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

King Kebab is a Mediterranean restaurant that has a location in South Charleston. But, recently, they opened up a new spot in Kanawha City - which is closer to my home base now.



Though I didn't get a chance to go inside, the outside is bright with big signs that describe items they have. King Kabab is staying very safe during the pandemic. I was able to order my meal over the phone and simply drive up to the door, where they brought out my order and paid. OK, now let's get to the tasty stuff.



First up, chicken shawarma. If you've never had shawarma, you are missing out. It's like a little garlicky hug wrapped up in pita. It has chicken, lettuce, tomato, tahini, and garlic sauce in pita bread. But that garlic sauce is what makes it for me. It packs a punch that I just can't get enough of. And King Kabab does it right.



In my opinion, it's the best thing you'll find on pita bread.



And, then, I got a veggie sampler platter: falafel, grape leaves, hummus, tabbouleh, tahini and pita bread. I am pretty picky when it comes to falafel. Too often it's dry - but this. This was perfect. I kept dipping it in the hummus. And the grape leaves, which are a bit sour, have really grown on me. Everything felt fresh and satisfying.



Have you been?

Grade: A

Hibachi Express has opened on the East End of Charleston beside Main Kwong. Their specialties include hibachi, of course, sushi and Thai.
They seem to be focusing on carryout and delivery during these times, so I placed an order for delivery to check it out.



First up, we have cheese wontons, always. These had a lot of cheese - no crab - and were the turnover style, which I enjoy more. Stuffed to the brim with filling and served with some sweet chili sauce. Tasty.



Then, it was a regular spicy crab roll, as well as a West Virginia roll, which had shrimp tempura, avocado, crab, tobiko and a mango sauce. These were both OK ... not a ton of flavor, but nothing especially bad either.



We also tried the pad thai dish. I love pad thai. But, this too, didn't have much flavor. I was hoping for just a touch of heat and some spices but it was nothing of note. And, the shrimp weren't deveined, which is a pet peeve. Overall, not bad. But I would venture out to try some different options next time.



Grade: C

Tudor's Biscuit World is one of the few places during the pandemic that I can reliably count on to be open. And, I may have Tudor'ed myself out a bit by trying all of them in the local area. But now that I've taken a break, I'm back to get my biscuit fix.

The Lavalette Tudor's had a bit of a situation a few months back where an employee was shot and killed. So I wasn't in a huge rush to get to this location ... but here we are.

Now that I'm making my way through the last handful of biscuits, I ordered the strip bacon biscuit. It's pretty basic and kinda boring. We at least need cheese, right? This one was just OK.

Grade: B