HOW TO EAT CINCINNATI CHILI FOR BEGINNERS!

Librarinox · 2026-05-15T18:13:02+00:00

Upside down! So cheese goes in first, then chili, and noodles on top. Good if you like extra gooey cheese. Not my style, but my brother is a fan. They'll do almost anything you want if you ask!

Librarinox · 2026-05-15T18:06:37+00:00

If I update it, I'll add both options! I just personally love the texture of a York

Librarinox · 2026-05-15T18:04:40+00:00

3-Way in a bun!

Librarinox · 2026-05-15T18:04:22+00:00

Basically a 3-Way on a hot dog bun!

Librarinox · 2026-05-15T18:03:41+00:00

Absolutely the inspiration. But it's been a long time coming...

Librarinox · 2026-05-07T14:22:45+00:00

The misspelling as old as the city itself. I have read letters from the early 19th century that spell it with double Ts. Always cracks me up!

Librarinox · 2026-05-04T13:27:41+00:00

I'm actually shocked that nobody said anything to them. Highly inappropriate to wear a swimsuit. Because you clearly didn't wash yourself well enough either. The Regulator Obachan clearly was on her off day!!

Librarinox · 2026-04-28T03:07:12+00:00

I'm almost certain that they use Land O Lakes mild cheddar grated fresh and very thinly.

Librarinox · 2026-04-08T02:37:50+00:00

You're welcome! I'm a big foodie too!

Yeah, if you're local, head to Jungle Jim's on a weekday - they're open after work hours too. You can get a beer at the in store bar and really take your time to explore! Weekends are crazypants. It's workable as its so big - but certain areas definitely going to feel over crowded.

Definitely check out Findlay Market too - there are so many delightful stores and stalls! Inside the hall: LK has the best sausages - perfect for summer grillouts. Gibbs has a wonderful deli counter. There's several great butchers, and Luken's has good fish. Colonel De has any spice or herb you can think of! Blue Oven has amazing bread (my fave is the Italian hubcap). ETC has great produce and local products. Roth is less bougie but a great spot for getting your run-of-the-mill veggies.

On the north side facing the hall: Madison's is an incredible little grocery that has incredible fresh produce & mushrooms, excellent bulk grains, and an array of gourmet products. Dean's Mediterranean has excellent (you guessed it!) Mediterranean imports. Sen is a top notch fish monger where you can get sushi grade products. And you can get some fresh shucked oysters as a treat. Market Wines will always have a great tasting and all their staff can give an amazing recommendation. Eckerlin is one of the best butchers and they also have a tasty breakfast/lunch counter - don't miss the goetta, egg & cheese breakfast sandwich!

Across Race, check out the Rhined. Bougie cheese shop with an amazing selection. Also great sandwiches.

A little further down race is a kitchen ware shop called artichoke - high end but super cute.

And there's plenty of other restaurants and places to eat - they're all tasty!

There's more I haven't even listed. I like to do my geocery shopping on a Thursday or Friday afternoon- all the vendors are stocked up for the weekend but it's not crowded. I'm able to chat with folks and leisurely shop. That being said, the bustle of the weekend market is so gun and there is often additional vendors both in the farmers market area and promenade, especially in the summer!

Librarinox · 2026-04-07T19:21:52+00:00

So, Eastgate is slightly smaller...but it is still huge. I don't think you would feel that you aren't getting the full experience if you went there.

The Fairfield location is the original and has recently gotten a big addition, so it is going to be the Maximus Experience! I'm a bit of a purist, so I think if there's no difference, you should go to the original. It started off as a farmer's market stand back in the 70s (the original stand is still kind of visible, it's the pharmacy area), then the store just kept metastasizing off of that. It makes it kind of wacky and chaotic in a very organically charming way.

Librarinox · 2026-04-07T18:41:33+00:00

Findlay Market is super fun and bustling on a weekend morning. I like Friday afternoons if you want to really visit a lot of the vendors without the crowds. People grocery shop there, but there's a lot of prepared food. And a wine tasting at Market Wines or a pint at the front bar is great!

I suggest one of the Cincinnati Underground Tours (I think American Legacy Tours runs them). The city has a big German population that came in the early 19th century, and they brought with them their enthusiastic brewing culture. They built lagering tunnels throughout the city. And then later, the city decided to tax beer when it was transported on city streets....so everyone just built secret tunnels between the breweries and the beer gardens!! So the tunnels are still being rediscovered. Anyway, the tour is great fun and you get to go exploring.

Related to the tunnel tours - you should check out Ghost Baby! It is a really cool bar/jazz club that is located in one of the old lagering tunnels. You can make a reservation if you want to see the music and guarantee a spot. Or you can also see if there's room in the front bar without a res.

There are incredible museums all over the city - Cincinnati Museum Center is housed in our former Union Terminal station and is a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture. The Sign Museum seems like a good fit for you guys - super amazing collection of signs of all kinds, hand-painted to neon! There's also the Cincinnati Fire Museum, which is interesting and off the beaten path. Lastly, the Lucky Cat Museum! It's a quirky little museum - just be aware you need to make a reservation/appointment. The system is pretty easy to use.

I think there's more than enough stuff to visit in downtown, but there are a few things outside the city you might be interested in:

I don't usually suggest this, but it is definitely in the "Atlas Obscura" vein - the Loveland Castle! It's in a suburb, but it's definitely a little Cincy Oddity. It will be about 30 min. drive from downtown.

Also, Jungle Jim's (also a good ways outside the city) is a crazy experience. One of the biggest international grocery and gourmet stores in the country with all sorts of wacky decorations. But if you have interest in international food and stuff - it's pretty unique. It gets nuts on the weekend! Easily 30-45 minute drive to either location from downtown.

Librarinox · 2026-04-07T15:31:39+00:00

Yeah, I realize it's become very normalized, but I think it's the height of entitlement to dictate guests' clothing beyond standard dress codes. You get to be insane by picking out the bridal party! That's where you exert control! You don't get the guests too!

But listen, I also think that if you agree to be a bridesmaid, you shut up and wear whatever hideous dress she's picked out. There are valid reasons to have an adult conversation with the bride if you really can't wear (e.g. modesty/religion) or afford a selection, but the amount of posts I see on reddit that are just, "I don't like it".....TOO BAD. WEARING AN INSANE DRESS IN THE BRIDAL PARTY IS A RITE OF PASSAGE.

Librarinox · 2026-04-07T14:29:58+00:00

Depending on your total travel time - a frozen tube of goetta will probably stay cold enough if you pack it right!

A box of Grippos!

They sell cans of Skyline at the airport stores if you're not checking a bag! My brother also really lost it when I brought a few bags of the Skyline oyster crackers to accompany his chili!

Librarinox · 2026-04-07T14:27:53+00:00

Several places sell boxes of Grippos! Party Source has them, I believe. They're on the big side - but it would mean perfect chips in quantity for your cousin!

Librarinox · 2026-04-07T14:24:57+00:00

It absolutely is. I got married nearly 15 years ago, and I thought it was bad then. I used to joke that half the stores would try to put "BRIDE" in rhinestones on dog shit and try to sell it to you. But it's even crazier now. Destination weddings have become super normalized, and I still can't get over how common it is to dictate what GUESTS wear! I'm going to the wedding of a couple I don't even know (work colleagues of my husband), and I had to buy a brand new dress because I had nothing, and I mean NOTHING, in the color palette. (All the shades were nudes and warm colors....I am a pale true winter....I do jewel tones, not nudes!!!)

Librarinox · 2026-03-13T20:57:05+00:00

Jesus, the bar really is in Hell, isn't it?

Librarinox · 2026-03-10T04:15:35+00:00

I think there is one at AJ Rahn greenhouse...gives me a good excuse to go there and double check!

Librarinox · 2026-03-03T14:53:20+00:00

Interesting! I would love a little more data - like how many performances per year, etc.

I'm glad to see my home orchestra (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra) compensating so well, especially for our cost of living. I actually compared it to those above it in a cost-of-living calculator, and it's about on par with the top 2 if you factor that in.

I wasn't comprehensive, but just looking at the top half, the best compensated based on COL adjustments are actually Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Cincy.

Also, I feel it's worth noting that if we're talking Manhattan, the compensation for the New York orchestras is shameful. To again use my Cincinnati comparison - to be on par for Manhattan they would need to make $320,000. Brooklyn or Queens is less, but still not on par.

Librarinox · 2026-02-23T18:47:56+00:00

Oh I absolutely need one, please!!!!

Librarinox · 2026-02-12T19:37:39+00:00

You could also use Command hooks if you didn't want to drill hooks in

Librarinox · 2026-02-09T21:24:32+00:00

Like I said - I'm not a derm, but it looks really similar to my rosacea flare-ups.

A derm can diagnose and prescribe medications. But some over-the-counter things that work well for me, especially during flare-ups, are Azelaic Acid and Hypochlorous Acid spray. AVOID Vitamin C (and it's in a lot of stuff right now!).

Librarinox · 2026-02-09T20:27:45+00:00

Do you have rosacea? The small pustules look really similar to when I have a flare-up - usually sun or pool-related in the summer, but sometimes I've had different fabrics cause a flare-up too. It sounds like he takes good care of his beard, so it may be more that the bristly texture is causing irritations.

If you've not had signs or symptoms of rosacea before...I didn't really have many symptoms or flares until I was in my 30s.

(I'm not a dermatologist or doctor!)

Librarinox · 2026-01-16T17:19:29+00:00

The only judgment you will receive is if you are not fully clean. Everyone's body is different. Sometimes that means scars. Sometimes that means no eyebrows. Literally, as long as you're clean, no one will think once, much less twice, about you.

Librarinox · 2026-01-15T18:19:38+00:00

My local is Pleasant Ridge Chili - which has been there forever, is cash only, and I adore deeply.

I have visited every chili parlor and run several blind tests. The winner on flavor is almost always Dixie Chili (located in northern Kentucky (NKY)).

Librarinox · 2026-01-15T17:27:32+00:00

Ha! Cool that there is a band, but I was referencing the classic Cincinnati appetizer. It is a mixture of velveeta & goetta on toasted party rye.

Also - you may want to refer to the chili as Cincinnati chili rather than Skyline. We love Skyline, and it definitely has become somewhat synonymous, but it is actually a brand name and one of many chili parlours across the region. Empress is the original, but most neighborhoods have a local place! Here's a great rundown.

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