Even Losers Can Win

The best man was in town this week and we took the opportunity to meet up for lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl, which has literally been on my to-do list for years. For those who don’t know, Ben’s is an iconic Washington D.C. landmark and eatery, specializing in hot dogs and, well, chili. Many will tell you it’s the greatest chili ever.

It’s hard to miss.

As someone who makes damn good chili, I say those people are wrong. Don’t get it twisted – the food at Ben’s Chili Bowl is delicious. But, if you’re expecting competition-level chili, you’ll probably leave a little disappointed. The flavor is very good, but nothing extraordinary, while the appearance and texture is somewhat reminiscent of Hormel.

It, uh, tastes better than it looks.

In fact, that’s what I’d call it, gourmet Hormel. With some cheese and condiments you can eat a bowl of it and be satisfied, but I can’t imagine rushing home to figure out the recipe.

So why is Ben’s so iconic and why do I still say it’s delicious? Well, in my opinion, the hidden secret of Ben’s is that you don’t go there for the chili – you go there for the chili dogs. I had the Ben’s Original (Bill Cosby’s favorite), which is a quarter pound beef/pork smoked sausage topped with spicy mustard, onions and the most absolutely perfect chili-dog chili ever. The sausage was cooked to perfection, with a little char on the skin and bursting with juices. Bite into it and you get a world of flavors and sensations, with the bite and crisp of the onions contrasting with the moist steamed bun and the meaty chili bringing it all together. In my forty years on this earth, it was the best dog I’ve ever encountered.

Not pictured: the food coma that followed.

So there you go, Ben’s Chili Bowl makes the best bad chili around. In a world of haute cuisine served out of food trucks and a foodie in every kitchen, Ben’s is making the chili of the people: simple, delicious and crying out to be put on top of something. Next time I’m getting the chili cheese fries.
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