Cappa tries Cincinnati’s chili cheese spaghetti. | Bengals Twitter

Former Lumberjack Alex Cappa is officially an honorary Cincinnatian after bravely partaking in the city’s regional fare of chili and spaghetti.

Days after signing Cappa to a four-year, $40 million deal, the Bengals’ social media channels shared footage of Cappa earning his stripes by sampling several local dishes.

“No better way to welcome the guys to Cincinnati than a proper chili tasting,” the Bengals wrote on social media.

First, Cappa tried a “Coney dog.” Known as a chili dog in most parts of the country, the “Coney dog” was reportedly brought to the Midwest from New York by migrating European immigrants.

“Are these mini dogs, what’s the deal?” the 6-foot-6-inch, 300-pound guard asked before taking his first bite.

Cappa’s verdict: They’re “pretty good.”

“People have had me skeptical about Cincinnati chili, I’m sorry to say,” he added. “But this [Coney dog] is good right here. I’m going for a second bite.”

Cappa followed up the Coney dog with a taste of his first “Cincinnati 3-way,” a blend of Cincinnati’s “famous” chili and cheese piled on top of spaghetti.

“I can tell this thing’s heavy already, and I love that,” he said twirling his fork into the pasta.

While the meal may seem like a last-minute creation thrown together by an overwhelmed parent on a school night, the culinary hodgepodge is apparently known as Cincinnati’s signature dish. And that’s okay.

“Very good,” Cappa said of the chili cheese spaghetti. “I’m a fan of Cincinnati already, I’m not gonna lie.”

Cappa’s appreciation for Cincinnati’s food may earn him some points with local fans. However, Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow proved that Bengals fans are more interested in on-field play than personal taste, after the Ohio native bashed Cincinnati’s beloved restaurant chain Skyline Chili.

“I hate it, I hate it,” Burrow told reporters in 2020. “Cincinnati is gonna hate me, but I hate that stuff. It’s not real chili, it’s just sauce.”