Ask anyone that knows me and they’ll tell you, I can subsist on a diet of Chinese food, pizza and buffalo wings. One particular week I survived on meals from five, yes FIVE, different Asian food restaurants. And I’ve eaten in twice in a day many times. Does that make me an expert? Hardly, but it does make me a sodium enriched book of knowledge about certain Asian foods and restaurants! Let’s clear a few things up before we go deeper here. We’ll lay some ground rules you might say. First, no one is arguing what’s authentic and what isn’t, because that’s dumb. Good food is good food even if it didn’t follow some puritanistic ritual before it hit the table or isn't how you'd find it made in a distant land. Second, If any counter argument includes the phrase “MSG’ or any similar wording...STOP. IMMEDIATELY. MSG is literally in at least one thing you eat everyday. This ridiculous stigma that somehow still exists about Asian Cuisine and MSG, seriously has to die a quick and painful death. That’s it, those are the ground rules. Now, let’s talk about how Lei’s Asian Bistro hand pulled their way right into my heart and my regular Chinese food rotation.

If Simple Times Mixers are "inspired by a time when real ingredients were the only option", then we need to hop in a time machine and all go there.  Admittedly I wasn't super excited about Simple Times at first.  They were always on my list to check out, and I figured I'd get there eventually.  I mean we all know what mixers are right?  Sugar water, high concentrated, alcohol diluting, drink ruining, ice melting, corn syrup filled, glorified grown-up juice drinks right?!  WRONG!  Let me break this down for you.  I'm eleven (ELEVEN!) bottles deep at home, and the story is always the same.  I can literally count the number of ingredients on one hand.  None of them start with high fructose, red dye, or "insert flavor" added.  They started off doing 10 gallon batches.  Now they're squeezing out...see what I did there...800-1000 gallons a week!

These 'mixers' (they are so much more than just a mixer, more on that later...) are NON-GMO, vegan, organic, triple distilled water packed, magic bottles that make your favorite cocktail just two pours away.  That's right, pour Simple Times, pour your favorite bottle and start enjoying.  All that said, I think this is the first company since I started my blog that I rock with the people just as much if not MORE than the product.  Read past the break and learn a little more about Simple Times, the team behind it, and just how hard they are working to put Columbus on the Map for all the right reasons!

Vegetarian & Vegan fine dining has arrived in Columbus. SŌW represents an upscale take on the limited vegan and vegetarian options on most menus. Right off the bat, you. Notice the sustainably healthy options reign supreme on the menu. Drinks, small plates, appetizers, all focus on the core tenants of being Sustainable, Organic, and promoting Wellness. What’s not directly mentioned is the goal of locally sourcing as much as possible, whenever possible.

The space itself is beautiful, and you’re drawn to the marquis, it’s beautiful and lit, and green and vibrant and...I could go on, but it’s just simply cool to see. The layout of the space is full of clean lines and crisp elements.

The juices are cold pressed, and this lifelong hater of beets, tried the Beet Drop juice cocktail and it was really, REALLY, good. The cucumber limeade was more my speed, but I’m glad I tried it.

The vegan/vegetarian options were the stars, along with a burger made from locally sourced, authentic wagyu beef from Sakura Farms. But to read more about those in detail, you can read more below.

Donna, Donna, Donna.... These donuts are pure perfection! I recently had the opportunity to visit Donna's Delicious Dozen, located between Gahanna and New Albany on Hamilton Rd. Everything about this custom donut shop screams at you to come in and see what you're missing. And you won't be disappointed. I entered just a few minutes before they closed on Sunday, and the shop not only smelled amazing it was spotless & clean! Not just the front of house, but I peeked behind the wall to eye the kitchen, and it was impeccably clean and tidy. That's huge, because one of my biggest gripes with other shops like this (If it walks like a "duck" and quacks like a "duck"...you know who you are Duck) is how crowded and cramped they are and how messy everything looks. Also, greasy donuts aren’t appealing. It’s one thing to be fresh out of the fryer, it’s another not to cook them properly so they don’t end up drowning in greasy inside. At Donna’s, that is NEVER an issue.

I watched the team complete a customer’s order, before placing my own, and the patience and care they took with each donut really stood out. This isn't a rush job, and they aren't in a hurry for you to leave. There's a decent size seating area, but the show happens behind the glass, so I watched from the counter. Each donut is hand dipped in your choice of glazes, toppings and drizzles or you can try one of the awesome preselected combinations. $7.40 gets you a half dozen donuts, or one for $1.40. When you realize that a donut from your chain coffee shops costs anywhere between .99¢ and $1.49, you'll realize this is a better deal, and the simple coffee or iced coffee may taste better too. Now for the menu...

Wow, I can’t believe this dream of mine is finally up and running. And I have to thank you for coming to my website. I’ve always loved food, my first cookbook was “Microwave Cooking for Kids” and the ‘best’ dish in it was something called Italian Squigglies. Looking back, I think it was a way for my mom to keep me safe, while at the same time letting me experiment in the kitchen. My sister and I just knew we were making gourmet meals, and I appreciate my parents for choking them down. Around 11 or 12 though, things changed and my mom started to teach me how to cook. I was all to happy to quietly learn. While my dad was somewhat of a picky eater, I knew she was talented in the kitchen. She’d introduce us to her native foods as often as possible and to this day, her food is the best comfort food around.

When I moved out, I’d try new things and send her pictures for her approval (I still do), or save leftovers for her to critique (now she makes requests!). Her feedback meant and still means everything to me. She likes to tell people that I’ve far surpassed her in the kitchen, but the way I see it... I’m still trying to live up to her skill. And that’s really what’s lead me here. I want to share everything I’ve learned and experienced with all of you. I want to hear what you like, and discuss where food can take us. I’ll share my recipes, and those from my friends and family, and I want to hear what you like, what you don’t, and how you took the inspiration and ran with it.

We’ll talk about Columbus’ food identity as well. Maybe when it’s all said and done we’ll have put Columbus on the map for more than just the most new concept restaurants that may or may not last, who knows, let’s be ambitious! Fellas, we’re going to work together to make sure we know the “Five Meals Every Man Should Know How to Make”. I’m talking simple, yet impressive staples that wow from the moment you present the plate, until the last bite is gone. And we will definitely cover why quality ingredients are the difference between an okay dish, and an unforgettable moment in time.

I don’t want to make great food, I want people to feel longing for the art they just consumed. And then I want them, and you, to think about how to improve it for the next time.

This site is very much under construction, so I thank you for coming, for your patience, and for the feedback I hope you will freely give. You may notice over time, that any ad on my site is because I’m repoing a product I believe in and use. Im currently applying to be an affiliate for companies like Anova Culinary and Instapot, among others. I refuse to ‘Google’ up my site with tracking ads and spam, so you’re information is safe here. This place may be my dream, but I want it to be something we all love together and nurture and grow.

Welcome to Sulli’s Kitchen, my kitchen, my world, my passion.


Sulli