can't leave my first love

I am beginning a blog post at 2:37a.m.
Why?
Because I can't sleep.
Why?
Heartburn.
Why?
Camp Washington Chili.

So Adam and Jenn carpooled to Indiana for Thanksgiving break last night and I met them for dinner. They were picking up I-74 just north of the city so I looked for a Skyline Chili at which to meet them but the closest one was inconvenient at best (as far as I could tell). And Camp Washington Chili was off Hopple, the exit immediately below the I-74 exit. How convenient!

I've heard of Camp Washington Chili. In fact, it was on my mental (however subconscious) Cincinnati bucket list. There's only one Camp Washington Chili (as opposed to over 130 Skyline Chilis) and it's somewhat of a Cincinnati icon.

Well I put the directions from Google Maps in my non-smartphone and eventually found my way there from Hyde Park via Madison/MLK. I stopped at the BP next door to pick up some Razzleberry Peace Tea (sweet nectar from heaven) for Adam and then enjoyed over an hour of fellowship with my camp buds.

In order to fairly compare Camp Washington to my Cinci chili standard (Skyline), I ordered the classic 3-way and cheese fries.

Here are the facts:
The portion was large, and the cheese was piled beautifully high.
The chili felt and tasted meaty in my mouth.
The spaghetti was thick and at least a little bit mushy.
The fries were thick (like Wendy's fries) and the cheese was amazingly greasy.
The oyster crackers came in a prepackaged little bag and were flat and not very salty.

Now on to preference:
I like the smoothness of Skyline Chili better.
I prefer firmer noodles. Camp Washington's felt to me as if they were overcooked.
I'm a skinny fry person--it's just my preference.
I like the little bowls of salty, rounded crackers at Skyline.
As regards portions, I still ate too much, unable to stop when I reached full (just one reason that I don't get chili weekly).   :)
Aaaaaaand it's 7 minutes til 3a.m. and I'm awake with uncharacteristic heartburn.

In conclusion, I like Skyline Chili better.
I understand that these are preference matters and I also understand one's first Cincinnati chili experience is very possibly where one's loyalties lie. (Please also note that this is an assessment of the 3-way chili, not any other menu item)

Now hopefully I can sleep some more before I have to work at 6:45a.m.

And sometime soon I've gotta go try a Goldstar and a BAC 3-way...