F-O-O-D in Cincinnati
by Gremotraveler

Everyone who grew up in the 70s and 80s recalls the terrible and tragic AmericanThanksgiving Day when turkeys fell from the heavens onto the innocent shoppers of Cincinnati. I for one still recall the chilling words of Les Nessman as he described the scene, echoing Herbert Morrison's reporting of the Hindenburg disaster. To this day, the famous scene from the multi-Emmy nominated series WKRP in Cincinnati still makes me smile. But how many people know the real Cincinnati? The city where Jennifer, Les, Andy, The Big Guy, Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap called home.

Located in Southwestern Ohio on the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, Cincinnati is one of the first true interior settlements of America. In the early days, it rivalled Chicago as the gateway to Western America and became a major settlement for Polish, Italian, and German immigrants. These early settlers helped to make the city a boomtown in the early nineteenth century and laid the groundwork for some of the distinctive cuisine Cincinnati is famous for today.

Downtown is a testament to the history of this city. While many of the residents have left for the suburbs, the downtown area is still home to some fabulous architectural gems. One such gem is probably the best choice for accommodations in the city, The Cincinnatian Hotel. Built in 1882, The Cincinnatian was designed as a “Grand Hotel” of the 19th century. Originally named the Palace Hotel, this eight-story French Second Empire building was the tallest in Cincinnati. It was designed by the same architect as Cincinnati’s Music Hall and City Hall. In 1987, it was saved from the wrecking ball with a $25-million renovation which completely reformed the interior of the hotel while preserving the original lobby and exterior architecture. Today, it is considered one of America’s leading historic hotels and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The hotel’s restaurant, The Palace, has won the Mobil 4 star award for 18 consecutive years and is considered one of the top restaurants in the mid-west. Executive Chef Romuald Jung hails from Alsace-Lorraine, a region with some of the deepest cultural and culinary traditions in Europe. His background is an excellent pairing to the many Cincinnati residents of German extraction, a reason why The Palace is a popular dining spot not just for guests, but for locals as well.

The hotel is a great location to take in the city’s annual Taste of Cincinnati festival. Each May, over 500,000 Cincinnatians pile into downtown to taste the varied dishes of the city from the famous chilli to gourmet fare. Started in 1979, it is now the nation's longest running culinary arts festival and one of the most attended.

To really enjoy the city, you need to head out to one of the seven hills of Cincinnati, each home to a unique neighbourhood and originally considered separate townships. Each of the seven hills have their own unique characteristics and wonders. Mount Adams, located to the east of downtown, is a mecca for the 21+ age group for its assortment of bars and restaurants. Locals refer to the area as "the Hill" and is best reserved for evenings when you want to mix with Cincinnatians over some good local craft beer. On the opposite side of downtown is Price Hill, the birthplace of the city’s famous Skyline Chili. 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 high atop Price Hill, which has since been demolished.

In 1912, Nicholas Lambrinides immigrated to Cincinnati from Kastoria, Greece, 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, eventually opening a short-order diner on Glenway Avenue. Skyline Chili is unique in that it is not chili con carne, the meat dish that originated in Texas, or the 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. It does not have any heat to it, despite the name. Rather, it is more aromatic and understated. You can taste the Greek influence in the spices: oregano. The general recipe is not unique to Skyline as "Cincinnati-style" chili is sold by several chili parlors (that’s right: parlors) in the area including Empress, Dixie, Gold Star Chili, Camp Washington and others. And what is the signature Cincinnati-style chili dish? A mound of spaghetti covered in chilli with a topping of shredded cheddar cheese of course. While it will not win any gourmet awards, it is a once in a lifetime food event and like food should be, something the locals are very proud of.

After your chilli, it is time to burn off some weight and head to another member of the seven hills, Hyde Park. Located northeast of downtown, the centre of this community has a lovely town square and one of the city’s best kept secrets, Graeter’s Ice Cream. In the mid 1800s, the Graeter family emigrated from Bavaria eventually settling in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a teenager, Louis Charles Graeter began making ice cream in a market at the base of Sycamore Hill. Before mechanized freezers, ice cream was a rare treat, and had to be made in very small batches using rock salt and ice to freeze the cream. His ice cream was a huge success and the business started to grow. Upon his sudden death in 1919, his wife Regina took over the business and became one of the first female entrepreneurs in the city. Over the next three decades she would help to make the name Graeter’s synonymous with ice cream in Cincinnati. Today, the Graeter family still operates over a dozen ice cream parlors in Cincinnati, including the Hyde Park store that Regina opened in 1922.

Graeter's ice cream is made using the French pot process and is the only such ice cream parlor to use the process to this day. The ice cream mix is placed into a chilled, spinning French pot. As the liquid freezes, a worker scrapes down the sides of the pot with a blade. For flavors that include chocolate chips, liquid chocolate is poured into the pot, and freezes into a thin shell on top of the ice cream. A worker uses a blade to break up this shell and mix it into the ice cream, resulting in Graeter's' famous huge dark chocolate chunks. Their signature flavour and certainly one of the most popular amongst fans across America is the Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. This is the ice cream you ask for with your lobster dinner on death row – it is that good!

As the sun sets, a stroll around Hyde Park with your French Pot Ice Cream is a great end to the day. If you have the privilege of visiting in warm weather, you can grab your ice cream, find a park bench, and watch happy families stroll the square as their kids fight over who has more chocolate chips in their scoop.

The Gremotraveller is a Toronto-based businessman who frequently flies and has lots of time in between meetings.