Markets are my happy place. My dream is going from stall to stall, getting a bite at each place to create a full meal. That's why, when Dawn and I heard about Center Street Market juuuust opening, we headed that way STAT.



Center Street Market, located in Hilliard, Ohio, is home to a handful of restaurants, as well as Crooked Can Brewery. 



Ready? Let's go check it out. 

The Cheesecake Girl 











The Cheesecake Girl has a bunch of different kinds of cheesecake, including little mini bites like cookie dough, buckeye and brie & fig. I loveee the mini option so I can try a few flavors - and they were all fantastic. The cookie dough had a brownie crust, the buckeye is Ohio's best dessert, and the brie & fig is a perfect flavor combo. Also while here, they had a little stand of Uncle Giant's Tokels, which apparently are Filipino in origin. They're like buttery shortbread cookies that are crumbly. 

Bakes By Lo







Bakes By Lo had these giant homemade cookies staring at me. There were really only a handful of flavors, but they all sounded so good. The dried cranberry and macadamia nut was speaking to me. Just slightly tart paired with sugary cookie and buttery nutty. So good. 

Dumplings of Fury







Dumplings! Dumplings of Fury has a location in Seattle and Hilliard... odd mashup? BUT, one of the stops I was most excited for. I ordered the "Shrimp and Chive" dumplings, which were perfectly pan-fried and plump and tasty. And, I also went for the pork belly bao, because there are so few places to get bao buns in West Virginia, and this included the pork belly, cucumber salad, peanuts and green onion. Mmmm. 

Rime Time







Are artisan popsicles the new trendy thing? If you're Rime Time, that answer is yes. They have a really cool list of flavors like blueberry lemonade, avocado, and my choice: peanut butter and jelly. I was shocked at how good this really was. I'm not a peanut butter superfan, but this creamy popsicle with pops of sweet fruity jelly was perfect. 

Coffee Connections







Apparently I'm really into lemonade lately, because even at Coffee Connections, I went with a blueberry pomegranate lemonade. So refreshing for a warm day. 

Al's Delicious Popcorn









OK I said earlier that popsicles might be trendy, but gourmet popcorn may be even more so. Al's Delicious Popcorn has over 65 flavors. I chose the s'mores, because of course. It was pretty sweet - I would've liked some more salt, but very tasty nonetheless. 

Meatball Mafia







W?HO? doesn't love a good meatball?! I could've taken the easy way out at Meatball Mafia and had just a single taste of a meatball. But, let's be real, I had to go with a full Uncle Junior, which is a meatball sub with provolone/mozzarella. This just hits the spot.



There are a couple places that I'll need to check out on the next visit, like the Crooked Can Brewery, Pita bilities and Two Step Tacos.

It's no secret that ice cream may be my one true love. But one secret may be that most ice cream shops aren't really making their own ice cream. Nay, often it's from Hershey's or some other bulk provider. So when there's an ice cream shop that makes their OWN ice cream. I'm there.



The Little Ice Cream Shoppe in Hilliard, Ohio, does just that. 



And, they have a bajillion flavors. You can check out all of the ones they cycle through on the blackboard wall. And then the current selections are in the cold case. 



As is always my challenge with ice cream - do I go fruity? Or chocolatey? I love both. But it just depends on my mood. 



Because it was a warm day, I went for a fruity choice. I ordered two scoops: one of a watermelon sorbet and one of cherry ice cream. Are you shocked it isn't salted caramel? Sometimes I switch it up.



And, I'm glad I did. This was so refreshing and flavorful. And not flavorful in the artificial, "essense of" way. But in the real watermelon-real fruit kind of way. 



While we were there, they were whipping up a mint ice cream that filled the entire shop with the scent. 



Have you been?

Grade: A

Columbus is full of incredible restaurants, and its suburbs are as well. In Hilliard, the first restaurant that popped up over and over again was Starliner Diner.


Starliner Diner is known for Cuban food and breakfast - not a combo you see often. But, one that is enticing nonetheless.



"Since beginning its operation in 1995, Starliner Diner has been a local favorite to consumers in the Hilliard community and beyond. With its eclectic menu and kitschy decor, Starliner offers customers an alternative to the cookie cutter, big chain restaurants by providing them with a unique and fun dining experience.



The Cuban inspired menu also includes American and Southwestern influences and features popular dishes such as Creole Macaroni and Huevos Rancheros. This one of a kind restaurant is most often celebrated for its breakfast, and has won several awards including Best Breakfast in Columbus, Best Hangover Breakfast in Columbus, and Best Diner in Columbus as voted on by the readers of Columbus Monthly. Columbus Alive, and 614 Columbus. Be Sure to visit this Hilliard area staple and see what everyone is talking about!"



The building is unassuming outside, but once you enter, it is super colorful and painted from floor to ceiling. It has a celestial, and sunny, motif. The menu had turned to digital, simply by scanning a QR code on our table (genius!). Tons of items caught my attention: cajun jambalaya, adobo pork loin, cuban sandwich, cornbread crusted chicken casserole...



But I went with a plantain appetizer to start, and the Creole Macaroni - Chicken, Cajun sausage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and corn tossed in a Cajun cream sauce. Served with Cuban bread.



The plantain appetizer combined that sweet and salty that I love so much. I love the fried texture to give some crisp to the mooshy plantain. And the macaroni packed some heat - in a huge package. I loved the different components with the scallions and sausage, but the pasta and sauce itself could've used some more cheese or deeper flavor. Still good overall!

Grade: B

Even though 2020 has been the weirdest year ever, I am still staying busy and eating as much as I possibly can. The past couple months have been sparse for blog content - not because I haven't been trying new restaurants - but because I bought a house! So all of my free time has gone toward getting settled. So I apologize for the delay - but let's get to it and talk about a new-to-me pizza spot: Donatos.



Donatos is Dawn's favorite pizza, so we had to hit it up while in Hilliard, Ohio (which is the Columbus area). It is "America's original Edge to Edge pizza" on their famous thin, crispy crust. It is cut into squares - also known as "tavern style" or "party style." I feel like I see this in the Midwest only.

The crust is, indeed, very thin - but wasn't particularly crisp. And, the sauce really did go allll the way to the edges, so if you don't love the puffy crust at the end or even the super crunchy bit, this may be for you. I liked the flavor of the sauce - mild, but not bland. And they were not skimpy on the toppings, even on a small pizza. It's not my preferred pizza, but it may be my favorite of this style!

Grade: A

My favorite pizza of all time, DiCarlo's, is centered primarily in the Ohio Valley, But they have some outliers - like Myrtle Beach and the Columbus area.



I'm nothing if not dedicated, so I knew I wanted to knock off ALL the locations of DiCarlo's eventually - not just the ones in West Virginia. That led me to this Hilliard location.



If you've been hiding under a rock (just kidding :)), DiCarlo's is Ohio Valley-style pizza - a crisp baked crust with a slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce. Once that's baked, they sprinkle fresh mozzarella cheese on top so it gently melts. It's perfect. And controversial - because some people like their cheese to get so melted it turns into a greasy glob.



The DiCarlo's locations further away from the Ohio Valley tend to be a bit more modern - with accepting debit/credit cards and having actual indoor dining. The Hilliard location follows that trend.



But they do keep their menu simple - pizza, pepperoni rolls, soda. I went classic 8 cuts (or pieces) with mushrooms. Why? That's as many as typically fits in one box.



So, it's pretty much the same DiCarlo's I know and love, but with just little tweaks. The mushrooms didn't have the garlic salt I love, and much of the mozzarella was very long shreds. But - still great taste.



Have you tried this location?



Grade: A