On our way through Cincinnati we stopped at a Skyline Chili. I haven’t been to one in years. Skyline Chili was founded in 1949 in Cincinnati (it’s named after Cincinnati’s skyline) by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides and is known for their chili spaghetti, served five different ways with their unique secret sauce that includes chocolate and cinnamon. I decided to go all the way and ordered the 5-Way, which consists of spaghetti, chili, cheddar cheese, beans & onions.
There are several other restaurants that serve “Cincinnati Style” chili, including Empress Chili, Gold Star Chili, Dixie Chili and Camp Washington Chili.
photo by Scott Beale
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You dirty rotten….
You had to post a picture. I’ll be salivating all day thinking about Skyline Chili and not be able to get the monkey off my back.
Anyone have any crack?
Wow! Memories! Probably one of the only things I actually miss about Cincinnati (I lived there in 5th & part of 6th grade). My Mom makes an amazing version of this stuff though. What is surprising to me are the ingredients….two of which are chocolate and cinnamon.
Yum!
I wish I could have given you a pointer before you were in Dallas… Babe’s Chicken…. an amazing “chicken dinner house” where you have two choices… chicken or chicken fried steak. If you haven’t been, you must go next time you’re there.
My friends and I have been making skyline-style chili in SF for around 6 months now. If anyone needs a fix, hit me up. :D
Damn, this is my favorite friggin Chili, bring some back to SF for the rest of us, I am totally jonseing for it.
Forgot to mention the cinnamon….thats what makes it……
I always heard that Empress Chili was the original Cincinnati style chili. Wikipedia agrees (take that for what it’s worth).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati-style_chili
But Skyline has always been my favorite. I’ve been trying to perfect the recipe for years. Here’s the recipe from my last attempt:
http://www.beergeek.com/?p=81
Still needs work…
Gold star is my favorite. And oyster crackers on your 5-way? The best things ever.
I had Skyline Chili once in the mid-90s when I was there for a wedding. Maybe it’s because I’m a native Texan, but I didn’t get all the fuss. Spaghetti and oyster crackers with chili is just wrong.
Did anybody see the No Reservations episode in Cleveland? It started with Bourdain and Ruhlman visiting Skyline.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the Oyster Bomb? One fills up the oyster cracker with tabasco sauce, then consumes. It packs a punch.
I’ve done a vegan version of Cincinnati chili (3-way and skyline dip), and believe it or not it came out wonderfully. It was even vetted for by three Cincinnatians.
you’re forgetting empress chili!! there are still some of those around here in cincinnati!!
YES! I work at Skyline, so I could get that every day if I wanted to..
I have lived in Cincinnati all of 52 years.I have never acquired a taste
for Cincinnati style chili!!!It’s okay,but not great!!
Yes Empress came first, the Lambrinides bros worked there and took the original recipe with them when they opened Skyline Chili. Also there is no Chocolate or Cinnamon in the Chili, what you’re tasting is Nutmeg.
Skyline Chili definitely does have chocolate and cinnamon in it. Those were two flavors that I recognized on my very first bite (along with the allspice). There is no nutmeg in Skyline Chili!
Cuz I live in Canada , we cant get that here , I pick up a bunch in Myrtle Beach .
The guys at the firehall love it
jp
I am a Cincinnati native with Cincy chili parlors to my left and right and your picture still makes my mouth water!!! It looks like you could steal a piece of the cheese right off it and into your mouth! I love Cincinnati style chili so much that I just launched a website to celebrate! It is a social network celebrating the cultural phenomenon of Cincinnati chili! Whether you’re a first-timer or a life-timer, this is the place for you. See you there!
Oldest Cincinnati Chili parlors:
Empress Chili est. 1922
Dixie Chili est. 1929 (founder worked for Empress)
Camp Washington Chili est. 1940
Skyline Chili est. 1949 (founder worked for Empress)
Price Hill Chili est. 1962 (near Original Skyline)
Pleasant Ridge Chili est. 1964
Gold Star Chili est. 1965 (founders worked for Skyline)
Blue Ash Chili est. 1969
I’ve eaten all but Price Hill Chili and Pleasant Ridge Chili. Having dined on them for nearly 40 years I rank them in this order. Camp Washington, Skyline, Dixie, Blue Ash and lastly Gold Star Chili. (keep in mind all are good, and always use hot sauce).
I’ve been making Cincinnati chili for my wife for about 6 years now. We go back to Cincinnati every year and have to hit Skyline, Graeter’s, UDF, La Rosa’s and Montgomery Inn. It’s grueling but it has to be done. I have a recipe that I Frankensteined from a bunch of recipes, including my wife’s mother’s recipe and a few touches of my own. http://robsfoodblog.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/cincinnati-“skyline”-style-chili-recipe/
I am a Cinti native, love the chili, hate the town. I left in the early 70’s and don’t miss it. I do love to try to duplicate the chili, tho. To those playing with the recipe. Try putting the onions and garlic in the blender with some water and totally liquify them. You DO need to use the bitter chocolate and try using a good quality Garum Masala powder in place of all the long list of spices. I add high end quality cloves to the Garum Masala, and it seems to work well.
Argh…most of these recipes are missing the essential thing to REAL Cincinnati Chili…BOILING the hamburger in water…NOT browning it or precooking it in a pan. It’s what grossed me out when I first saw it being cooked in the 70’s! LOL
Also, “to chocolate or not to chocolate” is the question. I think the ingredient was added by copycats…and it is NOT in authentic Cinti chili, but that is MY opinion, only. :)
CINNAMON IS DEFINITELY IN CINT CHILI! I know people who ran both Gold Star & Skyline (Skyline is my personal fave!).
Also, Cinti Chili has NO TOMATO CHUNKS. Tomato Sauce/Paste…NOT chunks. This is not to say if it is your preference for such, you can’t do such…but when talking about AUTHENTICITY, it is NOT in there. :)
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