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| The History of Cincinnati Chili | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The first Cincinnati chili debuted in 1922, when Greek immigrant Tom Kiradfieff opened the Empress Chili Parlor next to what was then the Empress Burlesque, later named the Gaiety, downtown. He mixed up a somewhat watery chili with an unusual and secret blend of spices. The Gaiety is long gone. The downtown Empress Chili is gone too, though the chain survivies today as the city's third-largest chili chain. But Mr. Kiradjieff's secret is out of the bag. The oldest surviving Chcinnati chili parlor is Camp Washington Chili, which opened in 1940, at Hopple & Colerain not far from Cincinnati's only surviving stockyard. Another seminal moment in Cincinnati chili history came in 1949, when two other Greek immigrants, the Lambrindes brothers, opened the first Skyline Chili parlor in Price Hill. The skyline that became their logo was the Cncinnat skyline as it appeared from the Price Hill eatery in 1949. The Lambrindes brothers had the entrepreneurial verve to bring Cincinnati chili to the masses, creating what ultimately became a publicly traded corporation with more than 75 restaurants. |
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| The johnny-come lately to the fray is Gold Star Chili, which opened its first store in 1965. The franchise operation ultimately became the largest chain of Cincinnati chili parlors, with more than 90 restaurants as far away as Birmingham, Alabama, and Aurora, Colorado. Gold Star has won hearts with its foot-long Coneys and by employing such spokesmen as Pete Rose and Tony Perez. Being a spokesman for Gold Star has become something of an omen that your tenure as manager of the Cincinnati Reds will end unpleasantly. Of course, plenty of other managers have bitten the dust without getting the endorsement contracts. The writer -- and by all accounts the vast majority of right-thinking Cincinnatians -- prefer Skyline to all other chilis. Besides having the best-tasting chili, Skyline has that unmatched chili parlor ambiance. White-shirted, black-tied chili chefs stand around central steam tables preparing your order as you watch. On cold winter days and nights, the steam fogs the windows. If you can't make it to a restaurant, the next best thing is a packaged, heat-and-eat version of Skyline, Gold Star and Empress Chili in grocery stores in the area. Cincinnati chili spice mixes also are available for those who prefer to start one step closer to scratch. |
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| In recent years, Skyline restaurants have taken to offering, in addition to the chili basics, Greek salads and burritos. The latter have Skyline chili where the burrito stuff is supposed to be. Out-of-town Skyline and Gold Star parlors offer even more non-chili fare. These are meant to create what marketing folks refer to as "new usage occasions" for consumers who, unlike many Cincinnatians, don't consider chili to be a weekly necessity, like a trip to church. To purists, chili burritos and such are sacrilege. But that's life in a world where the Reds no longer have the National League opening game. One more word of advice: If you wnat to eat chili with the sophistication of a true Cincinnatian, never actually look at a menu. This labels you right off as a hayseed from New York or Chicago or somewhere. A real chili parlor is supposed to have about four things on the menu, not counting soft drinks. So who needs menus? |
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| A note from Mrs. BJ Bunny: This is just part of a series written from The Insiders' Guide to Greater Cincinnati. You can find more Cincinnati Culinary Oddities & What is Cincinnati Chili on my Index Page #1. See Index page #3 for Cincinnati Chili Recipe. Just click below. |
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