U Street institution Ben's Chili Bowl celebrated its 50th anniversary today with a block party, complete with moon bounce, food and other games for kids of all ages. They also let the crowd have a sneak peak at the new Ben's expansion site next door, which is still under construction. The line for half-smokes ran all the way across the street and circled around in front of the Suntrust next to the Metro station entrance.......

We got a press release announcing that a new book, Ben's Chili Bowl: 50 Years of a Washington, D.C., Landmark, is now available for sale. Ben's is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. Mahaboob Ben Ali and his then-fiancée, Virginia Rollins, opened the hot dog and chili shop on U Street on August 22, 1958. Congratulations to the Ali family on all their achievements! The book, written by journalist Tracey Gold Bennett and Ben's co-owner......

Anthony Bourdain and José Andrés after a visit to the Penn Quarter farmers market OK, he may not be Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but I'd bet $5 on Anthony Bourdain in a bare-knuckle boxing match. So, if you see him around town this weekend, filming segments for his Travel Channel show, No Reservations, best not tick him off. We spotted Bourdain yesterday afternoon at the weekly Penn Quarter FRESHFARM market, accompanied by new......

The Nationals have officially announced their complete lineup of food vendors that will serve the new stadium. The list of 11 pretty much runs the gamut of sporting events foodstuffs, including: Boardwalk Fries, Gifford’s Ice Cream, Red Hot and Blue, Hard Time’s Café, and Kosher Sports. Most notably on the list is Ben’s Chili Bowl, whose rumored second location at the stadium has been teasing Nats fans since December. Marc Fisher offers a great breakdown......