I speak of that extremely local concoction with Greek roots, known outside the Queen City as Cincinnati Chili, and within the immediate region hard by and near the Ohio River by the brands: Empress, Gold Star, Dixie, Camp Washington and the local heavyweight: Skyline. There are others, but I am assured by my long time and good friend, Paul Kreft, artist, film maker, musician, guitar collector, UC grad, raconteur and Cincinnati lifer who knows of what he speaks when it comes to the city’s obsession with this dish, that these are the purebreds. I haven’t lived in Cincinnati in over thirty-five years. Additionally, I am not a chili historian, Cincinnati style or otherwise. No, my connection to chili in Cincinnati is just that: a connection. My connection. It links me to my growing up and going to college there. When I smell it or taste it I am transported in place and time to the City of Seven Hills.

Of the various apartments I squatted in while attending the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, the very best was atop a Skyline at a corner where Clifton and Ludlow Avenues intersect. My one bedroom apartment covered most of the top floor of a turn of the century, Dutch Colonial building, a large space, with high ceilings and a romantic bay window that offered an overview of the busy intersection and the park across the street. It was a very unique and individual place with character, a lucky find passed on to me by a friend who had graduated and left town. Downstairs was the the chili parlor. If you walked across the street and looked back at the whole operation, the second story couldn’t have been more different from the street level facade. With the exception of the Skyline sign that hung at an angle off the corner of the building on my level, the second story was all red brick and stately, stolid as Cincinnati itself. In stark contrast, the street level brick was painted bright yellow, plastic Skyline Chili signs that featured a tacky blue silhouette of the city hawked the goods on both Clifton and Ludlow. And a royal blue canopy wrapped the corner over a wall of windows. I’m looking at a picture of the place now and I can’t help but think that, architecturally speaking, in the the political atmosphere of the times, that the top floor was all Richard Nixon, the street level, Abbi Hoffman. But it was a great place to live for two years, not to mention convenient when the munchies hit at 1:00 AM and the quick fix is just down the stairs.

To the uninitiated, Cincinnati style chili, first introduced by Greek immigrants using spices and techniques familiar to them,  might be off putting, or a troubling diversion. First of all, there are a helluva lot more things going on with it than ground beef, tomato and chili powder. Besides the ingredients, which I will get to, there’s a system and some basic and fundamental options. The locals will order 3-Ways, 4-Ways or 5-Ways. Sound like sexual choreography? Well if you add Tabasco as my brother Larry habitually does, it can get hot, and “steamy” regularly crops up in the restaurant parlance as in the following from one joint, A 3-Way: Our signature dish…steaming spaghetti, covered with our original, secret recipe chili and topped with a mound of shredded cheddar cheese.

Adding diced onion or red beans makes it a 4-Way. With beans and onions it becomes a 5-Way. Got all that? (A note: The grated cheddar cheese is blaze orange and no one scrimps. The sheer volume rendered presidential hopeful John McCain speechless when confronted by the hay bale sized serving on his chili when he stopped by a Cincinnati Skyline to stump during the campaign.) And to put a ribbon around the whole affair, one may also order coneys, small hot dogs on steamed buns to match topped with chili or cheese or onions. Some add mustard. I believe that adulterates the experience.

The consistency (soupy) and the spices, besides chili powder: paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon ground cloves and some other ingredients deliver a decidedly different chili experience than you will find anywhere else. If you are lucky, someone in your town will have tapped into the popularity of Cincinnati Chili and is offering a suitable version. And Skyline for one is available through the mail. http://www.skylinechili.com/ You can make your own which I recommend but you will never, repeat, never get it precisely as it tastes in Cincinnati. But you can get close. There are are versions all over the Internet, but here is the recipe I use:

Bill’s Cincinnati Chili: With Apologies to the Purists Among You

Brown 2 pounds of ground chuck in vegetable oil and work it over with a potatoe  masher. You want the meat fine. Add 2 chopped, medium yellow onions and 5-6 minced garlic cloves and combine. When the meat is brown add 4 tbls chili powder, 1 tbls sweet paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, salt and pepper. Mix well with the meat. (I routinely amp up the spices after tasting further down the cooking process. Season to taste by all means.) Add a blast of red wine vinegar, 1 tbls molasses, 2 cups tomato sauce and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a brief boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. (The real deal is a soupy consistency so add more water if needed as you go along; and remember to not be slavish with the spice amounts. I think the allspice and the cinnamon are the keys.)

So there you have it. Call the neighbors and have a 3-Way! And remember to root for the Bearcats and think of those blessed in Cincinnati who never have to make chili themselves!

Comments (4)

1. 

   Mike Raff

   Add one more geographical incongruity that I think adds some Queen City charm: what are called “Chili dogs” elsewhere are “Cheese Coneys” in Cinti, a nod to Nathan’s Coney Island hot dogs, no doubt. By the way, I went to the Skyline website and was immediately greeted with a recent photo of the Clifton & Ludlow store over which you once lived! [Reply]

2. 

   Bill

   Mike, Thanks for visiting with The Comfort Brothers and thanks for pointing out that fine chili dog nuance! [Reply]

3. 

   Paul Kreft

   What an honour to return home from yet another fine meal at Skyline, to find a shout out on the comfort Bros. Accompanied by my friend and outstanding cinematographer/drummer (Ass Ponys)Dave Morrison, I had 2 delightful cheese coneys while Dave savoured a 3-Way. We, of course, dined at the venerable parlour at Clifton and Ludlow…. largely unchanged since those halcyon days of our collegiate adventures. The signage is a bit more subdued these days… and the corner bus stop across the street is now adorned with a bare bosomed muse dancing in wild abandon in all her bronze patinaed glory. [Reply]

4. 

   Bill

   Paul, Glad to hear there are bare breasts proximate to the former Chateau Skyline/Hambini. That’s two more than were there in my day! [Reply]

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