Some Ohioans You Should Know were born in the state, others moved here later in life or were connected to the state in other ways. Yet, they all somehow managed to leave their mark on the area. What makes the Kiradjieff brothers unique is that while their names might not be familiar, or easy to know how to pronounce (don’t ask me, I don’t know), the creation they left behind is well known and loved in the state. And it usually elicits a reaction from non-Ohioans along the lines of “You put what on your … what?”
Three Brothers Come to Ohio
Athanas Kiradjieff, who we’ll call “Tom” for two reasons (it’s what people called him and it’s much easier to spell) and his brother were born and raised in The Ottoman Empire, and seems to have lived fairly typical lives.
When World War I happened, Tom went into the Bavarian service, followed a few years later by John, who was a few years younger, so that makes sense. After the war, their homelands were changing rapidly, so they made the decision, like many others in their same situation, to immigrate to the United States where they settled in New York and soon opened a store selling hot dogs.
Their success, it turns out, wasn’t as great as what their older brother, Argir, was having after opening a grocery store in Cincinnati, so a few years later, they moved to Ohio.
By day, Tom worked as a bank clerk, but at night he was cooking hot dogs at his brother’s store. It was at this time that Tom created … well, let’s just call it a new way to eat a Hot Dog. All will be revealed shortly (unless you’re from Ohio, which means you probably know where this is going.)
In 1922 Tom and John opened a hot dog stand outside a burlesque theater named The Empress, which quickly became a motion picture and vaudeville theater, but that’s beside the point. A short time later, All three brothers returned to their birthplaces to find a nice girl they could marry before returning to Ohio, which they both did. Argir stayed across the sea a bit longer than his two brothers did, but when he came back to Ohio his wife quickly decided she hated it here and promptly packed up and headed back. Tom and John offered Argir a job at their hot dog stand as a cashier.
It’s probably worth noting here that this hot dog stand was not just some small little kart with prepackaged hot dogs. It was more akin to what we’d consider a “food truck” today. It’s probably also worth noting that by 1933, they were the most successful Bulgarians in the city … now operating their hot dog stand out of an actual store front. The name of their shop – The Empress. Not to be confused with The Emperess Theater, a completely different place, practically right next door.
The Empress
While their business started off as a simple hot dog stand, Tom’s “creation” was so well loved that it nearly took on a life of its own. And that would become the only thing the brothers would actually sell. People would, they said, come in from all across the city, just to try this new local delicacy … then maybe run next door for a show (rarely the other way around).
When the brothers opened their first store, they didn’t call it Empress Hot Dogs, they named it Empress Chili … the second ingredient in Tom’s creation.
It would not take long for Empress Chili locations to open in other parts of town, some ran by the Kiradjieff family, others not. In 1959, with several locations throughout the Cincinnati area, the family opened a new restaurant with a new way to offer drive-in car service.
Tom died the following year (John had passed several years prior) so by now, the Empress Chili franchises were run and managed by Tom’s son Joe, with a lot of help from other family members. However, the end of an era was at hand following Tom’s death, the number of Empress Chili locations began to dwindle. In 2009, Tom’s son retired and sold the Empress Chili brand to Smart Foods.
The Empress Chili Recipe (Kind Of, Not Really)
So, if you’re not in Cincinnati or Ohio and want to know what the heck we’re talking about – here’s the recipe (not really a recipe).
It all starts with just a hot dog, in a bun. That’s the base part. From this point, it can be served one of “Five Ways”.
One Way: Throw some pasta, usually spaghetti, on top of the hot dog on the bun.
Two Way: Make a First Way, but throw some Chili on top of the spaghetti.
Three Way: Add some sharp cheddar cheese on top of the chili being served over the spaghetti on top of the hot dog.
Four Way: Place a layer of raw, finely chopped onion on top of the cheddar cheese you put on the chili covering the spaghetti you put on the hot dog.
Five Way: Smother with kidney beans, completely covering the layer of onions you put on top of the cheddar cheese covering the chili resting gracefully on a layer of spaghetti atop a hot dog.
I hope that makes sense.
Cincinnati Chili
Today, Cincinnati Chili – based on Tom Kiradjieff’s recipe – is still a popular restaurant feature across the state. In Cincinnati, they say that the best can be found all over the place, from local shops like Camp Washington Chili on Colerain Avenue, to chains such as Gold Star or Skyline Chili.
For the most part, the recipe has remained the same – although today the Hot Dog is optional, and the spices put into the chili meat varies from place to place. Yet, what “way” you get your chili stays true to what the brothers created.
Many people in Cincinnati are very serious about how they like their Cincinnati Chili. For example, if you try to order a “Five Way” without cheese because you’re lactose intolerant – or if you try to order a three way with beans because the thought of eating raw onions makes you ill – you’re pretty much an abomination that They will try to destroy. (Not really, but it feels that way sometimes.)
It is worth noting that some restaurants, such as the late Delhi Chili, tried to expand the ways one could order Chili going up to an Eight Way (which included eggs, bacon or sausage, and diced potato – although weather this is considered acceptable or am abomination all depends on who you ask.
Kiradjieff Today
While the legacy of Empress Chili has come and gone, the Kiradjieff name still resides in various places in the city. Christopher Kiradjieff is currently a trumpet player for The Cincinnati Symphony, for example.
The Kiradjieff name continues to live on, occasionally being referenced while speaking about the history of Cincinnati Chili. Yet, I wonder how many people remember the rest of his story?
