What Anthony Bourdain Really Thought About Ohio's Chili

The late, great chef, author, and TV host, Anthony Bourdain, was dedicated to eating his way through the world. From New York to Tokyo, Singapore, and beyond, Bourdain dined in some of the best and most unique food cities on his shows "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown." But Bourdain certainly wasn't one to exclude regional American dishes or locations, and that's how he made his way to Ohio in 2007 to try, among other things, their iconic Skyline chili, named for the chain restaurant that serves a version of this Mediterranean-inspired dish. And, let's just say, he had his fair share of opinions.

If you're not familiar with one of the Midwest's most famous concoctions, often called "Cincinnati Chili," it's a mess of ground beef chili poured over a plate of spaghetti, topped with a boatload of cheddar cheese. Skyline's version was created by Nicholas Lambrinides in 1949 after immigrating to Cincinnati from Greece. The overflowing bowl of chili is typically served with a side of oyster crackers and plenty of their homemade hot sauce to add to your liking. Flavor-wise, it's unique for its use of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon in the sauce, leaving it to taste nothing like your run of the mill ground beef chili. Per Bourdain on a 2007 episode of "No Reservations," he wanted to try "Ohio's most recognizable, gastronomic innovations" for himself.

When Bourdain meets his old friend and fellow cook, Michael Ruhlman — a native Clevelander — outside of a Skyline Chili restaurant, he introduces the dish by calling it a "mutant hybrid, a topping gone wild, a meaty brown beanless sauce that tastes of cinnamon," (via Cincinnati.com). Okay, not a strong start for this down-home favorite, but Bourdain's reaction to the mix of ingredients and taste might surprise you. Observing the table full of items with influences from all over the world — oyster crackers from New England, southern sweet tea, spaghetti from Italy — he declares, "This is America on your plate."

After ordering up the chili, Bourdain slurps down a heaping helping and exclaims, "If you don't like this, you're just not drinking enough." Meanwhile, Ruhlman took a far more elitist attitude toward the messy mixture of textures and flavors, asking, "Why is it so brown?" Later, in an interview with Cleveland Magazine, Ruhlman states, "I don't dismiss the place just because it's a chain serving mass-produced food. I dismiss it because I ate the chili." 

Meanwhile, Bourdain actually seemed to be enjoying Ohio's signature dish. Bite after bite, he really seemed to understand what Ohioans love so much about Skyline chili — it's a reliable, warm, blend of spices and flavors that isn't something to run from just because it's not the fanciest fare. But, he wouldn't be Anthony Bourdain without his signature snark, telling Skyline newbies, "You don't ask what's in it, you don't ask how it's made," he said. "You just enjoy it" (via Cincinnati.com).