"And this Song of the Vine,
This greeting of mine,
The winds and the birds shall deliver
To the Queen of the West,
In her garlands dressed,
On the banks of the Beautiful River."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Queen City
Cincinnati was first referred to as the "Queen of the West" in an 1819 newspaper article. 35 years later, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow repeated the reference in the poem "Catawba Wine," quoted above. Thereafter, in addition to "Cincy," its most common nickname, the nickname "Queen City" has also stuck.
This is my second post about my trip to the Queen City. In my first, I shared highlights about the city's architecture, street art and parks. In this post, I am bringing you along as I get a bite of the city's most iconic foods.
Let's start here in Camp Washington, one of Cincinnati, Ohio's 52 neighborhoods.
In this neighborhood, you'll find Camp Washington Chili, a restaurant that is dedicated to one of Cincinnati's most famous foods. Cincinnati chili made its debut in 1922 when Tom and John Kiradjieff launched their restaurant, Empress Chili Parlor. Today, there are over 250 chili parlors in the Cincy area.
Cincinnati Chili
A lot of smack talking goes on in The Queen City about who serves the best, Cincinnati chili. In doing my research, I learned that Skyline Chili is by far the most ubiquitous, and some might say it is also the best tasting. I however, was most persuaded by the reviews and awards that recognize Camp Washington Chili as the best place for Cincinnati chili.
Camp Washington Chili has been open for more than 80 years (even longer than the Skyline chain). During that time, it has been recognized by James Beard as an "American Regional Classic" and named one of “The 20 Most Iconic Food Destinations Across America” by Smithsonian Magazine. In addition, it is mentioned in the New York Times best seller "1,000 Places to See Before You Die," in the show Man vs. Food, by the Travel Channel and by many others who sing its praises.
Cincinnati Chili
Before we get to what sets Camp Washington's chili apart, let me tell you a little bit about Cincinnati chili. At its root, Cincinnati chili is made with ground beef, tomato sauce and a variety of Mediterranean spices not used in other chili recipes, such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and other secret ingredients. Beans, on the other hand, are conspicuously omitted as a required ingredient.
Four Way Chili
That said, if you are a bean fan, don't fret. You can include beans in the "ways," as in 2, 3, 4 and 5-way chili. Here's how it's done:
Order the chili on its own. (Cincy natives don't suggest this.)
2-Way: Chili over spaghetti noodles.
3-Way: Chili over spaghetti noodles, topped with finely shredded cheddar cheese.
4-Way: Chili over spaghetti noodles, topped with finely shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions.
5-Way: Chili over spaghetti noodles, topped with finely shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, and beans.
Though the "ways" are numbered differently at various restaurants, the combinations remain the same.
I went with the 4-way which includes spaghetti, chili, cheese and onions, as it was one of my childhood favorites. I used to enjoy this dish from the kids menu at a restaurant called Bob's Big Boy that my mom and I used to frequent about once a month.
Bob's Big Boy was founded in Southern California, so I am not sure how this Cincinnati speciality made its way onto the menu, but I know I loved it as a kid. Sadly, of the 240 locations that once existed, less than five Bob's Big Boy restaurants remain in California today, and none is located close to me. Therefore, it was quite nostalgic to get a taste of this dish in Cincinnati. (More on Bob's Big Boy in a future Cincy post.)
Sentimentality aside, Camp Washington makes amazing Cincinnati chili. What sets this chili apart from all its competitors is leaner meat, thicker noodles, real Wisconsin cheddar cheese, spicier seasonings and they don't add chocolate. Pro tip: as you see in the video, the chili spaghetti is meant to be cut and scooped, as opposed to twirled. Since the dish is constructed in layers, this is the only sure way to get a bite of all the ingredients at once.
Goetta
Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
Our next stop is Maplewood Kitchen and Bar for some goetta (pronounced "get-UH").
Two things to start: 1) Goetta is a sausage made of ground meat, spices and steel-cut oats. The dish originated in the late 19th century with German immigrants who settled in Cincinnati and wanted to stretch their meat supply (hence the addition of oats).
2) Per locals, the best brands of goetta are Glier's and Eckerlin's. My problem was that these brands sell the product in its raw form and since I was staying in a hotel, I had no place to cook it. So, I went on a search to find the best restaurants serving goetta, which led me to Maplewood Kitchen and Bar.
Eggs, Hash Browns, Toast and Goetta
In addition to getting great breakfast and brunch reviews, Maplewood serves their goetta in the way that it is most commonly eaten, which is for breakfast alongside eggs. Once made, the goetta mixture is molded into patties of various shapes and cooked. In the photo above, the goetta is the square patty at about 2 o'clock.
I found goetta to have both the texture and flavor of oatmeal with a hint of meat essence. Let me be more direct. It tasted as if someone had cooked oatmeal in the same pan they had just finished cooking sausage in. I did not care for it much. That said, I think it is worth a try. As they say,"when in Rome," or in my case, "The Queen City."
Findlay Market
On to Findlay Market, one of the oldest, continuously operating markets in the country. Findlay Market opened in 1855 and is named after General James Findlay and his wife, Jane Irwin Findlay, who donated the land upon which it was built. The market, located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Eckerlin Meats
Eckerlin Meats, a family-owned butcher shop, which I referred to earlier as a famous purveyor of goetta, set up a shop at Findlay when the market first opened. Their store is still there to this day.
Besides their award-winning goetta, Eckerlin also sells various fresh and cured meats.
Silverglades
Silverglades market is another family business that has prospered at Findlay Market. The shop opened as a small stand at Findlay in 1922.
Three generations later, the family and the business are still going strong, selling both fresh and prepared foods to loyal customers.
You can find just about everything at one of the 40 plus stalls in Findlay Market. They have produce vendors, ...
... seafood stalls ...
... florists and more. Come to stroll and people watch, shop or get a bite to eat. It's a nice way to spend a couple hours and enjoy this historic neighborhood.
Graeter's
Graeter's Ice Cream Shop
I'll end this food journey on a sweet note with ice cream, one of the greatest (or maybe "graet"est, in this case) desserts ever. Graeter's opened in 1870 and has been making hand-crafted ice cream ever since. What makes Graeter's the greatest? If you ask them, they will tell you that they are the "last family-owned authentic small batch ice cream maker still dedicated to the French Pot Process."
The French Pot method of ice cream making incorporates almost no air when the cream and egg custard mixture is being whipped and combined to create the ice cream. Five generations of the Graeter family have been making their ice cream in 2.5 gallon batches, using this artisanal method.
The result is a very thick, creamy and indulgent ice cream. The ice cream is so thick in fact, that it won't fit through a nozzle. That means that every carton of Graeter's ice cream has to be packed individually, with a spoon, by hand.
Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Graeter's is also famous for their chocolate chips, which are made manually. First, dark chocolate bars are melted into liquid form. The liquid chocolate is then poured into the French Pot while the ice cream is being churned. The chocolate freezes and clings to the sides of the pot whereupon it is manually chipped off using a large paddle, yielding chips in a variety of shapes and sizes.
If you ask a local or Graeter's employee what the best way to experience their ice cream and chocolate chips is, they will tell you to order Graeter's signature flavor, which incorporates their famous chocolate chips, ice cream base and fresh, black raspberry puree, to create their Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip flavor of ice cream, so that is what I ordered.
I am looking forward to returning to Cincy to try more of Graeter's ice cream flavors, and for many other reasons as well. In my upcoming posts, you will find out what some of those are, and more reasons why I like The Queen City so much.
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