Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

The Ali family (father Ben with microphone and wife, Virginia) at the concert celebrating Ben's Chili Bowl's 50th anniversary, in Washington DC, two weeks ago.

THERE IS a lot for the visitor to see in Washington DC. The Smithsonian Institute, the Lincoln and Washington memorials are three of the world-famous landmarks found in the United States capital.

Then there's Ben's Chili Bowl - a little piece of the Caribbean on U Street.

The 'DC' restaurant is owned by Trinidad and Tobago-born Ben Ali and his African-American wife, Virginia. It celebrated its 50th anniversary on August 21 with a concert at the nearby Lincoln Theater, attended by several celebrities and dignitaries. Among them were singer Roberta Flack who performed, civil rights activist Dick Gregory and comedian/activist Bill Cosby who was the event's master of ceremonies.

Thirty-eight-year-old Nizam B Ali, the youngest of Ben and Virginia's three children, is the manager of Ben's. He said the diverse demographic which turned out to pay tribute to the restaurant, shows the respect people in and outside of DC, have for the eatery.

"There are so many people with great memories from here," Nizam told The Gleaner last week. "No matter what happens in the world, people will say, 'at least we still have Ben's'."

The Ali family has staged three big events in Washington DC to celebrate their restaurant's golden anniversary. On August 22, there was a street party at which they received the Keys to the City; two days later there was a free concert at the 930 Club.

Segregation

Washington DC was pretty much like most of America when 31-year-old Ben Ali opened Ben's Chili Bowl. Segregation of the races was commonplace and there were not a lot of opportunities for minorities, especially Caribbean immigrants.

Once known as the Black Broadway, U Street was a centre for black commerce and entertainment. Jazz legends Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington performed in clubs there, as well as comedian Redd Foxx.

Ben, who has East Indian heritage, moved with his family from Port-of-Spain to the United States when he was only 18. He attended five universities including Howard University, hoping to become a dentist.

But Nizam Ali says after working with several hot dog stands, his father decided to use his savings and start a eatery that served spicy food.

"He was working at these other stands and saying to himself, 'I can do better than this'. The food here was bland so he came up with a chili recipe. He said he wanted to put a little spice in America," Nizam explained.

That little spice has had thousands of patrons coming back to Ben's for five decades. One of the best known customers is Cosby, who first ate there in 1959 when he was making a name as a standup comic.

"He only eats the Chili Half Smoke (a quarter-pound smoked sausage sandwich). He used to wolf down six, now he only eats three," said a laughing Nizam.

Black American politics

Customers wait outside Ben's Chili Bowl in 1959.

The big names in black American politics, entertainment and sports dined at Ben's back in the day. In the 1960s, it was a meeting spot for civil rights activists; Nizam notes that Ben's stayed open during the riots that followed Dr Martin Luther King Jr's assassination in April 1968.

U Street is no longer a racially-segregated area, but like other urban communities in DC, Nizam Ali said it had to endure years of rampant crime before turning the corner.

Some institutions - like the Industrial Bank of Washington DC where the Alis first met 50 years ago - are still around and like Ben's, have benefited from the district's growing racial diversity.

Pop stars like Bono of U2 have popped in for a bite. A scene from the movie, The Pelican Brief (which starred Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts) was filmed there and many a corporate and political deal has been made over lunch at Ben's.

Ben Ali, now 81 and his wife, five years younger, are no longer involved in the daily running of their restaurant, which currently has 30 workers. The menu has seen minor modifications with a reduction in sweet desserts and addition of veggie burgers.

Nizam Ali says management has no plans for major nip and tucks.

"We want to keep it as it is, if only for the memories," he said.

Comedian Bill Cosby (right) hosting the August 21 function at the Lincoln Theater, honouring the 50th anniversary of Ben's Chili Bowl.