This Cheesy Chili 5-Way Made With Spaghetti Is An Award-Winning Midwest Staple

• Camp Washington Chili earned a James Beard Award for being a regional classic.
• Cincinnati chili is different because it is a topping rather than a stew.
• The chili has strong flavors of cinnamon and Mediterranean spices.

Following is a transcript of the video.

- [upbeat music] I'm Jake Gabbard, and I love trying some of the most-talked-about foods all across America. But, sometimes, those dishes aren't worth the gas you use to track them down. So I'm on a mission to find out what actually lives up to the hype and if it's truly worth the drive. Today, I'm heading to Cincinnati, Ohio, to try what is referred to as the best chili in the entire Midwest. I'll be swinging by Camp Washington Chili and trying their famous Chili Five-Way.

Maria Papakirk: Camp Washington Chili opened in 1940, by two Greek gentlemen, one of which was my dad's uncle. So it's been in our family for over 80 years.

Jake: That's second-generation owner Maria Papakirk, the life force behind this legendary chili.

Maria: A Cincinnati Chili Five-Way starts with a base of spaghetti, then red beans topped with a ladleful of our chili, some diced white onions, and shredded Wisconsin cheddar cheese. Cincinnati chili is unique because of the spice blend, I think. We use a lot of cinnamon and paprika and crushed red pepper, and I'll probably stop right there, 'cause it's a secret family recipe. But in Cincinnati, I think what makes our chili unique is we use it as a topping, especially over spaghetti.

Stephen Shumard: This is something you crave at, you know, 2 o'clock in the morning sometimes. This is something you have to have at least two or three times a month.

Jake: That's Stephen Shumard, a local Cincinnati photographer behind the very popular Instagram account 513_cincinnati.

Stephen: When you take your first bite of the Chili Five-Way, you're gonna get the blend of the spaghetti. You're going to immediately taste that cheese and feel it at the top roof of your mouth. And in between is everything with the goodness of the chili beans and onions. And when it all comes together, it's just a magical, delicious bite.

Maria: There are, like, over 300 chili parlors in our city. So chili is definitely our thing.

Jake: OK, now here is a bit of a takeout tip for you. Camp Washington Chili is the only chili restaurant in Cincinnati that individually packages its hot and cold items. That way, you can get the Chili Five-Way and everything's not all melted together. You can make it on your own. This makes it the freshest takeout chili in all of Cincinnati. Bellevue Park truly is one of Cincinnati's best hidden gems. You can find it in the Clifton Heights neighborhood, which is really close to the University of Cincinnati. Originally, it was built in the 1950s to serve as an outdoor dancing venue, but now it's just this park with architecture from a different era with one of the best views in all of Cincinnati. An insane amount of cheese. Now it's time for the moment of truth here. Time to decide if this is super good, super lame. This is the best chili in the Midwest. Here we go, let's try it. Oh, my God, that's so good. Typically you think of chili as like a thick soup, but with this, this is like a spaghetti dish, and look at all this cheese. Oh, my gosh, it's so good. The best way I can describe it is you get, like, cinnamon. Cinnamon is, like, the secret factor to this, and I know that sounds weird, but it just adds this fun flavor. It's almost like if you've ever had mole before. There's nothing else like this anywhere else in the country. Cincinnati is the only place in the entire world that makes chili like this. God. Dang! I've had other Cincinnati chili brands before, I don't wanna say their names, but this by far was the best. Everything there is made with love, and everybody there makes you feel like family. Yes, easily the best chili in the Midwest. It was so tasty, I think I might actually leave the park, go pick up some more for my ride home. It's that good. This is how you do Cincinnati chili. [upbeat music] Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo. OK, I can't do any more.