Ben Ali, the founder of Ben's Chili Bowl diner, a landmark in Washington's black business and entertainment district and a frequent stop for politicians and celebrities, has died. He was 82. Ali died of congestive heart failure Wednesday night at his home, his daughter-in-law Sonya Ali said Thursday. Ben Ali was born in 1927 and opened the restaurant with his wife, Virginia, in an old movie house in 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and integrating public schools. It became a longtime fixture in the black business community, serving up bowls of chili and its trademark chili-covered half-smokes.
Ali's family posted a statement on the restaurant's Web site thanking people for an outpouring of support.
"Family, friends, and countless fans of Ben's will sorely miss the energetic and unforgettable personality of Ben Ali," the family wrote. "He was a true hero of the people and a great example of someone who actually epitomized the American dream."
Ali was an immigrant from Trinidad, earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Nebraska and moved to Washington to study at Howard University's medical and dental schools. He withdrew, though, after injuring his back in a fall.
The restaurant was opened in 1958 on U Street,in Washington DC then known as America's "Black Broadway" for its thriving black-owned shops and theaters. Jazz greats Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole performed along the strip and were known to visit Ben's.
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