Why Gentrify?!

U Street’s Ben’s Chili Bowl will celebrate its 50th anniversary on August 22. It will also expand into the Shanghai building next door with a 2,700 square foot restaurant that will seat 70 patrons and serve beer and other newer fare, such as salads. A lot is planned for the big anniversary!

The grand opening will coincide with the 50th anniversary celebration of Ben’s this Aug. 22. Ben’s 50th anniversary gala will be held at the historic Lincoln Theatre Aug. 21. Comedian-activist Bill Cosby will serve as Master of Ceremony. “It will just be a celebratory night to celebrate mom and dad and the legacy of Ben’s Chili Bowl,” Nizam Ali said. On Aug. 22, U Street will be closed and there will be musical performances and dancing in the street. On Aug. 24, there also will be a concert at the 9:30 Club. More can be learned about the history and legacy of Ben’s from their book, “Ben’s Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C. Landmark,” which will be on sale Aug. 18 at area bookstores. The book is on pre-sale now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

The U Street Corridor came up big, of course, in the Washington City Paper’s Best of DC 2008. U Street’s winners, some of them multiple category winners, include big name restaurants, Ninja Turtle murals, a collection of galleries, dance clubs, a drumming circle, music venues, etc. Congratulations to all the winners that help make the U Street Corridor the fantastic DC neighborhood that it is! Here are the winners (apologies if I’ve left any winners out, if so, please someone post it to the comments):

 Best Neighborhood for Nightlife: U Street Corridor

Best Neighborhood for Boutique Shopping: U Street Corridor

Best Half-smoke: Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1213 U St NW, (202) 667-0909

Best Late-Night Bite: Oohhs & Aahhs, 1005 U St NW, (202) 667-7142

Best Lemonade: Cork Wine Bar, 1720 14^th St NW, (202) 265-2675

Best Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Florida Avenue Grill, 1100 Florida Ave. NW, (202) 265-1586

Best New Restaurant: Cork Wine Bar

Best Cocktail Menu: Bar Pilar, 1833 14^th St NW, (202) 265-1751

Best Art Walk: 14^th Street NW

Best Family Friendly Mural: 1840 14^th St NW

Best Dance Night: Nouveau Riche, DC9, 1940 9^th St NW, (202) 483-5000

Best Place to See DC’s Diversity in Action: Malcolm X Park drum circle (Meridian Hill Park)

Best Music Venue: Velvet Lounge, 915 U St NW, (202) 462-3213

Best Jazz Club (Downstairs): Bohemian Caverns, 2001 11^th St NW, (202) 299-0800

Best Jazz Club (Upstairs): Twins Jazz, 1344 U St NW, (202) 234-0072

Best Reason to Leave the House on a Monday Night: Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra, Bohemian Caverns

Best Boutique to Spend Your Paycheck: Nana, 1518 U St NW, (202) 667-6955

Best Bikini Wax: Shangri-La Day Spa, 1502 U St NW, (202) 588-0969

Best Hair Salon: Bang Salon & Spa, 1612 U St NW, (202) 299-0925

Best Place to Buy Home Goods: Home Rule, 1807 14^th St NW, (202) 797-5544

Best Free Workout: The steps at Meridian Hill Park

Best Enforcer: Kamal “Commy” Jahanbein of the Saloon, 1205 U St NW, (202) 465-2640

Best Place to Pick Up a Zipcar: 14^th and Corcoran Streets NW

Best Burger (Runner up): Café Saint-Ex, 1847 14^th St NW, (202) 265-7839

Best Dessert (Runner up): CakeLove, 1506 U St NW, (202) 588-7100

Best Ethiopian: Dukem, 1114-1118 U St NW, (202) 667-8735

Best Ethiopian (Runner up): 1942 9^th St NW, (202) 232-7600

Best Greasy Spoon: Ben’s Chili Bowl

Best Happy Hour (Runner up): Duffy’s Irish Pub. 2106 Vermont Ave. NW, (202) 265-3413

Best Soul Food: Oohhs & Aahhs

Best Wings: Duffy’s Irish Pub

Best Wine Bar: Cork Wine Bar

Best Bakery (Runner up): Cake Love

Best Dance Club: Town, 2009 8^th St NW, (202) 234-8696

Best Dance Club (Runner up): Black Cat, 1811 14^th St NW, (202) 667-7960

Best Music Venue: 9:30 Club, 815 V St NW, (202) 265-0930

Best Place to See Local Music: Black Cat

Best Place to See Local Music (Runner up): 9:30 Club

Best Boutique: Caramel Fashion, 1603 U St NW, (202) 265-1930

Best Boutique (Runner up): Nana

Best Boutique (Runner up): POP DC, 1803 A 14^th St NW, (202) 332-3312

Best Garden Store: Garden District, 1801 14^th St NW, (202) 797-9005

Best Shoe Store (Runner up): Shoe Fly, 1520 U St NW, (202) 332-1077

Best Eco-Friendly Store: Greater Goods, 1626 U St NW, (202) 449-6070

Best Designed Residential Development (Runner up): The Ellington, 1301 U St NW

Best Designed Residential Development (Runner up): Union Row, 14^th and V St NW

Best Place to Watch a Game (Runner up): Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St NW, (202) 332-6355

Best Outdoor Patio: Local 16, 1602 U St NW, (202) 265-2828

Best View of the City: Top of 13^th Street Cardozo High School, Clifton & 13^th St NW

Ben’s Chili Bowl will no longer be exclusive to U Street. Fans at the new Nationals Stadium will now be able to scarf down a chili dog while watching the Washington Nationals knock balls out of the baseball stadium. The cost of a chili half smoke in the stadium will cost $6.75 compared with $4.80 here on U Street. Enjoy Nationals fans! We’re happy to share our U Street institution with you.

In town to film the upcoming movie, State of Play, shooting for the movie at Ben’s Chili Bowl took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here’s a  picture of Russell Crowe outside Ben’s:

Ben’s Chili Bowl may be a hop, skip, and a jump away from my pad, but I finally had my first meal there. In fact, I finally entered the restaurant after staring inside the windows, looking at the long line of eager customers on several occasions. After hearing about Ben’s from before I even lived in DC, I have wanted to try it out. But, every time I had the opportunity and inkling to enter, it appeared that a significant percentage of DC residents were in line, with the same idea.

Well, this time, I didn’t just stare from the sidewalk and walk away, I entered the restaurant, immediately greeted by the pungency of grilling half-smokes and hot dogs. The line was long, but it moved along fast enough. The catchy music was blasting, and the crew of workers behind the counter treated the customers to some impromptu singing and dancing in between orders (talk about happy workers!).

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Since the U Street Corridor is so hip and happenin’, attracting the night owls and club hoppers, it also has to provide everyone with nourishment and sustenance, too.  The Washington Post featured four of U Street’s restaurants that provide great late-night food after your night of fun.  Here they are, no major surprises for the most part, but I really did think that 24 Seven was just a 7-Eleven wannabe:

Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1213 U St NW, open Sunday until 8 p.m., Monday-Thursday until 2 a.m., Friday-Saturday until 4 a.m.

Florida Avenue Grill, 1100 Florida Ave NW, open Sunday until 4:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday until 4 a.m., Tuesday-Thursday until 9 p.m.

Oohhs & Aahhs, 1005 U St NW, open Friday-Saturday from midnight “until.”

24 Seven, 1408 U St NW, open Sundays until 3 p.m., Monday-Thursday until 3 a.m., Friday-Saturday until 5 a.m.

I must try out the Amsterdam Falafelshop, 2425 18th St NW, and Old City Cafe of Jerusalem, 1773 Columbia Rd NW, in Adams Morgan, as well.