BEN'S CHILI Bowl may not be an household name in Jamaica, but the Washington DC eatery certainly has strong Caribbean roots. Ben Ali, a Trinidadian, founded the restaurant in the American capital in 1958.

Last year the restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary. Many big celebrities have feasted on Ben's spicy menu, including Bill Cosby, Chris Tucker and Bono of U2. On January 10, President-elect Barack Obama stopped in for a bite.

Ben's has been a big part of activities marking Obama's inauguration. The syndicated Tom Joyner Show, a popular African-American radio programme, broadcast from the restaurant yesterday. Today, Black Entertainment Television (BET) will deliver its coverage from Next Door, Ben's newest wing.

Originally from Port of Spain, Ben Ali moved to the United States as a teenager and once studied to become a dentist. He gave up those hopes for the food business, starting Ben's Chili Bowl with his African-American wife, Virginia, in the tough Shaw neighbourhood of Washington DC.

Ben's rose to prominence during the 1968 race riots, when police and Civil Rights protesters frequently visited to eat its chili dogs, half-smokes and milk shakes.

Cosby, who has been a regular at Ben's for over 40 years, was one of the presenters at Ben's 50th anniversary commemorative event last August in Washington DC.