Half-Smokes

The half-smoke is the first food that comes to mind when we think about D.C.'s "iconic" foods. But when Ruth and Patrick take a trip to Ben's Chili Bowl, which made the half-smoke famous, Ruth orders a hot dog by mistake and realizes she doesn't really know what a half-smoke is. We take a trip to a sausage factory, hop back in time to 1958 when Ben's Chili Bowl opened and foray into the struggle playing out between old and new D.C. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Dish City depends on the generosity of listeners like you! Donate at wamu.org/supportdishcity. If you're based in the D.C. area, we host meetups on Tuesday evenings at bars and restaurants around town. You can find out more at our website, dishcity.org. Our theme music is by Daniel Peterschmidt. Other music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and Pierce Murphy.