The Cincinnati Chili Trail

Those of you that live or have visited know how delicious the Chili is here in this area is. Cheese Coneys, Chili Spaghetti, Chili Sandwich, 3-Way, 4-Way, or 5-Way we have them all here. But if you have never had the pleasure of following The Cincinnati Chili Trail, here's your guide. Enjoy and that Chili! The link to full article is at the bottom of the post.

The Cincinnati Chili Trail
A tour of treasured neighborhood chili joints is a delicious way to get to know the Queen City’s

A Cincinnati chili 4-way garnished with oyster crackers

diverse enclaves

If you’ve lived in Cincinnati for any amount of time, you’ve likely stumbled into the center of a debate between die-hard fans of Skyline and Gold Star: which local chili chain is the best? Both founded by immigrants — Skyline in 1949 by Greek transplant Nicholas Lambrinides and Gold Star in 1965 by the four Jordanian Daoud brothers — they used secret family recipes to create the city’s top feuding chili empires, spreading saucy meat and golden cheese across the Tristate.

But if partisan chili politics isn’t your thing, you can always take the road less traveled and try your tastebuds at a neighborhood parlor, which are just as steeped in tradition and their own unique recipes. Some, like iconic (and James Beard Award-winning) Camp Washington Chili or Food Network-featured Blue Ash Chili are already famous in their own right. Others? Others are more obscure and may not haven’t gotten the Guy Fieri stamp of approval, but are just as vital — and delicious — community institutions.

Starting with the godfather of chili parlors, Empress Chili, and working our way around the city from Northside to Newport, we tried to get a taste for the history and cuisine of several distinct neighborhood spots. We not only discovered the impact that Empress has had as the proverbial trunk of the local family tree of chili joints, but also that noodles slathered in meat sauce taste distinct at each destination.

We couldn’t visit every cherished chili parlor, but here are the fables and flavors behind those we did.......


* Click the link to read the full article
https://www.citybeat.com/food-drink/eats-feature/media-gallery/20995215/the-cincinnati-chili-trail