I’ve lived in Cincinnati for over 50 years but their chili is just godawful. Chili is not supposed to sit on top of spaghetti; chili goes in a bowl. Chili’s not supposed to have chocolate. Chili’s not supposed to have cinnamon. Yuck.
I am from Cincinnati. Cincinnati chili is the straight-up best thing that has ever been invented in the world, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
@f00l I agree. True chili has no beans. Just the meat, chilies, onions, spices. My Texas Chili recipe is from my grandfather who had a small restaurant in Texas in the 30’s.
A false dichotomy. I don’t think it is the best or the worst and only had it once 30 years ago. I don’t remember it being on spaghetti, but if it comes that way now, that would count against it. I don’t make chili, but my wife makes several good ones including one with ground turkey and one vegetarian (better than you think).
It’s ok as long as one doesn’t expect it to be the same thing regular chili is. It’s like that Matthew Broderick Godzilla movie, which is fine as long as you ignore the Godzilla name.
We’ve got some Skyline restaurants here, and I get some three-way once a year or so. It’s messy but decent, especially with hot sauce added. The coneys are good, too, even though they don’t resemble Nathan’s frankfurters at all. Just ignore the name and enjoy them for what they are.
@craigthom I don’t know, man. I watched the Matthew Broderick Godzilla within the last few months. “Fine” may be a bit of a stretch.
I think “Terminator:Salvation” might be a better comparison. It was decent as a crummy, high-budget action film if you could pretend it wasn’t supposed to be part of the Terminator franchise.
I don’t have an opinion on the chili, having never had it.
@mossygreen I had steak and shake chili a few months ago because I had watched a ranking where it beat out wendy’s chili. I love wendy’s chili so I figured it must be good.
It was disappointing. I ate it, but it brought me no joy.
@RiotDemon ooh, it’s about to be the season for Wendy’s chili over a baked potato. That’s quite possibly the best thing you can get from Wendy’s. I don’t go there often anymore because the one nearest my house is pretty subpar, but I’ll seek one out once the temps drop.
@djslack@RiotDemon Oooh, Wendy’s chili over a baked potato was probably my favorite Wendy’s thing not a Frosty when I was young. I should go and see if it still is!
@djslack@mossygreen@RiotDemon I used to buy a quart of Wendy’s chili once in a while. I don’t know if they sell it that way anymore. It’s pretty darn good.
A few years back I saw a can of skyline chili at the store, bought it, and ate it with sadness that it was not what I expected from chili.
A lady I work with is from Cincinnati originally, and I have heard her tell of their chili nights involving spaghetti. This suddenly made sense. That chili I had would have been better as spaghetti sauce. Not better than spaghetti sauce, but better than it was alone in a bowl with some crackers. But I wouldn’t go so far as to call it chili. Just, maybe, Midwestern meat sauce.
@djslack if you must look for a comparison something like goulash I think. From people’s description. Which In my family is similar to a big pot of chili… With some beans added to fill it out and some dried pasta to cook in all the licquid
But it’s def not meat sauce nor does it belong just on spaghetti
@unksol “meat sauce” was shorthand for “a sauce made out of meat”. My apologies for offending any Italians and their tomato-based concoctions of deliciousness, all of which are better than skyline chili.
@chienfou@djslack@tinamarie1974 it’s clearly sauce I just am amused by how it would annoy people for some odd reason. Like using irregardless intentionally with a grammer nazi lol.
Skyline is NOT Cincinnati chili. Yes, it is based out of Cincinnati, but it’s nothing like a true Cincinnati chili. I’m even going to say that it’s not chili at all.
@Faffs Gold star is better tasting than Skyline. If I had to pick a “national model” for Cinci chili, I’d use Gold Star. But you’re right, they’re not chili.
@craigthom@moose3425 long way for a shopping trip…those sound like “through” things not to things. Like if I was going somewhere and it was a small detour… At the right time of day.
I make two kinds of chili, all beans vegetarian and all meat. Both are extremely spicy, as I use fresh habanero peppers (among others) along with onion, garlic and chili powder and other spices.
The poll has insufficient options. Cinci chili is fabulous, but I also love a beautiful beanless pork or lamb shoulder chili with masa dumplings and I will happily be criticized up and down all day about how chili shouldn’t have dumplings and IDGAF.
I am not really a fan of Cincinnati chili, but for those of you for dismissing the notion of the Ohio city being a chili destination, it is legitimately unique and it really has its contingency of devotees.
It’s almost a different dish entirely from other chili. People pick up on the fact that its served over spaghetti noodles, but IMO, that’s not really the big difference. Two of its ingredients are cinnamon and chocolate. It really does make for a different taste. Like I said, not my preference, but there are people that really love it.
that’s that thing with spaghetti or something isn’t it? eh, never had the particular inclination to make or eat it, but i’m not bothered by its existence. i like ground beef chili, and i like spaghetti, so, it would be fine. but i’d rather have them as their own dishes.
From the descriptions above, it sounds godawful. I have my own style; plenty of chunky peppers (bell, poblano, jalapeño), celery, diced tomatoes along with the tomato sauce. The spice pack has chili powder and paprika, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, cumin, red pepper flake and some masa to thicken. Dash of brown sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon; if you can tell there is cinnamon in it, you used too much and need to start over. It’s used to reduce acidity a little. Salt to taste, of course. Three beans: black, pinto, red kidney. It’s vegan like that, but I usually add some ground beef. Angus or buffalo preferred, something not more than 10% fat as I don’t like it greasy.
I just finished off the big kettle of soup, so looking for a week-meal for next week. Chili sounds delightful!
It’s not great, it’s not terrible, but mostly it’s just not chili.
It’s culture shock to a Texan, kind of like when I went to a Mexican restaurant in PA and they took my order and asked, “and what kind of dressing would you like on your salad?”.
I don’t… what?
Is this chili served over spaghetti? Is that what makes it Cincinnati chili?
@melonscoop It’s also made differently, has like, cinnamon or some other spices in it
I’ve lived in Cincinnati for over 50 years but their chili is just godawful. Chili is not supposed to sit on top of spaghetti; chili goes in a bowl. Chili’s not supposed to have chocolate. Chili’s not supposed to have cinnamon. Yuck.
@pooflady It’s probably better than the Bengals, right?
@pooflady @sammydog01
Sammy is evil Tonite!
@sammydog01 Not sure.
I am from Cincinnati. Cincinnati chili is the straight-up best thing that has ever been invented in the world, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.
/giphy bring it
@jdude727 Gold Star is better than Skyline. Fight me.
@jdude727 @shaunanl Gold Star didn’t even make it past the first round!
https://www.polltab.com/bracket-poll/1e0oaBAtV
http://cincinnatirefined.com/eat-drink/gallery/cincinnati-chili-competition-presented-by-casamatic#photo-1
I had it when I visited a relative who lives there I thought it was quite tasty
I prefer the traditional Texas all meat version personal preference it’s my fav
@f00l I agree. True chili has no beans. Just the meat, chilies, onions, spices. My Texas Chili recipe is from my grandfather who had a small restaurant in Texas in the 30’s.
@daveinwarsh @f00l Are you planning on sharing that recipe?
@daveinwarsh @f00l and is made with meat you hunted, killed and butchered yourself
Argh! Argh! Argh!
A false dichotomy. I don’t think it is the best or the worst and only had it once 30 years ago. I don’t remember it being on spaghetti, but if it comes that way now, that would count against it. I don’t make chili, but my wife makes several good ones including one with ground turkey and one vegetarian (better than you think).
I’m still hoping for a Skyline to open close enough to me I can have it regularly
It’s ok as long as one doesn’t expect it to be the same thing regular chili is. It’s like that Matthew Broderick Godzilla movie, which is fine as long as you ignore the Godzilla name.
We’ve got some Skyline restaurants here, and I get some three-way once a year or so. It’s messy but decent, especially with hot sauce added. The coneys are good, too, even though they don’t resemble Nathan’s frankfurters at all. Just ignore the name and enjoy them for what they are.
@craigthom I don’t know, man. I watched the Matthew Broderick Godzilla within the last few months. “Fine” may be a bit of a stretch.
I think “Terminator:Salvation” might be a better comparison. It was decent as a crummy, high-budget action film if you could pretend it wasn’t supposed to be part of the Terminator franchise.
I don’t have an opinion on the chili, having never had it.
@Limewater “fine” in this means “not horrible “, which also applies to Cincinnati chili, as long as you don’t expect it to be chili.
@craigthom I am aware of what “fine” means. I stand by my statement. It really was that bad.
So, if I’ve had Steak 'n Shake chili, is that close enough to have an opinion here? Because I think I like Steak 'n Shake 5-way Chili.
@mossygreen With onions and corn chips.
@mossygreen I had steak and shake chili a few months ago because I had watched a ranking where it beat out wendy’s chili. I love wendy’s chili so I figured it must be good.
It was disappointing. I ate it, but it brought me no joy.
@mossygreen not really. Steak n Shake is decent. Cincinnati chili however is simply gross.
@mossygreen It is not. Steak n Shake chili is still normal chili even when mixed with 4 additional ingredients.
@RiotDemon ooh, it’s about to be the season for Wendy’s chili over a baked potato. That’s quite possibly the best thing you can get from Wendy’s. I don’t go there often anymore because the one nearest my house is pretty subpar, but I’ll seek one out once the temps drop.
@djslack @RiotDemon Oooh, Wendy’s chili over a baked potato was probably my favorite Wendy’s thing not a Frosty when I was young. I should go and see if it still is!
@djslack @mossygreen @RiotDemon I used to buy a quart of Wendy’s chili once in a while. I don’t know if they sell it that way anymore. It’s pretty darn good.
@djslack @mossygreen @sammydog01 I just ate some wendy’s chili.
Who said advertising doesn’t work…
@djslack @RiotDemon @sammydog01 I don’t think I ever heard about an e. coli outbreak at Chipotle without thinking hmmm, I could go for some Chipotle.
It looks like diarrhea and tastes terrible.
@kittykat9180 but does it taste like diarrhea?
@zinimusprime, I don’t know. Try both and let me know.
Chili made in Cincinnati is the start? What’s next, Dallas Lasagna or San Francisco Jambalaya?
@hchavers New York City salsa
@duodec @hchavers NEW YORK CITY!!!
A few years back I saw a can of skyline chili at the store, bought it, and ate it with sadness that it was not what I expected from chili.
A lady I work with is from Cincinnati originally, and I have heard her tell of their chili nights involving spaghetti. This suddenly made sense. That chili I had would have been better as spaghetti sauce. Not better than spaghetti sauce, but better than it was alone in a bowl with some crackers. But I wouldn’t go so far as to call it chili. Just, maybe, Midwestern meat sauce.
@djslack you take that back. Idk what it is but don’t associate my meat sauce with it. And def doesn’t come in a can
@djslack I tried the box of skyline that comes in the freezer section with spaghetti.
Yuck.
Occasionally I’ll put my homemade chili on spaghetti, but not very often.
@djslack my sicilian grandmother (who grew up in the midwest) would roll over in her grave hearing that could be compared to sauce.
@djslack if you must look for a comparison something like goulash I think. From people’s description. Which In my family is similar to a big pot of chili… With some beans added to fill it out and some dried pasta to cook in all the licquid
But it’s def not meat sauce nor does it belong just on spaghetti
@unksol “meat sauce” was shorthand for “a sauce made out of meat”. My apologies for offending any Italians and their tomato-based concoctions of deliciousness, all of which are better than skyline chili.
@djslack lmao. Not italian. And well done. I could almost swear it said “gravy” for a second which was funnier
@djslack @unksol
@unksol you caught me. It did before I added more words. You must have seen it quickly.
@chienfou that joke is sus lol
@chienfou @djslack I for some reason now have a strong urge to call it italian gravy like that’s normal… just to see the look on people’s faces…
@djslack @unksol
Ask @tinamarie1974 how that would go over!
@chienfou @djslack @unksol whelp, my nana never called it gravy. It was/is sauce. So gravy away
@chienfou @djslack @tinamarie1974 it’s clearly sauce I just am amused by how it would annoy people for some odd reason. Like using irregardless intentionally with a grammer nazi lol.
@djslack @tinamarie1974 @unksol
Kind of like the whole:
“Cereal is a soup” thing…
@chienfou @djslack @unksol I am sad to say irregardless has been added to the dictionary
@chienfou @djslack @tinamarie1974 I know. My phone finished it for me which made me a little sad. Regardless it’s not a real word.
@chienfou @djslack @unksol
@djslack @tinamarie1974 @unksol
Irregardless of the opinion of the dictionary folks!
@chienfou @djslack @unksol
Skyline is NOT Cincinnati chili. Yes, it is based out of Cincinnati, but it’s nothing like a true Cincinnati chili. I’m even going to say that it’s not chili at all.
That being said… Cincinnati chili? meh.
@Willijs3 Are you a Gold Star “chili” person? IMO neither should be called chili.
Same way LaRosa’s shouldn’t be called pizza. Or goetta called food.
@Faffs Gold star is better tasting than Skyline. If I had to pick a “national model” for Cinci chili, I’d use Gold Star. But you’re right, they’re not chili.
What? Where is that option? Who goes to cincinnati never mind for chili??
@unksol
@unksol don’t you mean Cincinasty?
@unksol I went to Cincinnati a couple times, but it wasn’t by choice.
@moose3425 I did not. I hold a neutral opinion. I just can’t think of a reason to go there.
@moose3425 @unksol there are two reasons I know of to go to Porkopolis:
Jungle Jim’s, the best grocery store I’ve been to, and The American Sign Museum.
@craigthom @moose3425 long way for a shopping trip…those sound like “through” things not to things. Like if I was going somewhere and it was a small detour… At the right time of day.
Not I’m going to Jim’s in cincinnati lol
It’s fantastic and if you disagree you can catch these hands
@cpierce
/image gif woah there buddy
I make two kinds of chili, all beans vegetarian and all meat. Both are extremely spicy, as I use fresh habanero peppers (among others) along with onion, garlic and chili powder and other spices.
Cans or pouches of Skyline chili are too expensive, and we live in Illinois, so we rarely have a 5 way.
When we do splurge it’s always a hit.
The poll has insufficient options. Cinci chili is fabulous, but I also love a beautiful beanless pork or lamb shoulder chili with masa dumplings and I will happily be criticized up and down all day about how chili shouldn’t have dumplings and IDGAF.
@jitc Masa dumplings in chili sounds like something I could get down with. Kind of like a bowl of deconstructed tamale stew?
@djslack that’s an interesting way to look at it, but ratios are necessarily pretty inverted. I use pork when I can’t find lamb, which is much fatter, so I do a lot of skimming before all is said and done, but it’s still delicious. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lamb-chili-with-masa-harina-dumplings-233796
@jitc thanks for the recipe! I believe this is worth trying.
I am not really a fan of Cincinnati chili, but for those of you for dismissing the notion of the Ohio city being a chili destination, it is legitimately unique and it really has its contingency of devotees.
It’s almost a different dish entirely from other chili. People pick up on the fact that its served over spaghetti noodles, but IMO, that’s not really the big difference. Two of its ingredients are cinnamon and chocolate. It really does make for a different taste. Like I said, not my preference, but there are people that really love it.
@DrWorm it’s honestly almost like a ground beef curry to me. The clove also really stands out.
Why does my husband like corned beef hash (which is too salty for my taste), but won’t eat corned beef?
@lisaviolet I don’t like corned beef or hash. But I do like roast beef hash when I find it.
@lisaviolet @Targaryen
having indulged in my share of corned beef and smoked a bit of hash I must say that … oh… wait… not THAT hash?
that’s that thing with spaghetti or something isn’t it? eh, never had the particular inclination to make or eat it, but i’m not bothered by its existence. i like ground beef chili, and i like spaghetti, so, it would be fine. but i’d rather have them as their own dishes.
From the descriptions above, it sounds godawful. I have my own style; plenty of chunky peppers (bell, poblano, jalapeño), celery, diced tomatoes along with the tomato sauce. The spice pack has chili powder and paprika, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, cumin, red pepper flake and some masa to thicken. Dash of brown sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon; if you can tell there is cinnamon in it, you used too much and need to start over. It’s used to reduce acidity a little. Salt to taste, of course. Three beans: black, pinto, red kidney. It’s vegan like that, but I usually add some ground beef. Angus or buffalo preferred, something not more than 10% fat as I don’t like it greasy.
I just finished off the big kettle of soup, so looking for a week-meal for next week. Chili sounds delightful!
I’ve never had Cincinnati Chili. I want to though.
@Targaryen Same. Never even head of it before today.
What makes it “Cincinnati Chili” … “Cincinnati?” Just it’s place or origin? I see a handful of recipes online fer it.
@GetClosure @Targaryen the cinnamon and chocolate served over spaghetti?
@GetClosure @RiotDemon I’d give it a shot.
@GetClosure @RiotDemon @Targaryen
Sounds like Buddy would like it!
It’s not great, it’s not terrible, but mostly it’s just not chili.
It’s culture shock to a Texan, kind of like when I went to a Mexican restaurant in PA and they took my order and asked, “and what kind of dressing would you like on your salad?”.
@st_ellis Well to be fair, a Caesar salad is Mexican food.
The secret is to undercook the onions.
Everyone is going to get to know each other in the pot.
Ahem! Not so fast.
Saying “Cincinnati chili” is for people who have heard of such things but never experienced.
It’s either Gold Star or Skyline. One is great, the other rat poison. Hint: Choose Gold Star if you want to live.
/giphy skyline of death
Fun fact: The Cincinnati airport (CVG) is actually in Hebron, KY.
It never gets old for the locals to watch the panic stricken faces of the arrivals thinking they’ve landed in the wrong airport.
Even more trivial, CVG stands for the city of Covington, KY, and the airport’s mailing address is in Erlanger.
@st_ellis when people talk about “Northern Kentucky” they mean the part of the state that is suburban Cincinnati.
I tried it once - didn’t think I’d like it, but I did, quite a bit! My favorite chili though is pork green chili. Mmmmmmm.
@Kyeh
Is ‘pork green’ that iridescent color that ham gets if it sits out too long??
@chienfou
Ugh, I don’t know, but this is what I want.
https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/chili-verde-colorado-green-chili-2108110