Great American Bites: Cincinnati-style chili rules a region

— -- The scene: If you haven't been to the greater Cincinnati area, it is impossible to imagine how beloved chili is here. The city has its own unique and distinctive chili style reflected mainly in several regional chains like Empress, which claims to have started it all in 1922; Dixie, which opened its first shop in suburban Newport, Ky., in 1929; Skyline, which debuted in 1949; and Gold Star, which was a relative latecomer in 1965. The first three were all launched by Greek immigrants, and Gold Star basically follows this formula, which is why Cincinnati-style chili is its own food group, distinct from the more widespread Texas-style. Camp Washington Chili, opened in 1940 (also by a Greek immigrant) and serving 24-hours is a notable single-store institution in the city.

Between the four chains there are more than 250 restaurants, as ubiquitous locally as McDonalds. Most outlets are in the greater Cincinnati area, but you'll also find them throughout Kentucky and west into Indiana, with Skyline being the largest and most far-flung, with outposts in Cleveland, Lexington, Louisville, Toledo, Indianapolis and even five shops in Florida. At least one of these chili parlors can be found in just about every sports stadium, amusement park and airport in the area, though most are standalone or strip mall locations.

I spent days driving around the region from one chili parlor to the next and there is plenty of uniformity in the food, but little in the individual buildings. While the Empress location I visited had more of old-time diner feel with table service, many others are straightforward fast-food places where you order at the counter or drive through, and some even felt like sports bars, though none that I visited served alcohol. They range from half a century to months old. The biggest common denominator was unfailingly friendly Midwestern service and efficiency - food comes out fast in Cincinnati-style chili parlors. Almost every chain also sells its chili to go in cans, at restaurants, supermarkets and airport gift shops. If you like it, the stuff is easy to take home (several also ship).

Reason to visit: Chili, chili Coneys, chili sandwiches, chili spaghetti, chili fries, chili baked potatoes and so on.

The food: The menus are quite varied among the chains, with Skyline offering plenty of non-chili options like wraps and entrée salads, while one of the smallest brands, Empress, with three locations, has a full diner selection of grilled and deli sandwiches, burgers, and even a fried fish dinner. But the main ingredient at all these places is chili, served all sorts of "ways." Besides the Greek-influenced taste of the chili itself, the major calling card of Cincinnati-style chili is the frequent use of spaghetti and ways in which is it served, which don't deviate from one brand to the next. Bowl is simply a bowl of chili. Two-Way is chili over spaghetti. Three-Way adds shredded cheese, usually in the cheddar family. Four-Way adds onions, or in some cases the option of beans, also sometimes called Four-Way Bean. Five-Way is the works, with cheese, beans and onions over spaghetti. These are the major variations, but you can also add onions, cheese and/or beans to a bowl and forgo spaghetti, while Skyline offers, 3, 4 and 5-Way potatoes, substituting a steamed potato for spaghetti.

The second biggest category is the Coney, Cincinnati-speak for a hot dog. The term Coney or Coney Island is widely used throughout the Midwest and upstate New York, but can mean different types of sausages in different regions. Here it is a small hot dog, just over half normal size. Coneys are cheap and usually consumed two or more at a time, with some combination of chili, cheese, onions, and mustard. Another variation is the chili or chili-cheese sandwich, basically the chili spread on a hotdog bun minus the dog. With the exception of the simplest bowl, Cincinnati-style chili is almost always consumed with some form of starch.

At each place, I tried the chili on its own, 3 or 4-Way, and a Coney, plus some chili cheese sandwiches along the way, avoiding options like waffle fries, burritos, burgers and salads that varied heavily from chain to chain. There are definitely distinctions among the chili, and locals are passionate both about the style and their favorite. But frankly, as someone who loves good Texas-style chili, I found the entire slate disappointing. The common denominator is the Greek-influence, with hints of cinnamon, clove, cardamom and other spices (each place professes to use a secret family recipe), and while I love Greek food, I found Cincinnati chili cloying yet bland across the board. With meat that is finely ground, never chunky, it more resembles a chili-flavored Bolognese sauce than what people outside this region think of as chili. At Dixie, the 3-way reminded me more of fast food Italian, mushy spaghetti in spiced brown sauce with hints of meat. My favorite chili was Skyline's, the most flavorful. None are remotely spicy and most serve bottled hot sauce on the table. I personally thought the spaghetti, while Cincinnati's signature addition to the chili field, brought nothing to the dish and the best use of the chili was straight up or on a Coney. While not the best hot dogs I've ever tasted, they combined more taste and texture into a complete dish, the dog adding the meatiness the chili generally lacked.

Cincinnati-style chili is an acquired taste, and I'm sure that locals would feel the same way I do about the other kinds of chili around the nation. The best comparison would be Manhattan clam chowder versus New England. I prefer New England, which is thicker and richer, and don't really get Manhattan, which is thinner and blander, but some people love it. The good news is that Cincinnati chili is unfailingly inexpensive, and if you are not from here, something new, different and unique to try.

Pilgrimage-worthy?: No, but if you are in this part of the Midwest and have never had it, you should try it.

Rating: OK (Scale: Blah, OK, Mmmm, Yum!, OMG!)

Price: $ ($ cheap, $$ moderate, $$$ expensive)

Details: Each chain has a Store Locator online: Skyline | Gold Star | Dixie | Camp Washington

Larry Olmsted has been writing about food and travel for more than 15 years. An avid eater and cook, he has attended cooking classes in Italy, judged a BBQ contest and once dined with Julia Child. Follow him on Twitter, @TravelFoodGuy, and if there's a unique American eatery you think he should visit, send him an e-mail at travel@usatoday.com.