SKYLINE CHILI

'Skyline Chili' is a chain of chili restaurants based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides, Skyline Chili is named for the view of Cincinnati's skyline that Lambrinides could see from his first restaurant (which has since been demolished), opened in the section of town now known as Price Hill.

Contents

History

Menu

Locations

Trivia

References

External links

See also

History

Nicholas Lambrinides immigrated to Cincinnati from Kastoria, Greece, in 1912 and brought his favorite family recipes with him. To save up the money to bring his wife to America as well, he first worked as a cook for a railroad crew and in a hotel kitchen, then opened a short-order diner. After nearly a decade, his wife was able to join him in Cincinnati and they raised five sons.
By World War II, Lambrinides was working as a chef for the original Empress Chili restaurant, where he continued to tinker with a recipe which he had been developing for years. In 1949, he and three of his sons opened their own place on Glenway Avenue, near the top of a steep hill (Price's or Price Hill); they named it Skyline Chili for its panoramic view of downtown Cincinnati. After some local resistance in the predominantly Catholic neighborhood, Skyline developed a large and devoted following – especially on Thursdays and Saturdays, which immediately preceded and followed meatless Fridays.[2]
The family opened a second restaurant in 1953 and the growth of the business accelerated in the 1960s; by the end of the century, there were 110 Skyline restaurants, mostly in Ohio, but with additional establishments in other states including Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Florida. Lambrinides died in 1962 at the age of 82, but his sons continued to operate and expand the company. They retained the original recipe unchanged, though. According to William Lambrinides, "Dad always said, 'Don't change a thing with the recipe – don't add anything, don't take out anything, it's perfect the way it is'." As a result, Skyline's version has largely become synonymous with "Cincinnati-style chili". In 1998, the company was sold to Fleet Equity Partners, a New England investment firm, which promised not to change the recipe (which they reportedly keep locked in a safe).

Menu

Skyline Chili is unique in that it is ''not'' chili con carne, the meat dish that originated in (and is the state dish of) Texas. Neither is it a Chile-based stew with beans and tomatoes such as is California-style chili. Instead, Cincinnati-style chili is a sauce usually used over spaghetti or hot dogs, containing a unique blend of spices that gives it a very distinct taste. Officially, the recipe for Skyline Chili is a well-kept family secret among Lambrinides' surviving children. However, many Skyline patrons and Cincinnatians believe that the unique taste of Skyline Chili comes from chocolate and cinnamon. The general recipe is not unique to Skyline — "Cincinnati-style" chili is sold by several chili parlors in the area including, Gold Star Chili, Empress, Dixie and other chili parlors.

Skyline's menu includes their signature dishes: cheese coneys (a hot dog topped with Skyline Chili, mustard, onions, and cheese), and 3-ways (spaghetti topped with Skyline Chili and cheese; 4-ways (choice of beans or onions added), and 5-ways (beans and onions both added). Additional menu items include burritos made with Skyline Chili, classic and Greek-style salads, french fries, and baked potatoes topped with Skyline Chili. To accommodate patrons who follow a low carbohydrate diet, Skyline has recently offered low-carb options such as a "coney bowl"—a cheese coney without the bun, and also now serves vegetarian options, using beans and rice in place of chili in many of its dishes.

Locations

Skyline Chili operates over 100 restaurants in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, and Michigan. The restaurants may be considered somewhere between "fast food" and "casual dining." Diners may sit at a booth or table and be served by a waiter, or at many locations, sit at a counter near the kitchen. Carry-out and drive-through service are also available at most locations.

Trivia

★ Their chili is also sold in cans or frozen, in grocery stores throughout much of the United States.

★ Country music performers Big & Rich mention Skyline Chili in their song "Comin' To Your City". They say-- "got a bowl of that Skyline Chili along the way".

★ Skyline commercials were known for their theme song and catch phrase, "Whenever you're feeling good and hungry. It's Skyline Time," sung to the tune of ''Twilight Time'' by The Platters

★ Although the Skyline Chili recipe is highly guarded by the company, there are many alleged versions of the recipe found online.^{[1] [2]}

★ Burritos which only contain chili and cheese are commonly referred to as "chilitos" even though this item can not be found on the menu.

References

1. http://www.recipesource.com/soups/chili/skyline1.html Recipesource.com
2. http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/18976,skyline_chili.phtml Foodgeeks.com

External links

★ Skyline Chili official Web site

See also

★ Gold Star Chili

★ Camp Washington Chili

★ Dixie Chili and Deli