Yesterday I met Steve at Ben’s Chili Bowl in D.C. This U Street institution celebrated their 50th Anniversary in August. I knew I couldn’t show my face back in Austin without visiting Ben’s on this trip. Now that I’m a “food blogger” there are certain expectations I must uphold.
Ben’s is located at 1213 U Street and I walked from 9th and E so that I could burn some calories before taking on an artery-clogging lunch. Steve and I had agreed ahead of time to share a half-smoke with chili and …

My dad and I are inordinately interested in spelling. I was mentioning that I always have to look up the spelling of capitol vs. capital. I don’t think I’ll ever have to look that up again because we came up with the perfect device — The capital city is obviously chosen before the building so it’s spelled with an “A.” The capitol is generally round like an “O” (at least the ones in Austin and D.C. are). Can anyone can help me remember the difference between “affect” and “effect?”

It’s interesting …

Rachel took me to Swing’s coffee near the Corcoran today. They have been roasting fresh coffee in D.C. since 1916. Rachel ordered a latte and a molasses ginger cookie. I had a bite of that cookie and it was tasty.
While we were waiting we started chatting with the baristas – Shane and Abdi were especially friendly! When they found out I have a food blog, they offered me a complimentary latte so they could show off their artistic foam decorations. While I “usually never have a second cup of coffee,” …