Cincinnati Chili

Russ Jackson


You can get it right at the restaurant, Juncle Jims, or online @ http://www.dixiechili.com/. I am not sure but I think Kroger carries it also. If you called Dixie they will know...Russ

I finally found it at the Meijer's and Kroger's at Eastgate...I just had it with a Sabrett's  hotdog on a toasted bun with sharp shredded  cheddar and fried onion..it was wonderful ..their chili is much better than Skyline or Gold Star.  Gonna have it over thin spaghetti tonight again with sharp shredded  cheddar and fried onions.

wallyford

I am a newbie here, but I love this thread.  It is about as entertaining as any.

Unfortunately, it should be called Cincinnati "chili" because whatever you wanna call it, that stuff they serve is not what most people think of as chili.  Now, I am not really a chili snob, in fact, I am sure that there is some of that stuff that may not be that bad, but my experience has told me otherwise.  I must say I recall a program on the Food Network where they showed someone from a famous Cincinnati establishment making that stuff.  Once they BOILED THE MEAT I couldn't watch it anymore. 

I have eaten the "chili" in Cincinnati and it reminded me of what the Henry Hill character says near the end of Goodfellas (I'll paraphrase so interpret the quotes loosely) "I ordered spaghetti with marinara and I got egg noodles and ketchup."  I think that sums it up

Finally, for anyone who thinks that stuff is "chili" I cannot picture you objecting to someone adding celery or anything else to it.  That's rather like the guy who painted a mustache on the Mona Lisa complaining when someone added a beard!

Cheers,
Wally

Well, its interesting to see that in one of your very first posts (I see you have two so far as I write this) you choose to express intolerance for a regional food on this, a website dedicated to celebrating regional foods.  You're off to a great start.

As far as who calls this chili?  let's start with the entire population of Cincinnati and the surrounding areas.  I dont have numbers, but would guess in the low single digit millions.    Then we'll add the Sterns and the roadfood team, ok?   If you dont know who they are - and this would not surprise anyone given your post - may I suggest you read the following?  http://www.roadfood.com/FAQ/WhatIsRoadfood.aspx
http://www.roadfood.com/F...oadfoodTeam.aspx 

You dont like the chili - no problem.  Not every regional cuisine suits everyone's tastes. 

You think we should change it and add celery?  Nah.  Sory.  You might as well suggest that all Chicago hotdogs should get catsup in place of the neon green relish.   It simply isn't the way the dish is done.  Not that I would expect you to even try to understand

My favorite line from your post is

wallyford

I am not really a chili snob

given that your post defines you as just exactly that.

So - given your intolerance for a regional food, can you tell me why you are even here, participating in a website that is all about celebrating regional foods? 

wallyford


I am a newbie here, but I love this thread.  It is about as entertaining as any.

Unfortunately, it should be called Cincinnati "chili" because whatever you wanna call it, that stuff they serve is not what most people think of as chili.  Now, I am not really a chili snob, in fact, I am sure that there is some of that stuff that may not be that bad, but my experience has told me otherwise.  I must say I recall a program on the Food Network where they showed someone from a famous Cincinnati establishment making that stuff.  Once they BOILED THE MEAT I couldn't watch it anymore. 

I have eaten the "chili" in Cincinnati and it reminded me of what the Henry Hill character says near the end of Goodfellas (I'll paraphrase so interpret the quotes loosely) "I ordered spaghetti with marinara and I got egg noodles and ketchup."  I think that sums it up

Finally, for anyone who thinks that stuff is "chili" I cannot picture you objecting to someone adding celery or anything else to it.  That's rather like the guy who painted a mustache on the Mona Lisa complaining when someone added a beard!

Cheers,
Wally

I aggree with you to a point. Skyline and Gold Star just don't do it for me. In a can even worse. But please remember these are regional things that people grew up on. I have grown to love Camp Washington, Dixie Chili, and Blue Ash. I also love Goetta a Cincy thing as well. Personally I can't stand Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs or that stuff they call chili. I mean I cannot stand there Chili! Not big on a Dirty Water Dog. And when it comes to Texas Red Sauce some is wonderful while others are plain horrible. Give it a fair try at the right places and you may change your mind. I on occasion love a good three way. Cincy Chili is a true regional thing I have never found it in any other state...Russ

NYPIzzaNut

Russ Jackson


You can get it right at the restaurant, Juncle Jims, or online @ http://www.dixiechili.com/. I am not sure but I think Kroger carries it also. If you called Dixie they will know...Russ

I finally found it at the Meijer's and Kroger's at Eastgate...I just had it with a Sabrett's  hotdog on a toasted bun with sharp shredded  cheddar and fried onion..it was wonderful ..their chili is much better than Skyline or Gold Star.  Gonna have it over thin spaghetti tonight again with sharp shredded  cheddar and fried onions.

We just finished our supper - Dixie Chili is a superb product and we will be using it regularly when when we haven't made our home-made chili.  What a fantastic flavor.

Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.
 
Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

Sorry Mr Hoffman.

I disagree with you.

The Sterns disagree with you

Millions of happy chili fans disagree with you

It is a regional variation not dissimilar to all the variations of barbeque and pizza.

You are simply wrong. 

Period.

TJ Jackson


Period.

Golly. I'm sorry. Have you tried Midol?

Michael Hoffman


Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.
 
Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

You need red wine for Greek meat sauce.

NYPIzzaNut

Michael Hoffman


Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.

Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

You need red wine for Greek meat sauce.

I see. Have you ever mentioned this to the Greeks? I'm sure they'd find it fascinating.

They know about it.

The red wine should be dry, preferably.

Wine in Greek meat sauce?  I never have made any Greek meat sauce and  put wine in it.  Two great Greek ladies from New Hampshire taught me how to make it.   Thinking that they might be "oddballs"  I took my Greek cookbook off  the shelf  and find  5 Greek meat sauce recices in it.  Not one  lists wine as an ingredient.

Heck, they do not even list  Ouzo as an ingedient!

It's OK, Greymo, some folks dont let little things like facts get in the way of stating their opinion

Greymo


Wine in Greek meat sauce?  I never have made any Greek meat sauce and  put wine in it.  Two great Greek ladies from New Hampshire taught me how to make it.   Thinking that they might be "oddballs"  I took my Greek cookbook off  the shelf  and find  5 Greek meat sauce recices in it.  Not one  lists wine as an ingredient.

Heck, they do not even list  Ouzo as an ingedient!

http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Saltsa%20kima%20(greek%20meat%20sauce)

http://www.recipezaar.com/Greek-Meat-Sauce-Kima-175478

Michael Hoffman


Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.
 
Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

Actually that is absurd nonsense. Whether you like it or not is not the issue. Since milllions of people call it chili it is chili of course.  Its you who needs to get over it. Now you can write a nasty reply.  Go for it. What nonsense.

smokestack lightning

Michael Hoffman


Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.

Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

Actually that is absurd nonsense. Whether you like it or not is not the issue. Since milllions of people call it chili it is chili of course.  Its you who needs to get over it. Now you can write a nasty reply.  Go for it. What nonsense.

Ah, the smokestacker attacker again. As a matter of fact I do like it. I went out and got some for dinner a couple of nights ago. But it still isn't chili. Millions of people call a particular sauce made with cream Alfredo sauce, but it isn't Alfredo sauce at all because that sauce doesn't contain any cream.
 
Your turn.

smokestack lightning

Actually that is absurd nonsense. Whether you like it or not is not the issue. Since milllions of people call it chili it is chili of course.... 

Always answer a question with a question. Since millions of people call root beer by the name root beer, does that make it beer? 

Or, would calling root beer a kind of beer be the absurd nonsense?

dahl

It's still a misnomer.  Just as Root Beer is a misnomer.  Of course it's not beer!  Therefore logic dictates the same with Cincinnati Chili...it's not chili.
The problem lies with whoever started calling it chili in the first place.  They were wrong, and the error lives on.
A coconut is not a nut but a seed, so many things have been misnamed over the years.  Cincinnati Chili is another one.

forget all the other terms

focus on this one

     regional

do any of you alleged roadfooders understand this particular term?

based on what I am reading here, I have rather strong doubts, despite the simplicity of the term and the fact that it lies at the heart of what this website is about

TJ Jackson


forget all the other terms

focus on this one

    regional

do any of you alleged roadfooders understand this particular term?

based on what I am reading here, I have rather strong doubts, despite the simplicity of the term and the fact that it lies at the heart of what this website is about

Testy, testy, testy.

Michael Hoffman


Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.
 
Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

Nonsense Michael. If Jane Stern, Michael Stern, and Calvin Trillin are OK with calling it chili, then it's chili.
 
I really think what's happening here is that some people are jealous that we have a well-regarded regional specialty in Cincinnati.

TJ Jackson


forget all the other terms

focus on this one

    regional

do any of you alleged roadfooders understand this particular term?

based on what I am reading here, I have rather strong doubts, despite the simplicity of the term and the fact that it lies at the heart of what this website is about

I'd have to agree. By this anti-Cincinnati-chili argument, then Cheesesteaks are not cheesesteaks at all, but Cheesehackedbeef."German" potato salad isn't potato salad at all, but a hot dish of potatoes with a non-mayo dressing, and everybody knows potato salad is cold and made with mayo and sometimes mustard. Fish tacos aren't tacos at all, because everybody knows real tacos are made with beef or pork. Cajun barbecued shrimp is actually Cajun sauted and broiled with butter and seasonings shrimp.
 
And Alabama barbecue isn't barbecue because good god, it's made with mayo. Maybe it's potato-saladed meat.

jmckee

Michael Hoffman


Oh, come on. Intolerance for regional food my left foot. No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili. It's a misnomer applied to a sauce in order not to scare the locals away because it was something foregin to the good burghers of Porkopolis.
 
Get over it. It's a Greek meat sauce.

Nonsense Michael. If Jane Stern, Michael Stern, and Calvin Trillin are OK with calling it chili, then it's chili.
 
I really think what's happening here is that some people are jealous that we have a well-regarded regional specialty in Cincinnati.

First of all, I call it Cincinnati chili. That said, I know it is not chili. It is just the name given it by the Greeks, who began selling their meat sauce at Coney Island in Cincinnati, because they figured -- probably correctly -- that the people of Porkopolis would accept that name because it was, No. 1, not threatening and, 2, familiar.
 
And then there's No. 3. No 3 probably is that they figured locals were dumb enough -- at that time -- to just accept it.
 
Of course up here in Columbus we have a well-regarded regional specialty, too. Perhaps you've heard of Johnny Marzetti.

Michael Hoffman

First of all, I call it Cincinnati chili.

Really?

Let's examine the evidence

Michael Hoffman

No matter how many times you insist, TJ, it's not chili.

Michael Hoffman

It's a Greek meat sauce.

okie dokie, I think that's cleared up

I think you need to make up your mind.  Is it chili, or isn't it -- and if you decide it isn't, a second decision......do you need to repeatedly share your insistence on this issue in writing in these forums, knowing that it will inevitably lead to a "discussion" much like the one going on now. 

    "Yawn"