Cincinnati-Kansas City rivalry spills into chili parlors
Inside Dixon's Famous Chili parlor Wednesday afternoon, Francine Graham repeatedly dropped spaghetti into hot water and layered it with ground beef.
She was assembling what Cincinnatians would call a 'three way.'
"Well, that's nice. We don't actually use those words," Graham said.
The lingo in Kansas City is little different.
"It comes soupy, juicy or dry," Graham said.
Visitors sometimes even tell folks at the chili parlor that their chili looks like Cincinnati chili, while locals question that.
"Cincinnati got good chili?" asked customer Phil Haas.
Kansas Citians have no idea, but people shouldn't be fooled by the looks of the dish. Once doctored up, it's pretty clear, Dixon's is not Skyline.
A lot of customers at Dixon's add ketchup to their chili.
"I put ketchup on it, that's about it," Haas said.
"It's the Kansas City way of eating your chili," Graham said.
WLWT photojournalist Grover Tadlock gave it a try.
"OK, that's not bad. I don't think it has the Bengals growl to it," Tadlock said.
With Dixon's being just seven blocks from Arrowhead Stadium, employees said Cincinnatians are welcome to sample for themselves even if Dixon's Chili doesn't win them over.
"There's a strong loyalty with those Cincinnati fans, so their loyalty will probably stay with their chili and the Bengals," Graham said.