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tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption
CHAIN -- Skyline
Chili Cincinnati chili is not chili as you know it. It is not made for eating in a bowl as a standalone dish. It's a topping. It's a meaty brown beanless sauce that tastes like cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon. No, I didn't consider it a good idea either. The original chili parlor opened as a Coney dog parlor in 1922 next to the Empress Burlesque Theatre on Vine St. Greeks Tom and John Kiradjieff modified traditional Texas chili to sort of Greek it up (bay leaves, vinegar, cinnamon) and Cincinnati chili was born. The chili was sold on the dogs, then as a bowl, then on spaghetti noodles, then with other typical hot dog toppings like cheese and onions. Thus Empress Chili, Cincinnati chili, and the Chili 3-Way, 4-Way and 5-Way were born. Many employees went on to start their own chili parlors using modified recipes. Of the three big players in the Cincinnati chili game, Skyline is the one most call the best. Skyline was started by Nicholas Lambrinides in 1949. The Skyline name came from the view of the Cincinnati skyline that was visible from the original location. That skyline is the silhouette in the Skyline logo. I visited a Skyline in an Indianapolis strip mall, where the order layout was sort of cafeteria-style. Enter, grab a plate and utensils, then head down the cafeteria-style line and order. Pay at the end of the line. This is apparently NOT the norm...Every Skyline I've been to in Cincinnati has table service where you pay the cashier after eating. Newer locations also have drive-thrus. Meanwhile, back in Indianapolis...The cook behind the counter is a friendly guy who, when I ordered an actual bowl of chili, asked "Have you had our chili before?" "No." So he gave me a detailed explanation as to why that wasn't such a good idea, while at the same time marketing to me how amazing and wonderful the chili is and why. He then gave me a free sample of a 3-Way. I went with the 3-way. The woman who rang up the total also encouraged the idea that I would totally fall in love with the chili and never eat it Texas style again. Too bad I already had made up my mind otherwise with the free sample bite on that one, but hey…she tried. I was apparently not alone as a Skyline rookie in the building. Another group of out-of-towners came in and got the whole explanation on what the deal was. He also tells them if they like the chili, they can order it frozen or in cans through the website (it's also available at the Skyline restaurants as well as area grocers). He says the canned version is much better than the frozen one. This guy really has a passion for his product. That's a refreshing thing to see in a fast food concept of any kind. Most Skylines have a central prep area that's open for all to see. There's not much to do...food assembly takes seconds from items already cooked (except fries...you'll wait for those, but they'll be hot and fresh) and orders are delivered quickly. I've had full orders brought to me faster than most restaurants can manage to deliver drinks. The signature menu item is the Chili 3-Way. A Chili 3-Way is spaghetti topped with chili topped with a heaping mound of cheddar. 4-Way adds onions or beans. 5-Way adds both. The chili dogs are small...maybe double the length and width of cocktail weenies. The buns are slathered in chili sauce and heartily topped in cheese, just like you see in the ads. If you think the ads look deceptive in the amount of cheese Skyline puts on stuff, you're wrong. Skyline pretty much buries everything huge mounds of cheddar. So what else do you put it on? Skyline puts it on baked potatoes, fries, and burritos. I took some canned home and amazingly found it to be a dead-on accurate replica of the restaurant chili. It may have even been a little better. For the price (I found it ranged from under $3 to over $4 per CAN), it better be. Not only can you buy the chili these days, you can buy cans of pre-mixed chili and spaghetti. Just nuke it up and add your own cheese. Skyline also sells its own branded burritos and even shredded cheese in regional supermarkets. I got some friends together, broke out the spaghetti, chili, cheese, dogs, and buns, and introduced everybody to Cincinnati chili. Even after I warned them, they weren't expecting what they tasted and they universally decided they liked their 3-Way better with traditional chili. That was my first asessment as well. But what I've learned about Skyline chili, and Cincinnati chili in general, is that it grows on you. It won't replace a good bowl of Wolf, Steak n Shake, or Huddle House chili with me, but I did learn to love it. If I'm near a Skyline, I'm probably stopping. Click here to return to tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption |
