally challenging.
When you leave for college (or even more so, when you stay close), frequent trips home and campus facilities can suffice for medical/dental/eye exams. But when you move to a new city and lack the network of family and friends that can point you in the right direction, sometimes trial and error is the best you can do. Take for example our experience with the DC Dental Spa. Sure, we should have known just by the name but because it was close, had convenient hours, and took our insurance, we gave it a try. In the 3 times I've been, I would estimate that I spend 45-60 minutes in the waiting room (keep in mind I have an appointment) and about 15-20 minutes in the chair. Somehow all the Reba reruns in the waiting room don't make this a good use of my time. Compare that to my dentist back home that had been cleaning my teeth since birth and took personal pride in them. Let's just say this isn't the type of experience I'm accustomed to...
So I'd love to end this post with some sage wisdom and expert referrals but the fact of the matter is, we're still looking (and accepting recommendations). The one thing I will say is to start your search early because you don't want to be hunting while you're hurting. Oh, and another piece of advice. Don't get the flu. It sucks for you and for the people around you... and results in health care-related blog posts instead of a review of the U2 concert that we had to skip because I got sick.
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