I have gotten on a list through Stan Garfield to receive Steve Carter's Dive of the Month. Stan is a leading KM guy with the blog, Weekly Knowledge Management Blog. He has also given me many tips on food in the Midwest. See my restaurants picks for Michigan for example. Steve Carter is vice president of corporate sales, Carharrt. Here is the most recent one and a great example. I look forward to see what he writes about my part of the country next month.
A recent visit to an account in Southern Ohio made me think once again of one of my favorite food groups .... i.e. the humble Coney Island. The Coney, for the uninformed, is a hot dog in a bun covered with a chili styled topping and possibly cheese, onions, and mustard. All parts of the country have their local favorite. The Varsity in Atlanta has the Heavy Dog, The Sundowner at Coney Island Lunch in Johnstown, Louie's Texas Red Hots are found in the Buffalo area, Yocco's in Allenton, Ben's Chili Bowl in NW Washington D.C., Lafayette Coney in Detroit. All of these places and many more hold a special place in my heart. With that said, I must say that my all time favorite Coney is found at Skyline Chili in and around Cincinnati Ohio.
In 1949 Nicholas Lambrinides, originally from the village of Kastoria Greece, and three of his sons opened up the original Skyline in Price Hill, a suburb of Cincinnati. They perfected a sauce unlike the typical Texas chili con carne, nor is it like the typical hamburger and tomato based stew which has been labeled (unfortunately) as chili all over the United States. Skyline serves up a meat sauce which has its roots from Greece as well as a special hint of chocolate, cinnamon, and cumin. While this sauce is at home on top of a plate of spaghetti accompanied by beans, diced onions, shredded cheese and oyster crackers, the best way to partake of this concoction is on top of a Skyline dog with the chili, diced onions, mustard, and a mound of shredded cheddar cheese. A good start to a real lunch is a plate of three of these beauties with a bit of their hot sauce drizzled on top. I like to sit up at the counter where you get a view of poetry in motion as the grill guys put together coneys and chili spaghetti.
A lot has changed since Nick and the boys opened up the first shop. They now have over 100 restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Florida. The shop in Clearwater is a great stop before a Philly's spring season game. The menu now has salads, burritos, steamed potatoes (loaded with chili, cheddar cheese, onions, and red beans), and fries (with chili and cheese of course). If you ever get to the Midwest and want to see what a coney should be made like stop into a Skyline Chili. I promise you will feel right at home and for fewer than ten bucks you will totally carbed for the entire day! Skyline Chili is the only chain restaurant that I will even slow a car down for. Next month we move out of the Midwest toward the Northeast.
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