Passing: Ben Ali, Founder of Ben's Chili Bowl - A D.C. Landmark

From The Washington Post:

Ben Ali, the founder of Ben's Chili Bowl, a landmark D.C. eatery that has fed presidents, celebrities and the common folks of the city, has died (october 7) of congestive heart failure at his home in Washington. He was 82. (Says the Post,"Our full obituary is here; be sure to read it all the way to the end because you'll be amazed".)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2009/10/ben_ali_of_bens_chili_bowl_die.html


Also from The Washington Post:

"He Added Spice to Our Lives - Chili Bowl Founder Satisfied Craving for Food, Friendship"
By Matt Schudel
Washington Post Staff Writer

If the rest of the world sees Washington as a place of large monuments and gleaming public buildings, many of the people who actually live in the city build their lives around smaller, more humble institutions. For them, one of the most important addresses in town is Ben's Chili Bowl, a simple diner famous for its down-home menu of chili, half-smokes and fries.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804353.html

"Ben's Celebrates Chili Power:
Big Stars and Just Plain Folks Mark Eatery's 50-Year Run on U Street (Upon Ben's 50th Anniversary)":
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/20/AR2008082003383.html