Gold Star Chili With much tinkering and reformulating of the recipe, the brothers settled on what has become one of Cincinnati's classic tastes. To this day, the spice blend is a closely guarded secret that remains within the family. The brothers renamed the restaurant Gold Star Chili and opened two additional restaurants within a year responding to the chili's popularity. With this, Gold Star Chili established the first free-standing chili restaurant in Cincinnati. From the beginning, the Daoud brothers worked hard to put Cincinnati on the map with Gold Star Chili. They created a product to exacting specifications and perfected its preparation.