Anthony Bourdain's Honest Feelings About Cincinnati's Skyline Chili

Anthony Bourdain visited scores of exotic locales and tried many unique dishes on his shows "Parts Unknown" and "No Reservations." In one particular episode of the latter series, the chef paid a visit to the considerably less exotic destination of Cleveland, Ohio, to sample Skyline Chili. With the understanding that Skyline is most specifically associated with the city of Cincinnati and not Cleveland, one may wonder what someone as intensely opinionated as Anthony Bourdain thinks about this chili variant, which is very region-specific and often polarizing. Though you might think he'd have detested it, Bourdain sang its praises, calling the dish "America on your plate."

Skyline Chili's famous chili spaghetti has a hold on some, yet it repulses others. This signature plate is described on the Skyline Chili menu as "steaming spaghetti covered with our original secret-recipe chili and topped with a mound of shredded cheddar cheese." Though the specific chili spices are kept close to the vest, Bourdain identified notes of cinnamon in what he called "a meaty, brown beanless sauce." Surely the fact that it didn't contain beans was the first aspect to impress. The thin, nearly condiment-esque chili defies most conventional expectations of what a chili should look and taste like, and pairing this with a plate of plain noodles and topping everything off with a heaping pile of freshly grated cheddar cheese will raise some eyebrows. However, it must be experienced to be fully understood and properly regarded as Bourdain did.

It's prudent to note that Anthony Bourdain's insatiable appetite for adventure was only matched by the sincerity of his passion for classic cuisine. Whereas some might turn up their nose at the type of fast food served by Skyline, Bourdain approached the chili giant with his hallmark sense of genuine curiosity to understand what makes Cincinnati chili so unique. In the episode, he reads the back of the menu and notes the story of Skyline Chili's founder, an immigrant hailing from Kastoria, Greece, who brought flavors inspired by family recipes to his new home of Cincinnati, Ohio. Bourdain hits on the quintessence of the American dream as represented by a piled-high plate of chili spaghetti.

While it's best to sample Skyline Chili straight from the source, there are some ways that you can satisfy your intrigue if a trip to Cincinnati simply isn't feasible. You can try your hand at making a classic Cincinnati chili recipe that mimics Skyline's 3-way or simply grab a pouch of Skyline Original Chili from Amazon to heat up and pour over your own plate of plain pasta. Keep an open mind and remember Bourdain's immortal words about the regional dish. "You don't ask what's in it, you don't ask how it's made," he said. "You just enjoy it."