What makes an icon? Take a closer look at exactly what comprises three classic Cincinnati dishes.
Illustration by Kelsey Coburn
Five-Way Chili Spaghetti
1 – No matter where you go, spaghetti is the bedrock of this quintessential Queen City meal.
2 – A generous ladleful of Cincinnati chili goes next, made with a special blend of cinnamon, cocoa, and other spices depending on your preferred chili parlor.
3 – Beans offer a hearty boost to the five-way, whether they’re kidney or black-beans-and-rice mix at Skyline, red beans at Gold Star, or red kidney beans at Empress.
4 – Diced onions add a bit of freshness.
5 – A heaping mound of shredded cheese completes any five-way, but you can go the extra mile with oyster crackers (6), fried jalapeño caps at Blue Ash Chili, or fresh chopped garlic at Dixie Chili.
Illustration by Kelsey Coburn
Zip’s Café Double Zip Burger
1 – Like many great sandwiches, it’s hard to start with anything but a fresh Klosterman bun.
2 – Zip’s uses a no-nonsense blend of local beef from Avril-Bleh Meats, with cheddar cheese melted right on.
3 – Bacon makes everything better, and that goes double for this double cheeseburger.
4 – Finish it off with all the fixin’s: fresh lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, pickles, and mayo.
5 – Top with a bun, tuck a napkin into your shirt collar, and dig in.
Illustration by Kelsey Coburn
LaRosa’s Buddy Deluxe
1 – It all starts with the crust: your choice of traditional thin, hand tossed, or deep dish pan.
2 – The family chain has used Aunt Dena’s pizza sauce recipe for nearly 70 years.
3 – Pepperoni always goes under the cheese on a LaRosa’s pie to give it more flavor from the sweet and savory sauce during the bake. Buddy LaRosa has been doing it that way since 1954.
4 – Speaking of cheese, LaRosa’s uses 40 tons of fresh provolone each week—or 1,920 tons annually. It seems like a lot until you figure LaRosa’s serves more than 7 million pizzas a year.
5 – This pie piles up some serious Italian meats with capocollo ham and sausage.
6 – Zesty banana peppers add a tangy kick to this deluxe pie.
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