Cincinnati 3-Way

Pervert.  I know what you thought when you read that title.  Freak.

Ever since becoming a previously fat guy I’ve lived vicariously through Food TV shows such as Man vs. Food, Throwdown with Bobby Flay and my favourite Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.  As I was planning the trip to Knoxville I started scoping out some famous spots they have visited.  Imagine my joy when I discovered Famous Food Finder.  All the restaurants they have visited plotted out on a nice Google map with a route planner too!  Way too handy.

It was a pretty uneventful drive.  The 403 to the 401, over the border and on the I-75 to Cincinnati.  Uneventful but I did see some interesting things along the way.  I am a big beef jerky fan and it just so happens it is good for you so it is one thing I haven’t had to give up.  Imagine my smile when I cam across this place :)

Forty kinds of jerky, all made on site, in a variety of flavours!  Beef, pork and turkey jerky that you could mix and match for $18.99/lb.  I grabbed pile that looks like it will last a month and it was only $10.  It is by far the best jerky I’ve ever had.

A little bit later I was in Ohio.  Once I hit Ohio the temperature started rising and the further South I got the warmer it got.  It was nice to feel 32C again after a long Winter and lousy Spring.  One driver seemed to be enjoying the weather a bit too much and wasn’t paying attention to the roads.

One thing I found was that the fuel economy of my Nissan Rogue is pretty good.  I got 650KM out of the tank of gas and that nearly got me to Cincinnati.  The other thing I noticed is that gas is waaaaayyyyyyy cheaper in the US.  Before leaving I filled up and it cost almost $78 to fill the tank (55L) and here I paid $54 to fill the tank.  Not a bad deal and that will save me about $100 on what I thought I’d spend on gas on this trip.

Once I got to Cincinnati it was time for a Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives stop.  Cincinnati is famous for “Cincinnati Style” chilli and it is server up from 3-way up to 6-way.  The basic 3-way is spaghetti, chilli and nuclear orange cheese.  You can add onions, beans and/or jalapeño peppers to your liking.  There is a big chain in the area called Skyline Chilli and there is one just down the street from the hotel.  But I prefer the smaller, hidden gem, mom and pop type operations and Triple D’s was at a local spot called Blue Ash Chilli.

I went for the 3-way.  Simple, elegant and delicious.

So good in fact I had a second order.  To be fair it wasn’t the biggest portion, definitely not normal “US sized” portions.  Plus with all that spaghetti I started carbo loading for Sunday’s race a day early :)  Tomorrow I’ll be on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for a bit and swing by the Woodford Reserve Distillery, the oldest bourbon distillery.  When I do drink I do like a good bourbon and Woodford Reserve is one of the finest.  Maybe I’ll grab a bottle to have at my Ironman finisher celebration :)