Cheese Coney Mania

The Gold Star Chili Company today featured cheese coneys for 99 cents.

For the uneducated, cheese coneys are a Cincinnati thing, consisting of a smallish hotdog on a smallish bun covered with Cincinnati style chili and overloaded with shredded cheese. To this you can add mustard, onions, and hot sauce, as desired.

Although I have been in the Cincinnati area for almost 20 years now, I have never really taken to cheese coneys. 

The cheese coney is a derivative of the Cincinnati favorite, the "3-way", consisting of a load of spaghetti covered with Cincinnati style chili and overloaded with shredded cheese, the "4-way" (add onions or beans), and the "5-way" (add onions and beans). This I enjoy enough to head to the local Gold Star Chili parlor every week or two to enjoy a 4-way with a Coors.

But Joyce likes cheese coneys, so off we go to our local Gold Star to get a couple.

Now, we live in the upscale boondocks of Batavia Township, and our Gold Star is located at the crossroads of nothing. It's not a very large place; I count about 16 tables plus about 10 seats at the counter. We rarely see people at more than 3 or 4 tables.

We arrived at 6:45 tonight and had trouble finding a parking space. Cars were wound completely around the building in line for the drive-through. We edged our way inside and found an empty table. In addition to the cars outside and the filled tables, people were lined up inside ordering to-go at the register.

Unbelievable! Where did all these people come from? And why? To save 80 cents? For a hotdog?

I guess I could have expected this in a college town, but not out in the middle of nowhere. 

Maybe that's it. When you live out in the middle of nowhere, pretty much anything can be an occasion.

Dinner for two: eight dollars and change, four cheese coneys and two Coors. Party on.