Chili Chili Bang Bang

I got to D.C. this morning via Amtrak and made my first stop!
Ben's Chili Bowl!! I fell in love with Ben's a couple of years ago and even blogged about it. Every time I hit the nation's capital, I get myself a chili fix. (except when I was here for the 2009 presidential inauguration, the city was too crazy!). That's a "Halfsmoke" with everything. You can't see the onions, but they are under there. It only took me a few minutes to turn a full basket to a half empty one ...
I felt so good about ordering water to drink with my chili dog and not eating the side of chips that I did what I do best ... foodie sabotage! I then ordered chili cheese fries ...
But didn't finish them ...
My eyes are always bigger than my stomach. Plus, halfway through eating them, a Michael Jackson set started playing on the sound system and if you've ever been to Ben's you know they love to sing and perform behind the counter while making your plate. So, I got distracted and entertained by the happy staff. I really like eating there not only for the food, but boy are the employees a huge draw! If you ever go, skip the line and sit at the counter for immediate service. I always get mistaken for a local when I do that, and I love it!

So now, I'm back at my hotel room about to succumb to a lil post-meal nap. When I buried the lead about going to D.C. in my last post, I forgot to say the "when". Well, it's tomorrow! I meet the Vice President and get to serve military veterans for a pre-Memorial Day cook out. I brought my camera and have a flip cam on the way so I can capture some video for the Food Network website. Hopefully, security will let me tape and take pictures for the blog. This trip was organized by the magazine so they'll have an official photog there to get photos for the magazine. I'll let you know what issue if you are interested. They'll print my menu along with other stuff from the day. As I told you last week, the organizers suggest I wear jeans and a nice top to the cook out tomorrow, but I feel like jeans are too informal to meet our VP and the Second Lady. I also feel like if I wear a sun dress like some of you suggested in comments, that I may be over dressed and I don't want to show up in a dress if Mrs. Biden is rockin' jeans, you know? Like you aren't supposed to out dress the hostess. So, I'm stuck. Take a look at what I packed ...
That's a long summer dress on the left, then 2 shorter ones. Then a color block top I'd pair with jeans and few other tops for options. I really think the color block top is at the front of the list to wear with jeans. I also packed an apron (far right) for kitchen prep time with the Navy chefs and it actually matches the color block top, so that's a plus. The long dress on the left was at the front of the stack, but it feels a bit too dressy. The dress next to it is nice, but I feel a bit mature when I put it on. It's really pretty though and the one next to it is the same shape, but a lighter, younger feeling pattern. I have heels and flats and belts for all the options, but think I'll just wear flats. If this is boring you, welcome to my world. Because I must admit, after years and years in radio, where I'd roll out of bed and put on a t-shirt and jeans ... this visual part of media I'm in now is a trip! I really love to cook and eat, if I have to dress nicely to do it .. so be it!! If you can imagine, being in the military was great for me because I knew everyday what I was wearing the next day. I love a uniform job! If you wear a uniform to work ... lucky you!! One less thing to worry about!