From the days when U Street was hailed as "Black Broadway" to the current revitalization and gentrification of the new millennium, Ben's Chili Bowl survived it all. On August 22, 1958, West Indian immigrant Mahaboob Ben Ali and his fiancAA(c)e, Virginia Rollins, saw their dream realized as they opened a hot dog and chili shop on U Street. They never imagined that Ben's would become world renowned or such a beloved restaurant in the nation's capital. Today visitors to U Street will find a diverse and eclectic mix of residents, music venues, trendy shops, and, of course, "the Bowl." The images in this book provide a look back over the 50-year history of Ben's Chili Bowl, U Street, the Ali family, and the patrons who have helped define Ben's as a vibrant cultural landmark.

Tonja's Table: Menus and Recipes for Every Occasion delivers flavor-packed meals your guests and family will love. Knowing what to make is often one of the biggest challenges when entertaining. This book is for any home cook who wants to take the guesswork out of what to make for any occasion. Whether it's a formal dinner party or a backyard bash, Tonja's Table delivers a fun, confident, foolproof way to cook for your family and friends. Tonja's fun, enthusiastic, and inviting approach to cooking is like having your best friend in the kitchen. This cookbook includes over 40 menus for entertaining and parties, weekend entertaining, weeknight dinners, and a special section for restaurant-inspired recipes. You will never have to solve the "what should I make?" dilemma again.

"Before chain coffeeshops and luxury high-rises, before even the beginning of desegregation and the 1968 riots, Washington's Greater U Street was known as Black Broadway. From the early 1900s into the 1950s, African Americans plagued by Jim Crow laws in other parts of town were free to own businesses here and built what was often described as a "city within a city." Local author and journalist Briana A. Thomas narrates U Street's rich and unique history, from the early triumph of emancipation to the days of civil rights pioneer Mary Church Terrell and music giant Duke Ellington, through the recent struggle of gentrifiction" --

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. loved the fried catfish and lemon icebox pie at Memphis's Four Way restaurant. Beloved nonagenarian chef Leah Chase introduced George W. Bush to baked cheese grits and scolded Barack Obama for putting Tabasco sauce on her gumbo at New Orleans's Dooky Chase's. When SNCC leader Stokely Carmichael asked Ben's Chili Bowl owners Ben and Virginia Ali to keep the restaurant open during the 1968 Washington, DC, riots, they obliged, feeding police, firefighters, and student activists as they worked together to quell the violence. Celebrated former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Dave Hoekstra unearths these stories and hundreds more as he travels, tastes, and talks his way through twenty of America's best, liveliest, and most historically significant soul food restau­rants. Following the "soul food corridor" from the South through northern industrial cities, The People's Place gives voice to the remarkable chefs, workers, and small business owners (often women) who provided sustenance and a safe haven for civil rights pioneers, not to mention presidents and politicians; music, film, and sports legends; and countless everyday, working-class people. Featuring lush photos, mouth-watering recipes, and ruminations from notable regulars such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown, and many others, The People's Place is an unprecedented celebration of soul food, community, and oral history.

Air and Space Museum! Ben's Chili Bowl! Capitol Hill! Based on the chic designs of Mr. Boddington's Studio, this board book brings to the life the ABCs of the capital city, Washington, D.C. This board book teaches the letters of the alphabet with illustrations of people, places, and things unique to nation's capital. It is the perfect gift for policy wonks, politics nerds, and the little ones who love them.

There was no reason to bet on Bruce Johnson, given where he started out. Poor, Black, and raised by a single mother who had a secret. He was the child she hid in plain view from the rest of her family. Bruce would spend his youth at Chickasaw Park in Louisville—Kentucky’s segregated west end. He would grab the low hanging tree branches, then swing out over the Ohio River before dropping into the dangerous water below. He didn’t know how to swim, but was fearless and knew to paddle quickly back to shore before the current could drag him under. This tenacity served him well, and he learned to be a risk taker early on. As an adult, he set out to just make a living—to do better than Black folks who tried their best before, while making his Momma and Grandmomma proud. His journey to becoming a successful TV journalist nearly killed him, but he refused to treat himself as a victim. His role was to use his voice and example to pull others out of deep waters. The rollout for his retirement was unprecedented. Week-long on-air tributes, hour-long online tributes from corporate CEOs, former colleagues, Congressmembers, the Mayor, and the governor. After a near forty-five year career, all was deserved and expected, except for a final tribute—seeing his image secretly painted on the Wall of Fame outside the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl restaurant alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Dave Chappelle. No one could have imagined such an ending. Or could they? Bruce Johnson’s journey is the culmination of his mother and grandmother’s stories—the ultimate American story of race, opportunity, and perseverance.

Kristoffer Snider is an unlikely hero: an outcast musical prodigy. But when an evil force captures the power of music to rule the world, only Kristoffer can save the day. As music disappears and the idyllic land of Greenwood begins to fall apart, Kristoffer uses his unique gift to battle the malevolent Urizen, his underling Alistair Vull, and a trio of muses who may not be what they first seem. Kristoffer must venture into the mysterious forest outside Greenwood, and with the help of new, much-needed friends, including the poet Colin Williams and his plucky granddaughter Emily, set music free, save the people he loves, and discover the secret at the heart of his very existence. By turns heart-pounding and heart-warming, The Last Musician is an adventure with heart - and a song.