‘Washington DC’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Review: Ben’s Chili Bowl, Washington, DC

March 26, 2012 · Narrative

When the kids and I were making plans to visit Washington DC last summer, I did a little bit of online research to make sure we hit a few highlights beyond the monuments and memorials. Google was my bestie. And I did like any good foodie would do. I researched what is a “must eat” in the area.

Ben’s Chili Bowl kept coming up. My friend Chris knew exactly where it was, and after we did all the monument sight-seeing that Saturday morning, we pulled up right in front for a little snack to take the edge off. Given its popularity, I wasn’t expecting we’d get lucky with on-street parking.

Originally established in 1958, Bill Cosby and President Obama (watch one of his visits here) have named Ben’s Chili Bowl their favorite go-to spot for chili (and Miles Davis, Martin Luther King Jr, and Ella Fitzgerald, among other luminaries, were all known to frequent Ben’s), and it’s been featured on many food-centered tv shows, and even non-food-centered ones. Mystic just mentioned this weekend that he saw it on Larry the Cable Guy (and Ben’s Chili Bowl mentioned that themselves here).

The place is small. You go straight to the back of the restaurant and get in a single file line that snakes up to the front, where you order (and can catch glimpses of the cooks hard at work on the flat-top), and then you progress towards the back again, where you finally pick up your order.

To me, the set-up is a little weird (enter in front, get in line in back, walk to front to order, pick up order in back and exit front). But that’s just me. And probably doesn’t operate like that when it’s less busy, if there is such a time.

While you’re in the line, it’s a good opportunity to check out the menu. Lots of good stuff besides chili. Fries. Cheese fries (personal weakness, thank you), hot dogs, burgers, shakes, grilled cheese … you know, healthy stuff.

Chris was waiting outside with the kids, and I was up to my own devices to decide what to order. As when Sarah and I did our food-hop trip last May in Seattle, it was already after lunch time and there was still more to eat in Washington, so I wanted a taste, not a meal.

I settled on chili for Chris and I, cheese fries for all four of us to split, dogs for the kids, and soda.

The line, although overwhelming at first glance, moved fairly quickly. There were 27 people in front of me, and it took about 15 minutes to get from start to finish.

Not too bad. Not too bad at all.

And I liked the behind the scenes look at watching the cooks do their thing while I was waiting in line. I could totally watch that for hours.

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Kid-Friendly Visit: Washington DC International Spy Museum

August 29, 2011 · Narrative

For the past six months or so, Nick has been obsessed with spies and espionage. Fingerprinting kits. Secret recording devices. Alarms and the like. Many items of which made his birthday list earlier in the month. I have since explained that he can take this newfound interest and parlay it into a career with the CIA, FBI or Secret Service and he was more than a little thrilled . Which makes me happy. I would love for him to have a career that he is passionate about, and although his future direction is his choice, even better if he finds something early on and can direct his decisions appropriately to follow that path.

When we were googling things to see in Washington DC for our recent weekend escape, this spy museum was one of the links that Nick found, and given his penchant for all things spy-related, it quickly got added to our must-see list. All the better to break up the monuments, historical stuff and endless walking. On this 800 block, there is the spy museum, a cafe and a gift shop, all related and connected. Is it terrible to say that we completely skipped the museum and opted for the gift shop and cafe instead? No? Good. ‘Cause that’s precisely what we did. The museum is a little on the spendy side – normally $92 for a family of four, but currently discounted to $65 (no discount for AAA) – and if I thought all four of us would get the benefit, I would have done it. But there’s a lot of reading, and I knew Madeline wouldn’t be up for it. I didn’t want to push her, nor waste my money, so we did the next best thing. We ate and shopped.

First, a quick stop in the corner Spy City Cafe for cookies, french fries and Diet Coke. We had already done all our White House and assorted other area sightseeing, so this was a perfect spot to duck in for a few minutes of air-conditioned relief and a quick snack. They have a light breakfast and lunch menu and pretty decent seating. The fries were slightly crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. The chocolate chip cookies were adored by the kids. I’ve never seen them inhale cookies so fast.

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Skateboard Park, Washington DC

August 23, 2011 · Narrative

When Chris and I were talking about what we would see and do over our weekend trip, “visit skateboard park” was not on the list. But I should have known better. For it is always the unscripted stops that quickly become fan favorites. Knowing how into the skateboarding scene Nick is, I’m glad this was part of our trip. And as I mentioned Sunday, he deemed it one of his highlights from the weekend.

It was after we were leaving Ben’s Chili Bowl that we happened to pass by this neighborhood skateboard park. I asked Chris to let us off for a few minutes… which turned into some 45. As soon as I sat down on the bench, I knew Nick would be enraptured.

It was a mixed crowd hanging out that afternoon, from a young six-year-old learning the ropes with his Dad and sister, to a 36-year-old who hadn’t been skateboarding for awhile and couldn’t fight the itch to get back to it. Yes, I know this because we talked to all of them.

This young man came up to me with his friend, asking me to take a picture of him. He wanted to check out how his hat looked. It got the seal of approval.

This was the 36-year-old who couldn’t resist the lure of the board. One of the other skateboarders loaned him this board so he could scratch his itch. So to speak. And they bonded over his shiny boots.

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Weekend Photos in Review

August 22, 2011 · Photos

Oh Sweetnickers, what a whirlwind weekend it was. Friday afternoon, we headed far South to visit a friend, Chris, in Virginia. Since he lives so close to Washington DC, it was a chance for us to see all the sights. And see them we did. I don’t think we could have crammed more into our weekend if we tried. We walked for miles and miles and miles, and I’m amazed that Madeline’s little legs carried her as far as they did. She was quite the trooper, along with her brother, and everyone will be recuperating this week for sure.

In our journey, we managed to cross four states off our list, as we ventured through Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and DC. It was our first time in DC, and it was fun taking it all in with the littles. Hopefully my poor friend Chris survived our visit!

This was my first road trip with the kids on my own beyond just the shore. Although we have traveled before since The Ex and I divorced, it was always with another family or two. Believe me when I tell you, it was a proud moment for me. Just getting to DC and back without getting lost makes me burst with pride, but doing it on my own is an accomplishment. I never want my being single to stop us from any adventures, and this was a good testament to that. Considering just going to the grocery store is sometimes an adventure on its own, this was way beyond that. We survived, had fun and have some 500 pictures to prove it.

Whittled it down to just 42 for the weekend recap, trying to spare you! The rest will be broken out into separate posts over the coming weeks. Hope your weekend was filled with just as much awesomeness!

xoxo

My co-pilots forty-five minutes into the trip. She’s fast asleep. And do you see Nick? No? That’s ’cause he’s lying down across the back row, already konked out.

Madeline made me stop and take a picture of this statue. She’s huge – look at her tower over that house! In Delaware, outside a church.

Love this one. Maryland waters.

Omygosh, do you know how hard it was to get this sign? On the bridge? Seriously, Virginia government, help a family out! Thank goodness Nick was awake and ready for this one.

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