For the past couple of weeks I’ve been searching for a three-way. And only two of my friends, Brian and Grainger, know exactly what I’m looking for.

The couple, who recently moved to the Northwest from Cincinnati, left behind an intriguing and pervasive dish known as three-way chili. Yet despite their sordid descriptions of this unconventionally spiced substance, which is served commonly over spaghetti with cheddar cheese – I just gotta quench my curiosity soon.

Three-way chili is perhaps one of the last remaining meals indigenous to an American city that hasn’t leaked out to the masses. San Diego grocery stores don’t carry it. Nor have I found it served in any local restaurants. And my thank-god-we’re-out-of-Cincinnati friends think they know why.

The actual chili, made by Gold Star and Skyline, contains boiled bits of ground beef along with tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, unsweetened cocoa and cayenne pepper. The finished product is thin and watery. And to make matters worse, it’s poured over cooked spaghetti for a “two-way” meal, and often includes a heaping of cheddar cheese on top for a classic “three-way”. Some take the recipe to orgy-like levels by adding onions for a “four-way” or kidney beans for a “five-way”.

Says Brian, who spent only a year in America’s “other” chili capital: “It tasted like an experiment gone bad. The chili splattered around a lot. And I never had the desire to eat it again.” His girlfriend shares the same sentiments and remains stumped over why this has become a household dish throughout the city.

The bastardized chili dates back at least 50 years, when Nicolas Lambrinides arrived to Cincinnati from Greece and opened a restaurant called Skyline. With the help of his sons, the ambitious immigrant began recreating the recipe that his father used to follow; thus bewitching the palates of Cincinnati residents before starting Skyline.

Improbable competition surfaced in 1965, when Gold Star Chili nudged its way into the market. Founded by four brothers from Jordon, many say they can’t tell the difference between the two chili recipes. The introduction of spaghetti into the meal, however, remains a Cincinnati mystery, as the chili was previously eaten plain or used as a topper for hot dogs.

San Diegans need only turn to the Internet for finding the kind of three-way that will either leave a bad taste in their mouths or fire up their jets for more. Visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com for a link to the Skyline and Gold Star Chili websites, where the chili can be ordered online. Below is the classic recipe for those who dare try making it at home.

2 tbsp. oil

2 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 quart cold water

1 6-oz. can of tomato paste

2 large onions (diced)

1 1/2 tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 clove garlic (crushed)

2 tbsp. each of chili powder, cinnamon and cayenne pepper

5 bay leaves

1 tsp. allspice

1 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy pot, heat oil and add beef until partly browned. Then add the onions and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add tomato paste and all other ingredients and let simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves before serving. Ladle over cooked spaghetti and sprinkle top with grated cheddar cheese.