DeWine downs a three-way at Camp Washington

Food and politics. The two go together like… Well, nevermind.

But you sure can’t have the latter without the former. And in Cincinnati, the former better include spaghetti and chili, and maybe an extra helping of onions and cheese.

That’s what a white plastic bib-wearing Sen. Mike DeWine and his similarly-attired wife, Fran, were eating for lunch today at Camp Washington Chili on Colerain Ave. today.

The DeWine clan, including son Pat DeWine, a Hamilton County commissioner, and a small army of campaign workers, photographers, TV cameras and Washington-based reporters – including writers from The Plain Dealer and Columbus Dispatch – swooped into the small establishment at 11 a.m.

DeWine immediately started going table to table, introducing himself and asking patrons: “So what are you having today, a two-way? Three-way? Four-way?” Meanwhile, his wife handed out booklets of favorite family recipes, such as “Anna’s Crunchy Chicken Fingers,” under which Anna, DeWine’s daughter, had scrawled “Vote 4 Dad” on a drawing of a yard sign.

“This is the fun part of the campaign. I love it. I’ve got my family with me and we’re on a big bus. You go in and find the best places to eat,” the senator enthused, explaining that he chose this particular stop because it’s one of his son’s favorite places.

Owner John Johnson had no complaints. He watched all the commotion with a huge smile on his face.

“This is great,” he said, explaining that when the campaign asked if they could visit his restaurant, he was all for it. “He’s a nice family man, so why not?”

He added: “They didn’t give me much time. They just called us yesterday.”

Brenda Jones of Cincinnati, who shook the senator’s hand as she sipped her cup of coffee, said she had planned to vote for DeWine anyway, but it was nice to meet the senator. “I feel like I got a sense of who he is,” she said.

Others, like Smokey Walton of Hartwell, weren’t impressed. Walton said he’ll vote for DeWine, but only because DeWine is a Republican. “He’s the lesser of two evils,” Walton said.

Bob Harris agreed, but said he’s still not voting for DeWine. “He hasn’t followed the party line enough. I think he’s too much like (Sen. George) Voinovich, too much a maverick. I hate to say it … but I think he ought to be taught a lesson, the same lesson they taught his son.”

Pat DeWine placed fourth in the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District seat last year.

DeWine, a two-term senator from Cedarville, said he’s heard that threat before.

“Most of the people who tell you that will end up voting for me,” he said. “They don’t want to end up with a U.S. senator who is left of Ted Kennedy and that’s what my opponent is.”

DeWine faces Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown on Nov. 7.