Leaving Cincinnati

This will likely be the last major announcenment on the blog. We are happy to announce we are moving to Austin, Texas at the end of the month! Alison recently accepted a job with the Austin Symphony. This means the Cincinnati Coney Quest is OFFICIALLY over. There might be some ocassional posts since the local chili parlors alert me to new promotions which we pass on to our readers. Even if there are no more posts, the blog will remain up as we still receive a decent amount of daily hits.

While we are excited for the move, we are also going to miss Cincinnati. The quest was a lot of fun. It gave a life long Cincinnatian like myself a chance to try restaurants I've missed out on, and gave a transplant like Alison a chance to explore more of the city. Of course we have ate a large amount of coneys this month since I'm pretty sure Cincinnati style chili is illegal in Texas.

Some have asked/joked if there will be a new quest blog for popular Austin foods. That, I'm not sure of, but I do plan on devouring my fair share of brisket. I will probably launch some sort of blog related to my travels in a new city.

We would like to thank all of the local chili parlors who have been great supporters of our quest. We would especially like to thank all of our readers who have enjoyed the quest and kept us motivated to try so many chili parlors. Cincinnati, we will miss you, but look forward to visiting in the future as a "tourist".

Opening Day is FREE Coney Day

Opening Day is already one of the best days on the Cincinnati calendar. Looks like Skyline Chili is going to make it an even better day. They are running an Opening Day is Free Coney Day promotion. By reading the small print, it appears you can receive a free coney with any menue purchase on Opening Day of the Reds season (April 5th).

Gold Star Veggie Way

Last week we informed you about the new Skyline Chili Greek Pasta bowl which is being featured during Lent. Now its Gold Star Chili's turn. Gold Star actually has several vegetarian chili options which more closely relate to tradition Cincinnati chili dishes than the Skyline Greek Pasta Bowl. If you are in the mood for a 3-way but can't have meat, you can have it topped with their vegetarian chili instead. This isn't a new product, but it looks like Gold Star is going to promote it more than usual during Lenten season. Dixie Chili is another local chili parlor which features vegetarian chili on their menu. If there are any other local chili parlors with similar options or specials during Lent, please let us know!

Press release below.

Gold Star Chili Invites Cincinnati-style Chili Lovers To “Veg Out”

95-Restaurant Chain Highlights Its Vegetarian Chili Menu Items For Lent &

Year-round Healthy Eating

Cincinnati, Ohio – With the Lenten season upon us, Gold Star Chili, the Flavor of Cincinnati, wants to remind chili lovers that there are two ways to enjoy a Cincinnati-style 3-Way; the regular way (spaghetti topped with chili and shredded cheddar cheese) and the veggie way. Gold Star’s veggie chili variation of the famous Cincinnati-style 3-Way, plus a full line of veggie chili menu options including: a bowl of veggie chili, veggie chili burrito, veggie chili burrito bowl and a veggie chili salad have become increasingly popular year-round items.

“More and more consumers are demanding flavorful, but meatless menu options,” says Gold Star Vice President of Marketing, Charlie Howard. “A bowl of Gold Star veggie chili is only 160 calories, loaded with vegetables, full of fiber and protein and features a spicy, uniquely Gold Star flavor similar to our regular chili. As such, our veggie chili has become the foundation of a whole new line of vegetarian variations of classic Cincinnati-style menu options.”

With a major promotional focus on vegetarian chili menu items, Gold Star hopes to expand its customer base to include those who observe a strict vegetarian diet (Gold Star veggie chili is vegetarian and vegan), those seeking healthier lifestyle choices, regular Cincinnati-style chili lovers who crave the flavor and can now enjoy an additional “guilt-free” chili occasion each week, and in the short-term, people who observe Lent.

“With our emphasis on increasing awareness of our veggie chili, we’re following the lead of many school districts and encouraging the observance of “Meatless Mondays,” says Howard. “With the caveat of observing it with a veggie chili dish at Gold Star Chili, of course.”

Gold Star Chili’s veggie chili 3-Ways and other veggie menu items will be promoted with a six-week advertising campaign utilizing television, radio, billboards, digital and social media elements, beginning February 27^th, just in time for the Lenten season.

Skyline Introduces The Greek Pasta Bowl

Today is Fat Tuesday which means Lent is upon us. Cincinnati has a large Catholic community, many chili lovers will have to go without their fix the next 6 Fridays, or might even choose give up chili for their Lenten sacrifice. Skyline has introduced a new menu item, the Greek Pasta Bowl, to bring in customers during this season. The Greek Pasta Bowl features warm, meatless pasta dish, which includes kalamata olives, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, feta cheese and Greek dressing. This menu item will be available until April 9.

If any other chili parlors are offering new menu items or specials during Lent, please let us know.

(Press Release Below)

Skyline Chili to Offer Vegetarian Greek Pasta Bowl for Lent 

CINCINNATI – Skyline Chili is offering customers a meat-free menu item during this Lenten season. The Greek Pasta Bowl is a warm, meatless pasta dish, which includes signature Skyline Chili Greek salad ingredients, including kalamata olives, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, feta cheese and Greek dressing.

“We wanted to offer our customers who forgo meat for Lent a menu item that they can still enjoy at Skyline locations,” said Sarah Lapham, director of marketing for Skyline Chili. “This dish grew from a test-and-learn with a few select franchisees, and customers really seemed to love it. We’re excited to introduce it to all regional locations this year.”

The Greek Pasta Bowl is available from Feb. 8 to April 9 at Skyline Chili locations in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton and Columbus. The dish is available in small and regular sizes.

Silver Ladle opening in March

The newest tenant of Downtown's "Restaurant Row", Silver Ladle, is planing on opening March 12th. Cincinnati style chili will be featured on the menu. One of the items will be an open face, knife and fork coney which I look forward to trying. Cincinnati.com's Polly Campbell has all the latest info: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/dining/2012/02/15/silver-ladle-to-open-downtown/

The Silver Ladle website is now live: http://silver-ladle.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&Itemid=435

Also, it looks like Silver Ladle is hiring for all positions: http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/fbh/2852752573.html

Price Hill Chili wins Best of Metromix...again

2012 is starting off well for Price Hill Chili. First we crowned their cheese coney as the best in Cincinnati. Now, they have three-peated as Best Chili Parlor in the Best of Metromix Cincinnati 2012 poll. They are also nominated in the City Beat Best of Cincinnati poll in multiple categories.

Speaking of reader polls, keep an eye out on the blog this week. We will ask our readers which chili parlor in town they think is the best.

Best of City Beat 2012

Voting is now open for the Best of City Beat 2012. Sadly, Cincinnati Coney Quest did not get nominated for Best Blog...shocking, I know. But feel free to write us in! Congrats to the Cincinnati blogs that are nominated.

Once again, there are chili categories to vote in. Apparently this year the chili categories are not limited to Cincinnati style chili. This means chili lovers of all varieties will have an options, but there are some odd nominees in my opinion.

Best Chili (Chain):

Bob Evans
Dixie Chili
Empress Chili
Frisch's
Gold Star Chili
McAlister's Deli
Panera Bread
Potbelly
Skyline Chili
Steak N' Shake
Wendy's

Best Chili (Non-Chain):

Aquarius Star & Om Cafe
Blue Ash Chili
Camp Washington
Chez Nora
Chicken on the Run
Chili Time
Delhi Chili
Dixie Chili
Empress Chili
Habbits Cafe
J and J Restaurant
Lavomatic
Main Street Cafe
Melt
Pleasant Ridge Chili
Price Hill Chili
Roxy's
Tucker's
Westside Chili
Zip's Cafe

Congrats to Dixie Chili and Empress Chili on being nominated for both Chain and Non-Chain! And congrats to the no longer existent West Side Chili for their nomination. I won't tell anyone how they should vote, but if Bob Evans or Wendy's wins I will be highly disappointed in my fellow Cincinnatians. Snark aside, congrats to those restaurants that are nominated for Best Chili, we did enjoy all the parlors we visited that are nominees.

Other nominations for chili parlors:

Skyline Chili - Best Business Lunch, Best Bang for your Buck, Best Date Restaurant, Best Late Night Eats, Best Takeout

Price Hill Chili - Best Breakfast, Best Bang for your Buck, Best Kid Friendly Restaurant, Best Late Night Eats, Best Subs/Sandwiches

Blue Jay Restaurant - Best Breakfast, Best Bang for your Buck

Blue Ash Chili - Best Bang for your Buck

Pleasant Ridge Chili - Best Bang for your Buck, Best Late Night Eats

Camp Washington Chili - Best Bang for your Buck, Best Late Night Eats

Chili Time - Best Late Night Eats

Best of Coney Quest Week

The Cincinnati Coney Quest is technically complete. We have visited 29 chili parlors/restaurants and in the past month have revisited some of our favorite parlors. This week will be "Best of Coney Quest" week, where we officially unveil our favorite places to find a cheese coney. This does not mark the end of the blog. We still have a couple of more things to complete: the Canned Chili Challenge and trying out more Cincinnati Chili recipes. We will also pass on any Cincinnati chili related news and deals.

Here is the schedule for this week:

Monday 1/23 - Unveil official rankings of Chili Parlors #5 thru #16
Tuedsay 1/24 - 4th place Parlor
Wednesday 1/25 - 3rd place Parlor
Thursday 1/26 - 2nd place Parlor
Friday 1/27 - 1st place Parlor
Saturday 1/28 - "Best of..." Category winners (e.g. Best Cheese, Best Chili, etc.)

Of course our rankings are just our opinions. If you ask 100 different Cincinnatians their opinion on the local chili parlors you will likely get a wide range of opinions. Hopefully we were able to introduce some new eateries for our readers to try, even if you do end up disagreeing with our opinion. We have had fun on this quest and have found a lot of great places to find Cincinnati chili which was the main goal.

Best of Metromix Cincinnati 2012

Awards season is upon us and Metromix is asking their readers to vote on this years Best of Metromix Cincinnati poll. Most of the categories pertain to local restaurants, bars, and other entertainment destinations. Once again there is a category for Best Chili Parlor. The same chili parlors are nominated from last year along with one new addition, Pleasant Ridge Chili. This means the two big guys in town, Gold Star and Skyline, are not represented. I stick by what I said last year, I like that the smaller parlors are getting attention. Price Hill Chili won the previous two Best of Metromix polls, will they 3-peat?

The nominees are:

Blue Ash Chili

Camp Washington Chili

Dixie Chili (Erlanger)

Empress Chili (Alexandria)

Pleasant Ridge Chili

Price Hill Chili

I would also like to note that Mr. Hanton's is up for Best Food Truck. While Mr. Hanton's technically is not a Cincinnati chili parlor, they do serve Cincinnati chili cheese coneys, along with many other amazing hot dog options.

Gold Star Hot Mett Coney returns

Last year Gold Star Chili introduced a new seasonal item to their menu, the Hot Mett Cheese Coney. This coney features a hot mettwurst topped with chili, sriracha sauce and jalapeño cheese. I did not try it when it came out last year, just looking at the pictures give me heartburn, but I heard positive reviews for it. Gold Star is bringing back the hot mett coney for a limited time again, this time its available from January 9th until February 19th. Press release below.

RETURN OF THE BURN! 

Gold Star Chili Hot Mett Cheese Coney Is Back 

Winter Heat for Spicy Food Lovers, Cincinnati-style 

 Back by popular demand and for a limited time only (through February 19) Gold Star Chili, The Flavor of Cincinnati, has added a hot and spicy new variation of the classic Cincinnati-style cheese coney to its menu…The Hot Mett Cheese Coney. The Hot Mett Cheese Coney, featuring a hot mettwurst, Gold Star’s famous Cincinnati-style chili, “Firehouse” sriracha sauce and special hot jalapeño cheese, all on a soft steamed bun, is a fusion of two Cincinnati-area traditions and one of the nation’s most popular current dining trends. The cheese coney is a classic Cincinnati-style chili parlor menu item and the use of a mettwurst instead of the traditional hot dog is a nod to Cincinnati’s German heritage. The “heat,” supplied by the spices in the mett, the special Firehouse sauce and jalapeño cheese allows Gold Star to capitalize on the ongoing trend; the increasing numbers of diners who crave new and unique, hot and spicy food.

“Our new product research shows two things,” says Gold Star Chili Vice President of Marketing & Brand Development, Charlie Howard. “Our customers retain their passion and cult-like devotion to our traditional Cincinnati-style chili menu items, yet they still desire some new menu variety. The Hot Mett Cheese Coney is the perfect synthesis of those customer desires.”

The Hot Mett Cheese Coney, like most of Gold Star’s menu items, features the sourcing of local menu ingredients. Gold Star makes all of its chili locally in the commissary at its corporate headquarters. The spicy hot mett is provided by local Bluegrass Quality Meats and the coney buns are baked locally and delivered fresh daily from Klosterman bakery. “It’s hard to get more ‘pure Cincinnati’ than a Gold Star Chili cheese coney, “observes Howard.

Gold Star’s Hot Mett Cheese Coney turns up the heat just when the weather turns colder, on the menu from January 9 – February 20, 2012. Traditional cheese coney lovers need not worry as they can always be found at the top of the Gold Star Chili menu.

SCVNGR at Skyline

With the rise of smart phones, people "checking in" everywhere they go is one of the latest trends. It appears Skyline is looking to cash in on this with their latest promotion. I spotted this on the door of the Skyline on 4th and Sycamore (sorry for the glare, it was a sunny day):

SCVNGR is a combination of check-in app and game. For those not familiar with SCVNGR, here is a good description from Wikipedia:  "By going places and doing challenges, players can earn points. They are also able to broadcast where they are and what they're up to to their friends on Facebook and Twitter. By doing challenges, players can unlock badges and real-world rewards, such as discounts or free items."  It appears if you check in to SCVNGR at Skyline, you will earn points which can help you earn free items such as cheese coneys. 

This seems like a pretty smart promotion by Skyline. If you logon Facebook or Twitter right now chances are one of your friends have checked in somewhere. I typically do my check-ins on Yelp, but next time I visit a Skyline I will have to try this out. If you want to try it out you need an iPhone or Android device, download the SCVNGR app, and search for SkylineChili. If anyone tries this let us know how it works, would especially love to know how many check-ins it takes to earn free coneys!

Final Phase of the Quest

First, we would like to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year!

Now onto some quest news. We are now entering the final phase of the Cincinnati Coney Quest. In the past 14 months we have visited 29 parlors, diners and restaurants in search of the best cheese coney in Cincinnati. There are a couple of restaurants that serve cheese coneys we were unfortunately unable to visit (mostly due to them having hours that didn't fit our schedule). Over the next month or so, we will revisit 4 of our favorite chili parlors to see if their ratings still hold up and to crown the best cheese coney in Cincinnati. When we wrap the quest up we will also have a "Best Of..." post which will give props to various parlors who excel in individual categories (e.g. Best Chili, Best Cheese, etc.). There are a couple of cans of chili left in our cupboard for us to try in our "Canned Chili Challenge". We will also still keep you up to date on the latest Cincinnati chili related news and deals. So there will still be plenty of content for the blog in 2012.

As always, thanks to everyone who reads and follows the quest!

2012 Gold Star Chili Cook-Off

Good news for those who enjoy all varieties of chili, details of the 2012 Gold Star Chili Cook-Off have been announced. The event will take place at Findlay Market on Sunday January 15, 2012 at Noon. Gold Star Chili sponsors the annual event which features 30 different chili entrants judged by the firefighters from OTR Engine 5. After judges have made their decisions the public is allowed taste all the various chilies from the competition.  We attended the 2011 cook-off and enjoyed ourselves. It's a well run event and held at one of our favorite Cincinnati landmarks.

Mr. Hanton's opens storefront

Earlier in the quest we tried the Mr. Hanton's food truck and were really impressed. It was by far the best hot dog we have tasted on the quest thus far. Apparently Mr. Hanton's business is doing very well as over the weekend they opened a store front in White Oak. According to their Facebook page, here are some of the offerings they will have:

Aside from over 30 varieties dogs/sausages we also offer Philly Cheese Steaks, Italian Beefs, Gyros shaved off the cone, Deep fried PB&J, a monster grilled cheese on Texas toast with fried mozzarella, provolone and Marinara, Flatbread Chicken breast salad, Gravy cheese fries, chili cheese fries, bacon cheese fries, sweet potato fries, Mr. Hanton fries. We will also have cheese cake and other fresh baked goodies.

Mr. Hanton's is located on 5826 Cheviot Road and their hours will be 11a.m. - 9p.m. Sunday - Thursday and 11a.m. - 3a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Everything we have tried from Mr. Hanton's has been very tasty and we look forward to visiting their new storefront. 

Coney Mania and Cincinnati Chili in Portland

The other day I came across this flyer and had to make sure to pass the info on to fellow coney lovers. If you are looking for cheese coneys for a good price, Gold Star Chili has you covered next Wednesday. On Wednesday December 7th Gold Star will have another one of their popular Coney Mania specials. 99 cent cheese coneys all day long (limit 10).

If you are in Portland and have a craving for Cincinnati Chili, you are now in luck. The Oregonian reports Sandwich Island, a lunch stop in downtown Portland, recently added Cincinnati style chili to their menu. The Oregonian reporter had positive feedback and there is a 4 star review for the chili on Yelp. Sounds like a good option for any Cincinnati transplants in the Portland area.

Blue Ash Chili "No Freaking Way" challenge

Over the weekend a couple of followers on Twitter asked if I would try the Blue Ash Chili "No Freakin' Way" challenge. My answer is simple: No Freakin' Way!!! In this challenge the customer has to finish and 8 pound 4-way. If you finish you get the usual T-shirt, spot on the Wall of Fame and a free meal. Kudos to anyone that can even come close to finishing this gargantuan meal. On the other hand, if someone creates a cheese coney challenge, I may consider it.

Close up photo of the 4-way: http://masonbuzz.com/photos/photo/6129218638/no-freakin-way-challenge.html

In other news, apparently the Darkside enjoys Gold Star Chili: http://twitpic.com/6itatn

Win Gold Star Chili for a year

The best chili is of course free chili. Here at Cincinnati Coney Quest we like to inform our readers of opportunities to acquire free chili. For those who believe Gold Star Chili is the "Taste of Cincinnati", we found a promotion you might be interested in. Gold Star is currently running a contest where one lucky Cincinnati chili lover can win free Gold Star for a year (it's really a Gold Star gift card for $350). There are also weekly prizes ($50 gift cards). You can also earn a free cheese coney for inviting friends to enter. The sweepstakes run from September 6 - September 30. Visit http://www.goldstarchili.com/winchili to enter.

Adam Richman visits Camp Washington

As most know by now, Adam Richman (of Man vs. Food fame) has been in Cincinnati since last week filming segments for a Cincinnati episode of Man vs. Food Nation. Some of the Cincinnati food institutions Adam has visited include Findlay Market, Izzy's, Senate and Tom & Chee.

Of course the big question many have did he go to a chili parlor? Of course he did! It was assumed he would visit Skyline, but the Enquirer's John Kiesewetter reports Adam visited Camp Washington Chili. Kiesewetter wonders if a food show will ever visit Gold Star or Skyline. Personally, I am happy that smaller parlors such as Camp Washington and Blue Ash have been featured on national food programs. Everyone knows about Gold Star and Skyline, its nice to see the "little" guy get the spotlight for once. Plus, Camp Washington is currently in our Top 3, so Adam made a wise decision.

Image tweeted by @AdamRichman

The Cincinnati episode of Man vs. Food Nation will air in October.

Shelf Stable Skyline thoughts and Delhi Skyline

Thoughts on the shelf-stable Skyline Original Chili

As previously mentioned, we received a box of the new shelf-stable Skyline product. The box contained 2 of the Original Chili product and 2 of the Chili Spaghetti product. This week we decided to try one of these products. We went with Original Chili, we don't really eat Cincinnati style chili in a bowl like regular chili so we decided to make some Skyline dip.

Overall it tasted pretty decent, not as good as what you would get at the parlor but good for a quick at home meal. Wine Me Dine Me also thought it was pretty good but a little too salty and messy, we agree with both points. I'd assume the high salt is necessary to make it shelf stable, but if possible it would be nice if the salt level could be decreased. The Skyline dip we created with it tasted good as well. If you try the shelf-stable version I'd recommend stirring well and letting it sit for a couple of minutes so it can be less soupy.

Delhi Skyline promotion

I know our readers love a chance to win free chili. The Skyline Chili in Delhi wants to reward their loyal customers and is giving away a $20 gift card in a new promotion. Here is the info if you are interested in entering the contest:

Where has your Delhi Skyline T-shirt been?

Show us where your Delhi Skyline t-shirt has been and receive $20 worth of Delhi Skyline gift cards. Simply take a picture wearing your Delhi Skyline T-shirt (available at 5137 Delhi Pike) against a unique backdrop, and email it to lambrinides.delhi@gmail.com along with your name photo description. In return, you’ll receive a $20 gift card and a chance to see your picture on display at the restaurant as well as on Delhi Skyline’s Facebook page. Delhi Skyline logo must be visible in the photo; t-shirts have logos on the backsides.

New Skyline Chili Grocery Product

When I was picking up the various canned chili products the other day I saw a heat and serve product from Skyline I had never seen before. It looked similar to their frozen product but was sitting on a shelf. So first I thought, uh-oh someone made a mistake. However after a closer look it was not the frozen product, but a heat and serve shelf-stable product. I hadn't looked in that aisle in a while so I wasn't sure if it was new or had been around for a while.

Apparently it is new because my contact at Skyline emailed me today to notify me of the new shelf-stable product Skyline is selling at local grocery stores. The portable new items don’t require refrigeration and can be heated/served in 90 seconds. You can store them in your pantry or even ship them to a friend who no longer live in Cincy but misses Skyline. We will sample this new product and share our thoughts. Below is the press release from Skyline.

Skyline Chili Introduces Convenient New Grocery Product

CINCINNATI –Skyline Chili officially introduced today a new shelf-stable, microwaveable addition to the Skyline line of grocery products: heat-and-serve original chili and a heat-and-serve chili with spaghetti. The portable new items:

· Do not require refrigeration, making them perfect for shipping and storing;
· Can be heated and served in 90 seconds;
· Can be found in the ready-to-eat aisle of most major supermarket retailers.

“Skyline’s frozen and canned products have been hugely successful since original frozen chili and chili with spaghetti were introduced in 1965, but we saw an opportunity to provide something new for the ‘Microwave Generation,’” said Sarah Lapham, Skyline Chili’s director of marketing. “We’re excited to offer a Skyline dining option that is storable, portable and convenient, but still retains the high-quality ingredients and taste that make Skyline Chili a hometown favorite.”

Other items in Skyline’s grocery line-up include canned chili and chili with beans, classic oyster crackers, hot sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and frozen chili, chili with beans, chili with spaghetti and burritos. According to Lapham, the new addition to Skyline’s supermarket presence has drawn overwhelmingly positive responses from local retailers.

“Shelf-stable products have seen tremendous growth over the last several years,” said Lapham. “Our grocery partners are excited for the local addition to their ready-to-eat options and eager to see how it’s received by the community.”

The new products will retail for $3.99 per serving. Customers who wish to try the new products for themselves should check Sunday’s newspaper for coupons. For more information, visit www.skylinechili.com.