7934 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria
The first splattering of Cincinnati chili can be traced back to two brothers: Tom and John Kiradjieff, immigrants from Argos, Orestiko, a town in the now-Northwestern region of Macedonia-Greece. James Papakirk, a first-generation immigrant from Greece, now owns the brand. In addition to the usual crop of double decker sandwiches and ways, Empress offers some zany takes on old favorites: individual chili pizzas with cheesy, saucy fare on dough and the tough-to-pronounce spagoney, which swaps out hot dogs for noodles.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger