In our last post, we ended our exploration of Greek cooking with a recipe for pastitsio, the hearty dish of layered meat sauce, noodles, and béchamel. As we made the cinnamon-laced meat sauce, we realized it tasted hauntingly familiar. We hadn’t encountered in it Greece, but in Cincinnati at Camp Washington Chili (3005 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati; 513-541-0061; campwashingtonchili.com).

It turns out that Cincinnati chili is actually a New World adaptation of Greek pastitsio. Greek immigrants opened the Empress restaurant in Cincinnati in 1922 and began serving the deconstructed pastitsio. It became such a huge hit that other restaurants run by Greek immigrants began making their own versions. Unless you are an aficionado, they all seem pretty similar, though Cincinnatians are always ready to debate the merits of the various offerings. Basically, a dish of thick spaghetti or long tubular noodles is smothered in a tomato-and-ground-beef sauce flavored with warm spices, then covered with shredded orange American cheese. Cincinnati chili is the city’s signature fast food. Camp Washington Chili was even recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of America’s Classics. In turn the restaurant allowed the Foundation to publish its recipe: jamesbeard.org/recipes/cincinnati-chili.

If you visit, the classic dish of noodles, sauce, and finely grated cheese is called a ‶three way.″ Add beans or onions for a “four way,” or both for a “five way.” And don’t be proud: Ask for a bib. Your clothes will thank you.