Today is National Chili Dog Day, or if you are from Cincinnati – National Cheese Coney Day.  Take a humble hot dog on a bun, add mustard, Cincinnati Chili, onions (optional) and mound it high with finely shredded mild cheddar cheese.

Recently at the One Mile House Bar on Delancey Street here in New York I saw Cincinnati Cheese Coneys on the menu.  The Cincinnati Chili had a burned quality, there was not nearly enough cheese and the waitress was mystified about my request for onions.  Not a real Cincy place.  But recently I discovered that a downtown restaurant, Edwards, has a regular “Cincy night” in which they feature Skyline, LaRosa’s, Montgomery Inn, and Graeter’s.  If any of these names tickle your fancy it is always the last Monday of the month.  I plan to attend the next one on July 30 and I will report on the experience amidst all the NYC Restaurant Week hullabaloo.  Cincinnati Cheese Coneys are the real gourmet!

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes

TOMORROW: An Armistice Memorial and Remembrance