Cincinnati’s Skyline Chili: Love It or Hate It

When you hear about Cincinnati, Ohio, Skyline Chili typically comes to mind. It’s the city’s most notable dish, but it also sparks quite a bit of debate. Just ask Steve Gelbs, a reporter for the New York Mets, who had quite the experience trying this famous chili-covered Coney Dog.

Let’s put it this way: he’s definitely not on the fan list.

Watching Gelbs, I couldn’t help but see him as someone trying to muster courage, like a kid about to leap off the high diving board just to avoid being teased by friends. There was a noticeable hesitation in his bite, and, well, his reaction wasn’t great.

“I’m not trying to exaggerate,” he admitted. “I’d rather have a burrito from a vending machine. Seriously.”

Right about then, I could almost hear the people of Cincinnati sharpening their pitchforks.

I mean, I’ve got a soft spot for chili peppers myself. Back in high school, I sometimes considered being a firefighter, largely because, on TV, they seemed to spend a lot of downtime perfecting chili recipes.

I also enjoy Coney Dogs, yet I find myself unable to shake off thoughts of Skyline Chili.

There’s a shop not too far from where I live, and pretty often I think, “Maybe I should give it a try,” but I can’t help but recall being told it has a bit of a cinnamon flavor. They also mentioned something about having to eat it on spaghetti, or else… well, you might just miss out on the experience altogether.

Then there was that time my wife suggested Skyline for dinner, but it happened to be the night before a very early flight of mine.

That felt like a definite no-go. Not the best choice for a pre-flight meal, right?

So here I am, still trying to convince myself to go for that full Coney Dog (though, wow, the amount of cheese they pile on is something else). But, honestly, Gelbs’ attempt at Skyline Chili isn’t making it any easier for me to take the plunge.