Cincinnati and Chili - two words that will are forever wedded together. This week Soapbox hears from local Chilimeister and Director of Marketing for Gold Star Chili, Charlie Howard. Whatever your preferred brand, Charlie provides insight into what makes Cincinnati with its 200 neighborhood chili parlors, Chilitown, USA.
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SoapBlog 2 - How to speak chili
Posted By: Charlie Howard
4/1/2009
Two CC, no Mo, heavy O.
Three-way, inverted and sloppy.
Phony coney.
In this town, Greater Cincinnati, Chilitown USA, we even have our own language. If you're not from around here, let me translate.
Two cc, no Mo, heavy O - Not rap lyrics but rather; two cheese coneys, no mustard, heavy onions. Three-way, inverted and sloppy - Nothing that will get you in trouble with the vice squad; spaghetti, chili and cheese with the cheese on the bottom and extra, extra chili on top. Phony coney - Not a new kind of cell phone plan; bun, chili, cheese, but hold the hot dog.
Here in Cincinnati, when someone says "cracker bomb" there's no need to duck and cover. Any local can tell you that it's a crispy oyster cracker filled with hot sauce and self-administered as a "Cincinnati appetizer" while waiting for one's chili. "Dry" isn't the weather forecast; it's a 3, 4 or 5-way served with more spaghetti, less chili. And when Cincinnati-style chili fans want the best of both worlds, they order a "Spagoney." Instead of a hot dog, load up a warm steamed bun with spaghetti, then add chili, onions and/or beans and then pile on the shredded cheddar. Natives think of it as a 4-way "traveler." Only in Cincinnati!
And along with our own lingo, Chilitown USA has its own etiquette. For example, 3-way plates are oblong, not round. That's so they can be turned to face the diner length-wise, allowing the meal to be slowly, precisely consumed front to back, cutting bite-size portions of chili, cheese and spaghetti with the fork. And never, never twirl your spaghetti onto your fork. Nothing says "outsider," "rookie" or "Clevelander" like twirling your spaghetti. Just a warning so you won't have to deal with the ridicule. Bibs are optional, but most of us prefer to go without. That's why, this being Cincinnati, the chili eater's best friend is the Tide® stick, perfect for after lunch touch-ups before heading back to the office.
So what can you say about a town that has its very own hometown dish, its own special language to converse about it and definite "rules of engagement" for its consumption. I say, "There's no place like home"…Cincinnati Ohio, Chilitown USA.