Two Cheese Coneys

The first stop for many returning Cincinnatians is their favorite chili place. Ours is Skyline. Two cheese coneys, no onions, please. Cincinnati is home to a host of chili parlors, all serving a concoction very different from what most of the nation thinks of as chili. Although there are disagreements over who invented it, all the versions have a fine, almost soupy texture and include a hint of cinnamon in the mix of spices. Ideally, the hot dogs are Kahn's and the American-style cheese is shredded and piled on so generously that you can barely see what's under it. A recent foodie trend is for what is sometimes called Ugly Delicious. These messy, aromatic coneys definitely qualify. And what, you may ask, are those oyster crackers for? They are for nibbling on while you wait for the cheese to melt enough for you to be able to pick up the cheese coney, of course.