Growing up far away from Kansas gave me the distinct pleasure to have a weird selection of food starting at a very young age. This will be a short list of the local restaurants and foods that I have unnecessary amounts of craving while living in Hays, Kansas.
1. Skyline Chili
Skyline chili is objectively weird; it's basically some sort of beanless meat paste that you eat either on top of spaghetti or over a steamed hot dog but do I miss having the opportunity to walk in, sit at the bar counter, and devour several cheese coneys. The food is delicious and really isn't for everyone; you either love it or you hate it, but if you visit someone in Cincinnati, you'll end up trying it at least once.
2. Graeter's
There's ice cream and then is Graeter's, this Cincinnati-based ice cream parlor, candy shop and bakery has been running since 1870 and it's the best ice cream you're ever going to have. They have about 30 rotating flavors, some of which I can even enjoy since they have several low-glycemic index (diabetic friendly) options. Also, the company supports several local and national philanthropies, from Boy Scouts to childhood cancer research. So, go grab a pint, donut, sleeve of candy, or even a King Cake for Mardis Gras.
3. LaRosa's
Cincinnati is just bursting with options, but one place I've fallen in love with has been LaRosa's; it's a pizza place but that is just the beginning. Certainly, it's not as whacky and creative as some places in Hays (honestly, I would have never thought to put cream cheese on a pizza) but it's won me over for a couple reasons. The food is always good, you get a huge selection of toppings, not to mention sandwiches, pizza pinwheels, pasta, wings, salads, and desserts. Plus, two nights a week, it's all you can eat spaghetti, salad, and breadsticks for $7.
4. Blue Ice Cream
King's Island is a magical place, it's an amusement park located in Mason, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati) and it was the go-to place for family memories. It was until the last decade or so, owned by Paramount Pictures so many of the rides were themed after movies, such as Face-Off. King's Island is also known for having the largest wooden roller coaster in the world (the Beast) as well as two spin-offs; the Son of Beast which had a wooden loop built in and Beast Jr. which was a wooden roller coaster for kids. However, all of this is nothing compared to the blue soft-serve ice cream that you can get in Hanna-Barbara Land, which started because of a Smurf-themed ride. Blueberry soft-serve has become so ingrained in Kings Island, that it was once taken off the menu after the redesign of the Smurf ride, and the customers were in outrage.
5. Anchor Grill
Anchor Grill is a magical, cash-only place found right off of MainStrasse in Covington, KY, right across the river from Cincinnati. I've been here several times, usually following an evening out on the town, and have yet to be disappointed. It's open until forever, the wait staff is wonderful, and the decorations are eerie dolls that come to life if you put money into the machine. Hands down one of the best places to eat, especially if you need some goetta. Goetta is a combination of meat and oats that comes from the city's German heritage but is so popular to the point where Cincinnati has several goetta festivals a year sponsored by the different companies that produce the delicious meal.
6. Eli's BBQ
Eli's BBQ is another hole in the wall that you have to have when you visit; it's cash or check or Red's tickets only to purchase award winning and third in the nation barbecue. Everything on the menu is delicious and can have a bit of a kick! Try it out and you'll fall in love.
Bonus
This is not home to Cincinnati, I'm pretty sure it came out of Colorado, but it's something that I miss daily; the closest one is in Witchita... some two hours away. I love this place, to the point where I was cruising along with their summer promotion that would have ended with me feeding like 25 people with free catering by August. Qdoba is an alternative, I guess, but it will never hold my heart like Chipotle does.
