Skyline?
Visiting Cincy for the first time since the 75 World Series...
Our host spent the past three days talking about the Skyline Chili Retsuarants...
We went for lunch...I swooned over the taste and quality to our host but the second I was with my travel partner we pretty much agreed it was tasteless and really really ,,,not bad...just bland.
The five way is boiled spaghetti, watery flavorless chili, and a pile of shredded tasteless cheddar cheese product...the beans and onions were superfluous.
Not wanting to knock a local and loved tradition...
Is this what passes for high quality and good?
PS...the menu talks about Greek food...and the links to the past...the old country...I saw one feta salad on the menu..other than that...there is nothing greek about it.
And the server kept bringing us bowls of oyster crackers and hot sauce...I mean if you want to start a tradion...there has to be more to it than that.
I had a carbo down for about three hours after this meal...
By jms123
on Sep 29, 2011 07:55 AM
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i went to college near cincinnati and came to love cinci chili. now that i'm out here in new england, i make my own using the recipe from joy of cooking. it is wonderful and much better than skyline (although i would eat skyline in a pinch).
but you should really try the JOC recipe. i make a double batch at least once a year.
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where in New England...?
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Cincinnati chili is based on Greek food. If you look at a recipe for pasticcio it calls for seasoning the meat with cinnamon which is the common element of Cincy chili. I'm not sure any Cincy chili fan considers it "high quality". It falls more into the category of drunk food or unique fast food. But just like you can get a crappy Cheesesteak in Philly (especially ANY steak sandwich with Whiz) the quality of Cincy chili varies.
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I decided to eat at Gold Star at the airport last night and the chili I got was about 1000 times better than Skylione.
Knowing that they donlt intentionally make bad food...I am going to assume that what i had for lunch at Skyline wsas either mis prepared or no one stirred it up...it was watery.
You will find many chili offerings prepared with cinnamon and cloves...two examples here in the east are...
Capital Lunch in New Britain CT...almost chocolate in color...very strong clove falvor
'
Yaccos'...several locations in Allentown PA..not as heavy but tempered with garlic...you taste the cloves for at klease a day every couple of minutes.
Are there any independents that do a better job...I would think someone has tagen this genre and expoanded on it to make it really exceptional..suggestions...?
Having a job that requires frequent vists to the city of brotherly love...I have to say that most of the natives there look at cheese whiz as you put it..(it's really canned cheese sauce...not...I am sure you know this... the aerosol stuff in a can...) as a very legitimate addition to a cheese steak...the debate of onions with or without seems to drive more debate...while I stop at Pats and geno's ..because I like the neighborhood (someone should tell Boston to gto to Philly to see what true Italian neighbiorhood is..North end is downright lame)...I also dig out local favirites like Delesandros and leo's...I have yet to have a really bad one...
Go yankees
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Gold Star
219 S Winemiller, Batavia, OH 45103
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The best Cincy chili comes from either Blue Ash Chili (2 locations) or Camp Washington. They're both independents and not chains.
I grew up near Valley Forge. The best cheesesteak evah was served at Amadeo's in King of Prussia. Sadly it was no longer in operation the last time I was in town.
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Blue Ash Chili Restaurant
4200 Aero Dr Ste E, Mason, OH 45040
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