 Photo by Dima Gavrish |
| Smokin' hot chili at Potato House |
“The Ivano-Frankivsk region’s been hit with heavy snowfall!” one alert Post staffer called out. “More than 70 villages are without power!”
“The temperature could drop below minus-10 in Kyiv tonight,” another commented. “Chilly weather.”
That got the Best Of team’s attention. “Chili weather?” we thought. “Of course!”
Winter is upon us, and the days we spent lolling on the beach are just fond memories. When the wind whips, snow falls and we’re cold enough to fear frostbite, nothing satisfies like a steaming bowl of chili, redolent of peppers and spices. On a frigid night, chili is pure pleasure in a bowl, and the Best Of team considers it one of the great pleasures of winter.
Chili has many variants, and we aren’t chili snobs who subscribe to the theory that one variety outshines all others. We do know what we like, though, and chili con carne – with beef – remains our standout favorite.
We checked Tequila House, certain that the Mexican restaurant would have a good bowl. We were excited to see two selections offered: Chili con Queso (Hr 20) and Chili Diablo (Hr 24). To our disappointment though, the chili con queso was not what we expected. We received a dish of spicy melted cheese and tortilla chips – essentially nachos. The other choice would have easily met our expectations – a bowl brimming with large, tender chunks of sirloin and nicely spiced, but, alas, so salty as to make it inedible.
Arizona BBQ, another ex-pat haunt known for its southwestern style (and chili is, after all, a Texan concoction, and not Mexican), had possibilities. At Hr 39, Crazy Dino’s Chili con Carne is the priciest portion east of the Pecos. We were promised a medium-spicy melange of ground beef, tomatoes and red beans, complete with a side order of garlic bread. What we got was a bowl of mildly spiced, nearly bean-free, practically pureed meat sauce that would have been great over spaghetti. Perhaps Crazy Dino hails from Cincinnati, where chili is indeed served that way.
The Best Of team moseyed along, undaunted. We thought that the city’s warring Irish pubs would pass over chili for a nice Irish stew, but they do contribute commendable dishes. That Golden Gate offers its fare in three temperatures: medium, hot and diablo was reassuring. We were served a well-seasoned bowl topped by melted cheese – a good value and one we’d try again. O’Brien’s Chili Diablo Soup (Hr 20), like Arizona’s, was based on ground beef, and it, too, had few beans. It’s a tasty, spicy soup though that goes especially well with a side order of cheese bread (Hr 15). We had discovered some good bowls of chili, but nothing extraordinary: no single, incontrovertible “best” yet. But we had two stops to go.
Time Out’s chili (Hr 36) is nearly as pricy as Arizona’s but far better. It features copious chunks of tender beef, diced bell peppers and onion in a well-seasoned base that could have been spicier but was immensely satisfying nonetheless. While the monster 600-plus gram serving is enough for two, it’s a chili-banquet for one. Crisp tortilla chips accompany the dish.
Happy as we were with Time Out’s entry in our clandestine cook-off, we ambled a few blocks to Potato House where we were learned that Kyiv’s least expensive bowl of red – Hr 6 for a small bowl – was every bit as good as, if not identical to, Time Out’s chili. Served very hot with a few drops of Tabasco chili sauce, it was an absolute delight. Serving a rich, savory chili that is both spicy and thermally hot, Potato House won the Best Of team over. At Hr 6 per bowl, we recommend you order two.