LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: local food

  • Cassie the Food Guru Checks out the Newest Spot in Town, The Chili Hut!

    Cassie the Food Guru Checks out the Newest Spot in Town, The Chili Hut!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – “It’s always Chili in Cincinnati,” the owner of The Chili Hut Fadi Khalilieh, said with a huge smile on his face! That’s the motto Khalilieh has lived by since 2013 when he decided to use the chili recipe that had been in his family for 40 years to start the first Chili Hut food truck. Since then Khalilieh’s food truck business has taken off in the city of Cincinnati leading him to open the doors to his first brick and mortar right here in Loveland on January 24th.

    Khalilieh is not a stranger to the restaurant industry as he grew up helping with his family’s restaurant in Madeira. Khalilieh’s family encompassed a slew of homemade family recipes that he never could have imagined would come in handy one day with his own food truck and restaurant! From the spicy yet sweet coleslaw to the Cincinnati-style chili, these family recipes have hit the ground running growing The Chili Hut name astronomically since 2013.

    Today The Chili Hut is well-known for supporting all things Cincinnati, as the Chili Hut food truck is often seen hanging out around the University of Cincinnati and at local Cincinnati sporting events. Khalilieh paid homage to the beautiful city where he got his start by having intricate murals painted across his new restaurant representing the “flying pig,” the Bengals tiger, and the architecture surrounding Downtown Cincinnati to name a few. 

    Now, Khalilieh says that he is excited to see how The Chili Hut does in a city like Loveland as not too long ago he brought his food truck to local spot Hometown Cafe where the community gave his chili cheese fries excellent reviews. When Khalilieh saw that there was a space available for The Chili Hut to grow right in the heart of Loveland, he knew that it was the perfect moment to take a leap of faith and introduce the family recipe to the rest of the community!

    Although The Chili Hut specializes in Cincinnati-style chili, the simplistic menu also offers fan favorites like the Cheese Coney, the Eden Pork, the Walking Taco, the Ham and Cheese Panini, and the Gouda Grilled Cheese. You really can’t go wrong at “The Hut!” 

    I’m sure at this point your mouth is watering and believe me mine is too so without further ado I bring to you Cassie The Food Guru featuring the newest spot in town, The Chili Hut! You won’t want to miss this spicy Loveland Magazine TV interview!

    Are you interested in starting a food truck or have had thoughts about starting a career working on a food truck? Tune in to Fadi Khalilieh as he talks about how you can get involved with the Cincinnati Food Truck Association!

    Be sure to stay up to date on all things The Chili Hut by following them on Instagram and Facebook!

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    For more local food reviews and interviews stay tuned to Cassie the Food Guru! Can’t wait to share with you my next delicious adventure!

  • Cassie the Food Guru Visits Dolph’s Dogs!

    Cassie the Food Guru Visits Dolph’s Dogs!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – What do the holidays mean to you? Being from a very Italian family, during the holidays I’m always surrounded by family, friends, and a delicious yet large amount of homemade food! This is why I thought now would be the perfect time to go on my next Food Guru excursion, only this time I decided to hit up Dolph’s Dogs, a traditional yet elevated local Hot Dog Cart.

    Dolph Himmelbauer moved to Downtown Loveland 5 years ago and has become a huge part of the community that he says, “Is the best, most welcoming place he’s ever lived in.” After being in the business world for several years, Himmelbauer made the decision after the Covid-19 pandemic hit to start his own business. Although he was a little unsure at first about what business he wanted to go into he knew he wanted to do something that Loveland had a need for.

    At the beginning of 2021, Dolph’s Dogs came into conception! Himmelbauer came up with the idea after hanging out in Downtown Loveland late one night and realized that there weren’t any readily available food options. Himmelbauer already had a love for hot dogs so he thought why not start a hot dog business only let’s not serve them in a restaurant, but on a mobile cart! Flash forward a few months and Himmelbauer had secured a mobile cart, a few great serving spots in the Downtown Loveland area, and an absolutely delicious product.

    Now, Himmelbauer is not only consistently serving his elevated hot dogs around town and selling out most weekend nights, but he is also being booked for parties and events, one of the events being Loveland’s first-ever Oktoberfest! According to Himmelbauer all the success with Dolph’s Dogs has been an absolute whirlwind and he couldn’t be more grateful for the support from his family, friends, and the community of Loveland!

    Without further ado I Cassie the Food Guru brings to you an exclusive one-on-one Loveland Magazine TV interview with Dolph Himmelbauer, owner of Dolph’s Dogs! There’s no way you won’t want one of these delicious dogs after watching this!

    For more stories and interviews on Loveland’s food culture stay tuned to Cassie the Food Guru!