I think there is something we can all agree on: Chili does not come with noodles.
Since we have ample time to create a Hatin On thread for a variety of Cincinnati topics, this one definitely needs to be the first.
Let em have it!

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The chilli in MREs is a superior meal to that.
what the hell is that abomination?
From our good friends at Wikipedia:
Seems like something 20 year old me would McGuyver together with leftovers in my college apartment.
It is also common for those encountering it for any time after to firmly conclude that it is in fact a poor example of chili
Ingredients include ground beef, water or stock, tomato paste, spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, cumin, chili powder, bay leaf, and in some home recipes unsweetened dark chocolate in a soupy consistency
No. The only ingredients in this list that belong in Chili are ground beef, cumin, chili powder and the bay leaf. If you put cinnamon and nutmeg in a chili you are a communist.
I agree!!
doesn't putting chocolate in it make it a Mole' (mo-lay) ?
Actually, it does sound like a good sauce for a hot dog. Many of the hot dog "chili" recipes I've seen call for many of those ingredients.
Only if the hot dog is going to be fed to a dog. On second thought, I don't think I'd do that to my dog.
You might want to consider the consequences either way.

FTFY.
Skyline Chilli is a vehicle for carrying cheese:

There's only one thing better than cheese - more cheese!
French?
Hormel is for hot dogs, not spaghetti.
Hormel is for constipation relief and nothing else.
It looks like some shit I would make when I'm wasted. Sloppy Joe dumped on top of spaghetti, covered with the rest of the cheese in the fridge.
Cincinnati chili is delicious and that picture looks amazing (minus the raw onion). Graeter's ice cream is among the best I've ever hard (especially recommend the mint chocolate chip).
If I remember correctly, Kroger in Blacksburg carries Graeter's ice cream - it is amazing, will endorse that.
Cincinnati chili is amazing.
Graeter's is the best ice cream ever. Kroger does carry both because Kroger was started and is headquartered in Cincinnati.
I miss both these things being in San Francisco.
*Disclaimer: I'm from Cincinnati.
Why dont you just go to whole foods?
https://www.graeters.com/where-to-find-us
I actually did know about that, but there's a small market below my apartment that's just too convenient.
Credit where it's due
+1
Cincinnati style chili is the best chili. Skyline 4 lyfe
Looks delicious to me.
Real chili doesn't come with beans!
I make my chili with beans and I'll never change, but Skyline chili is awesome and I can't hate on it.
Chili has beans. Hot dog topping does not.
Real *chili* doesn't come with tomatoes either. Beef cooked in a puree made from a variety of charred, dried peppers. Perhaps a little comino. Autentico!
The only thing good to come out of the University of Cincinnati is Whit Babcock.
... That chili looks good as hell though.
When you say "chili" are you referring to just the meat portion or the entire dish?
That looks delicious. I would gladly put that in my face
That shit is just spaghetti sauce.
Yeah so this is my question. People are saying that this is just ground beef with like tomato sauce and some spices or onions or something? So, like, that's what spaghetti sauce is mostly. It might not be good spaghetti sauce but it's f!cking spaghetti sauce.
Chili has beans in it. Spaghetti sauce doesn't. Am I off the farm here? What am I missing?
1. Spaghetti sauce has oregano, basil and usually some sugar and salt - at least that's how we made it when I worked at Mountain View. Chili con carne has cumin and can also have cayenne pepper and chili powder.
2. Cincinnati chili is not chili con carne and is often seasoned with any of the following spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, cumin, chili powder, bay leaf
3. Traditional chili con carne has neither beans nor tomatoes and the Chili Appreciation Society International (thank you, Wikipedia) prohibits the use of beans for official competition, nor are you permitted to marinate the meats.
4. Cincinnati chili is served four different ways (know this from experience):
Two-way: chili and spaghetti only
Three-way: Above + cheese
Four-way: Above + either onions or beans
Five-way: All of the above
All are generally served with oyster crackers. Coneys are served with mustard, chili, onions and (optional) cheese.
Agreed, pasta sauce uses Italian spices and chili has southwestern spices
2. See #1
Well then an Chili Appreciation Society International can go to hell in a handbasket, can't they now?
This doesn't tell me what makes it chili! This is not helpful for a simple horse like myself!!
Side note, oyster crackers are for Campbell's Tomato Soup only. Onions are good, cheese is not optional, and who is bringing mustard into this transaction? Nobody. No buddy. Nobody, that's who
My only regret is that I can upvote your comment but once, based on this sentence alone.
We've reached peak TKP.
Moderator please lock this thread. Any additional comments will only serve to dilute the gloriousness of this comment.
Beans in chili?
My chili will have a can of red kidney beans and a can of black beans and that's the end of this discussion!
In SW VA, they just call that chili beans. Chili doesn't have beans in it, ask anyone from SW the rest of the USA. But of course, they also make Green Chili (with pork), but no beans allowed.
Edit: Of course, I put kidney, pinto and or black beans in my chili too, but I know it's not authentic chili and I also don't care.
Describes my mom when I was younger to a T. I used to pick at her that real chili doesn't have beans in it (I dislike beans but will eat them in chili. Go figure) and she's always respond that she wasn't making chili, she was making chili beans.
A hunting/fishing friend of mine told me he was going to his mon's for her chili beans. I asked about that and he described what most of us think of as chili. But ya know, if momma sez, it's good enough for me.
No, because chili does not have beans in it. Beans are for burritos and texas caviar.
According to the ICS, chili is "any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of beans and pasta which are strictly forbidden. No garnish is allowed."
Texas Tavern puts beans in it's chili. Are you telling me Texas Tavern is wrong??? Thems fighting words to me.
Texas Tavern can't even spell chili correctly on their menu, so clearly they don't know beans about the subject. There's also the irony that a place with "Texas" in its name puts beans in its chili.
No need for fighting, though... if you like it that way, by all means enjoy!
I've been there a few times over the years, tried their "chili" and have come to the conclusion that you 'bout have to be fighting drunk when you eat it to think it's worth fighting over. I've had better at Wendy's.
I'm gonna go take a WAG here, based on Foe-rensic level research, and say original chili was not MADE with beans, it was SERVED with beans, where some people would like to mix them together, and some would not. People who liked it better together eventually started making it together for the taste, without caring what some snobby group of Texans thought about it. Kinda like condiments in BBQ sauce.
Cincy chili (delicious) lingo:
3-way - pasta, chili, cheese
4-way - above + beans
5-way, above + onions (not delicious)
Beans and onions take away from it IMO. All are served with oyster crackers as well.
My beef is that I don't know why this is chili - so 3-way means something totally different to me. I still don't know why these Bengals fans are trying to put any of this on pasta.
Devil's triangle? That's a drinking game!

I should learn how to embed.
Fun fact: Roger is a Hokie, class of 2000 I think.
I think Alex opened himself up to a nice lawsuit from Kara.
I love when Trebek throws shade.
you are incorrect. 4-way is the option of bean OR onions. 5-way is all of the above. I prefer the 4-way.
I agree with everything you said, except I don't think chili has to have beans in it. But yes, this "Cincinnati Chili" is fake news.
You're right - beans are not a requirement. But dagnabit they're a staple.
If your sauce has beans in it, it's chili. If it doesn't have beans then it might be spaghetti sauce
It ain't "chili" unless it burns twice as bad coming out as it did going in.
Looks like spaghetti a la bolognese with a shitload of cheese on top to me...nothing special
That stuff has a really strange flavor that does not appeal to me. I'd be ok with chili on spaghetti, providing that the chili was good chili. Or even ok chili. This stuff doesn't even register as mediocre spagetti sauce.
Its probably the cinnamon.
WKRP
WKRP hit gold on like the 3rd or 4th episode.
Cincinnati may suck overall but their chili is far superior to all other chili
It's not chili. Calling it chili leads to unreasonable expectations. People would probably like it more if it was called something else... like... oh I don't know... Cincinnati Spaghetti.
Skyline is nasty. It's dry meat on top of wet noodles with weird people adding all sorts of shit to it. (Six years in Ohio) got dragged their once by my medic partner told him we ever go there again I'd leave him alone with the next baby delivery.
Been in OH for the last 16 years, and that stuff is nasty as hell. Cinnamon has no place in chili.
I will vouch for Graeter's ice cream though, as well as Melt and City BBQ.
EDIT: I have to laugh at the downvotes this is getting
Graeters is great. City BBQ is a good chain BBQ place. I also miss raising canes. And a bunch of small places in a Dayton and Columbus areas.
There's Raising Canes in Mt. P, you never got to visit them while you were in CHS? Unless it's a different Raising Canes.
I did but it was an hour and a half drive so not that often.
If you want a real chili meal, go to Hard Times in NOVA and get the Frito Chili Pie with Texas Chili, thats a real chili meal.
Their texas chili isnt chili its ground beef covered with seasoning.
I vomited in my mouth three times just to write this post.
And the best chili I ever had was at Weaver's Store in Konnarock when I was a kid. It was so chunky and thick with meat and veggies that you could eat it with a fork.
Good thing it stuck together what with all that cheese it had on it
Oooh, sounds like this is going to lead to another 'fork - spoon - spork' debate for eating chili
I'm going to guess there's only 4 or 5 of us on here that know where Konnarock is.
Knowing what I know about the water supply in Konnarock (a well with some issues), I'm just questioning if I'd eat the chili.
Soylent GreenCincinnati ChiliI don't know what that is, but it ain't fuckin chili. It might well be delicious, probably on a hotdog with some mustard, onions, and cheese, but it ain't. Fuckin. Chili.
Sorry y'all, Skyline Chili (the superior of the two major Cincinnati chili chains, the other being Gold Star) is my jam. It's delicious.
No, it's not traditional chili. It's chili mac. If you've ever been to a Steak and Shake, they have the same thing on the menu, but it's way better at Skyline.
Did some work in Middletown, Ohio once. Asked the receptionist at the hotel where I should eat. She said something about Skyline chili being something SW/W Ohio is known for. She deserved to be fired. That was the nastiest shit I've ever eaten in my life. A true disappointment, just like the rest of Ohio.
Not enough legs to give for this
Outside of the Hall of Fame, which the area it was in was not so good, the rest of Ohio is just the saddest looking state
Well, both Halls of Fame.
For a school that takes pride in a blue collar mentality, this thread seems pretty snobby about spaghetti with meat sauce and cheese on it. But maybe I stumbled on to a UVA fan site.
Because those people in ohio don't call it spaghetti to them it's chili and it's awful tasting.
no, if it was a UVA fan site, we'd be arguing about how it's positively unconscionable that sparkling whites from anywhere other than Champagne market themselves as champagne. Or maybe we'd be arguing about how there really shouldn't be a distinction between ivy league and "public ivy" because UVa is harder to get into than Harvard anyway...
It's chili, man. If it's snobbery to say you can't have chili without beans in it, then call me snooty mcsnooterson, but I believe good hardworking folks can still have standards when it comes to blue collar food like chili.
If you know beans about chili, you know chili that has no beans!
Relax dude, it's not that deep.
It was mostly in jest. I will say the comfort food thread brought up far more questionable food items than Cincinnati chili without as many strong opinions though.
That's because Cincinnati chili isn't a comfort food, unless you consider calling dinosaurs comfort
Seriously, man: there's a blue-collar mentality, and then there's having no soul. Two different things.
Can't say I've ever had it, but I'd definitely eat it whatever it's called.
Kroger sells Skyline Chili in a can. Do Not, I repeat Do Not, buy it. I love Cincinnati Chili, but this is a watery version that's nowhere as good as the restaurant version.
I was born in Erlanger, Ky, just over the river (Think CVG airport). I remember eating coney islands as a kid but moved from the area when I was 6. Forgot about them until I went back to Cincinnati for work. Borrowed a car to drive around the old town and saw Dixie Chili, the place I used to go. Got a coney island and a 4 way. I was in heaven. I've even made a homemade version for a Super Bowl party.
What is, "a phrase often heard in Vegas," Alex?
The place in Roanoke where you gotta order and say "a bowl with" is wayyyyy better than shite!!!!!
https://www.visitroanokeva.com/blog/post/10-spots-restaurants-best-chili...
Texas Tavern. Comes in a number 8 on this list. Started working in Roanoke in the summer and need some lunch places for when I "forget" to bring lunch with me. This seems like a good list to start working down.
My aunt made it one year for Christmas Eve dinner. Her version was delicious. I'd be suspicious of any other versions, though.
This is an old one, but still one of the funniest things I've ever read in an email. The Texas Chili Cook-off.
For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time the Rodeo comes to town. It takes up a major portion of the parking lot at the Astrodome. The notes are from an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast.
Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The Judge #3 called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to the Budweiser truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and besides, they told me, I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted."
Here are the scorecards from the event:
Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 -- (Frank) Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.
Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.
Judge # 2 -- A bean less chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. The Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all of the beer.
Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn off taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb. woman is starting to look HOT . . . just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?
Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off, no one has a mirror. It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!
Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.
Judge #3 -- I shit myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally. She must be kinkier than I thought. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone.
Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava-like poop to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.
Chili # 8: Tommy's Toe-Nail Curling Chili
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge # 3 passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor dude, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
this had me rolling, good stuff!
I've read the description, looked at the pictures. This appear to be EXACTLY the same thing you could get in any diner in North Carolina if you order the greek spaghetti. The only difference would be the cheese (if you wanted it) would be a melted Italian blend instead of shredded cheddar, and the beans would have to be ordered as a side if you want to dump them on the top. This may taste good, but whomever named it chili was either really stupid or did know english.
As a native Ohioan and current Cincinnati resident, I can tell you Skyline Chili is a weekly staple for most Cincinnatians. For the unrefined of you among us, this is not Chili served in a bowl, it is a delicious chili sauce. The founder is Greek so do not expect the normal underpinnings of a Texas pepper-based chili. There are roughly 8 "brands" in Cincy that have their own take on Cinicinnati Chili with Skyline being the most popular followed by Gold Star and then the neighborhood varieties like Dixie Chili mentioned above. Spaghetti 3-ways (aka 3-Way, spaghetti, chili, cheese) is the most popular dish followed by the Cheese Coney (a 4-inch hot dog with chili and chese). Beans and onions are optional and everyone has their own preference. Nobody eats a bowl of the stuff, but it can top anything. Skyline dip (cream cheese, skyline, cheddar cheese, maybe green onions and scooped with tortilla chips) is another tailgate staple. It is delicious.
I dunno man, a grandchild of one the creators went to Tech. They offered some at a tailgate. It was... different.
wait! really!?!? I wonder if I can talk him into a discount?!
Haha, maybe. Depends if you prefer Empress, Skyline, or Gold Star,
I can confirm that skyline dip is delicious. It mixes perfectly with cheese.
I think this "Hatin' on" thread is a fail. As a group...it doesn't seem Hokie fans can agree to hate Cincinatti Chili. Let's start a new thread to discuss how we hate something like...let's say a Bearcat. What the hell is a Bearcat? Do they live in Ohio? If so...how the hell did they get there? I thought they were from Asia.
Nah, real bearcats are way too cool to be hatin' on. Cincinnati just doesn't even register on my radar, though, so I can't think of anything off hand.
Anything that's called a binturong and smells like buttered popcorn can't be all that bad.
Bearcat:
Looks more like a bare cat.
Amirite?
Eeey someone got the joke!!
Now all the people that upvoted the "got the joke" post, but not the joke post, go "DOH!" *facepalm*
Ok.... I got this.
Arnold's Bar and Grill isn't that great. Worse still, you have to go to Cincinnati to even see it.
Tommy Tuberville used to coach at Cincinnati and he sucks at commentating. And he never won a bowl game at Cincinnati. Let's pile on that hate train.
Skyline Chili is the thing I miss most about living in Cincinnati. It's delicious and I will continue my crusade to convert people to the Skyline lifestyle. Gold Star is trash and should be destroyed.
I don't hate Chili Mac at all. It's the cinnamon bullshit that makes Skyline chili garbage. That and the fact they glop the sauce onto the noodles instead of finishing them together is also stupid.