BEN'S CHILI BOWL TAKES OVER W.S.J.

[fatskippy]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  I'm proud to say that in my 10+ years of living in the DC area, I've never once set foot in this cliched place.

Hipsters are endless comedy, :::bows down to the headiness:::

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I agree. So are fat people.
 
 

Originally posted by fatskippy:
   

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  I'm proud to say that in my 10+ years of living in the DC area, I've never once set foot in this cliched place.

Hipsters are endless comedy, :::bows down to the headiness::: [/b]

[eddie]

I break from my vegetarian ways once or twice a year for a Ben's Chili Cheese half smoke.

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by eddie:
  I break from my vegetarian ways once or twice a year for a Ben's Chili Cheese half smoke.

Really? I can honestly say I'd throw my guts up if I ate meat at this point. Just the thought turns my stomach now.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
  is the white house cliche?  it's featured in more write-ups of DC than ben's.  popular, famous != cliche.

cliche: "anything that has become trite or commonplace through overuse. "
 
 ben's is cliche because it's _constantly_ mentioned as an exemplar of "local culture" (and usually the only one in the shows/articles i'm thinking about) when there are a million other places they could talk about
 
 i think you could also make a pretty good argument that the white house (or that einstein memorial everyone takes group photos at, or a bunch of other places) is a "cliche" tourist site
 
 "cliche" isn't necessarily pejorative, something can still be overused/commonplace and be just fine
 
 and that's all the parsing of rhett's ridiculous ramblings that i'll be doing for today    

[bearman🐻]

Rhett, maybe you need a reminder of what cliché means:
 
 Main Entry: cli·ché  
 Variant(s): also cli·che  
 Function: noun
 Etymology: French, literally, printer's stereotype, from past participle of clicher to stereotype, of imitative origin
 Date: 1892
 1: a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
 2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation
 3: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace
 
 
 Ben's Chili Bowl cliché? Please. Did you mean overrated? And if you look at the definition above, last time I checked there was only one Ben's. If you want cliché, try TGI Fridays. Or any other fast food chain. I think Ben's is kind of a one trick pony, but it serves a purpose and at the right time you can't beat their half smoke or a chili burger. Plus, it means a lot to the city because of its history. That in itself gives it more worth than any number of your run-of-the-mill fast food joints.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Please see Hoya's additional commentary above.
 
 BCB certainly meets definitions 2 and 3 that you've laid out here. Thanks for bringing home my point.
 
 I didn't mean overrated. Since I haven't been there, I'm not really qualified to make that call. It seems that quite a few people on the message board that i stole that review from seem to think it is.
 
 

Originally posted by bearman:
  Rhett, maybe you need a reminder of what cliché means:
 
 Main Entry: cli·ché  
 Variant(s): also cli·che  
 Function: noun
 Etymology: French, literally, printer's stereotype, from past participle of clicher to stereotype, of imitative origin
 Date: 1892
 1: a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
 2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation
 3: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace
 
 
 Ben's Chili Bowl cliché? Please. Did you mean overrated? And if you look at the definition above, last time I checked there was only one Ben's. If you want cliché, try TGI Fridays. Or any other fast food chain. I think Ben's is kind of a one trick pony, but it serves a purpose and at the right time you can't beat their half smoke or a chili burger. Plus, it means a lot to the city because of its history. That in itself gives it more worth than any number of your run-of-the-mill fast food joints.

[bearman🐻]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
 
 It seems that quite a few people on the message board that i stole that review from seem to think it is.  

And some people break their vegetarianism for it. Everyone's a winner!

[jbcapati]

Bono's been to Ben's so it must be cliche.

[hutch]

bottom line is their half smoke tastes great so i just tune out all the other stuff.. i live pretty close by and if i pass by and there isn't too much of a line and i need a bite .. well then its a great pleace..
 
 they're going to open up next door too and have beer... should be interesting..
 
 i like the place..

[twangirl]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
   Since I haven't been there, I'm not really qualified to make that call.  

[/QB][/QUOTE]
 
 
 since when has that ever stopped you before?

[Frank Gallagher]

Originally posted by twangirl:
   

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
   Since I haven't been there, I'm not really qualified to make that call.  

[/b]

since when has that ever stopped you before? [/QB][/QUOTE]
 
 OOOOOOOH, you go girlfriend!!!

[HoyaSaxa03]

WaPo Suckered by Ben's Chili Bowl
 
 more on the trite/cliched media coverage of BEN'S

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

Ben's is great... and as for cliches...  Ben's itself is not a cliche, talking about it is cliche... and thinking that going there makes you urban or hip is just plain ghey.
 
 One might say the same of the 930 Club, though...

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

... and I can't believe this thread exists with no mention of the Ben's Chili Bowl show at the club tomorrow!