The Best Vegan Hot Dog

The last barbecue I attended, I politely asked the lady of the house (who happened to have diabetes) if she had any veggie dogs or burgers on hand. By her response, you’d have thought I just asked her to strip naked.

When it comes to entertaining, being vegan can sometimes be awkward for guests. So if you’re vegan or planning to host a barbecue this season, I invite you to think outside the lunchbox.

To inspire your creativity, on this episode we ventured to D.C.'s historic U Street corridor for a vegan tasting at Ben's Chili Bowl, whose crowd-pleasing chili dogs have kept happy customers coming back for over 55 years. Though their plant-based dogs, burgers and fries are far from fat-free, in moderation they're a welcome addition to the compassionate comfort food line-up.