Inside a real chili joint.

I love you, Cincinnati readers, but I have to tell you about a real chili joint. Heck, this is where it all really started. We invented coney dogs and practically made chili famous.

Last night, we visited Lafayette Coney Island (see below), which bills itself as one of Detroit's longest-running family-owned businesses. It has been operating at the same downtown location, dishing up heaping spoonfuls of thick, meaty chili atop juicy hot dogs slathered in mustard and onion, for nearly a century.

Walk in here at 2 a.m. and you'll see flashes of white-aproned servers belting out orders and whisking armfuls -- literally -- of yummy dogs to your table in seconds. (They pile about 10 plated hot dogs side-by-side along the crook of their arms to deliver the speediest service to hungry customers.)

Lafayette (not to be confused with rival neighbor American Coney Island) is open all day, every day. These people are serious about their coneys.

The story behind the rival restaurants is fascinating enough to merit a visit. Wikipedia says:

The first Coney Island was started by two Greek brothers (in 1917) who then got into an argument quite soon after, and split their restaurant into two parts, the present day American and Lafayette Coney Islands which are next door to each other, and who to this day argue about which is the "original."

I hate to throw down the gauntlet, people, but come here and try "one with everything" -- a real coney dog.