Growing up in Cincinnati, I’ve always known the taste of Cincinnati-style chili. My favorite thing to order was always the 3-way when I was growing up, noodles, loads of chili, and of course a big pile of cheddar cheese. My family frequented chili parlors across the city on a weekly basis.
When I made my decision to become a vegetarian, there was no flavor I missed more than that of Cincinnati-style chili. I had many failed attempts at trying to make the chili in my own kitchen without using meat. While some were okay, nothing was as good as the stuff I was used to having in chili parlors. I was always disappointed.
A friend recently recommended Gold Star Chili’s vegetarian chili to me. She said it was both vegetarian and vegan friendly and told me that she loved it. I knew there had to be something good about the chili because she’s never been a vegetable fan and always turns her nose up at what I’m eating. The next day, I decided to try it for myself and was happy I did.
When I went to the parlor, I knew I had to try out the chili by ordering a 3-way just the way I had always liked it, but now with a vegetarian twist. The first bite was a bit of nostalgia I have been looking for for years now. The taste of Cincinnati-style chili with no meat, but loads of vegetables instead was a delicious one. It was everything I had remembered it to be and I was delighted to finally have my chili cravings satisfied. I still got the familiar flavor of Cincinnati chili but it was guilt free for my vegetarian lifestyle.
It’s a great thing that restaurants are becoming more accommodating to those that do not eat meat, especially a restaurant that is famous for chili, which is usually known as a meat filled dish. In the past, I may have been disowned in my own city for not eating our hometown dish, but now I am proud to be a Cincinnatian once again.
