December 21, 2025 • 8 mins
Mindy and Mikaela speak with Lola & Giuseppe's owners on what's new and why to visit over the holidays and new year!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, one of the favorite Christmas songs of all, especially
for Mia Madre.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
All Right, so we are getting ready for this year's
annual Christmas cookie eating contest, and this year we have
probably some of the best cookies we've ever had part
of this competition with Kayla because they.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Are cookies from a bakery that was an offspring of
a concept that's been around Columbus for years, and Mindy
has a very personal connection to someone who kept it
going in Columbus, Ohio, Gehanna specifically, he's my couz.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Steve fan Selly is on the line with us right now,
the owner of Lola and Giuseppe's, which is in Gehannah. Steve,
first of all, thank you for providing the cookies for
this year's contest. That was nice of you.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Mark.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
We want to know a little bit about Lola and
Giuseppes because I was just saying off air we were
talking to our contestants that we'll introduce in the next segment.
I've had Lola and Giuseppes on my out to Eat
saved list on Instagram for a minute, like more than
a minute. I live in Hilliard, so I'm not always
out in Gehanna for dinner. But there's a story behind
Lola Andpes and can you tell us a little bit
about what it was before you took over things there?
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Well, yeah, Loa and Giuseppes was started by Lowland Giuseppe
I caaboned years ago, about eighteen nineteen years ago actually,
and they were ready to retire, and so our Elaine
and I and our two sons, Anthony and Nick bought
the restaurant from them about eight and a half years
ago and kept it going. And in addition, now we
(01:30):
added a bakery that came about because of all the
great response we got from our desserts that we were
sold at the restaurant.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Now, Steve, if I remember right, you held on to
the recipes, the original recipes from Lowland Guzeppes, and then added.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
To that right, oh, exactly, because we have the best
of both worlds. We got to taste their recipes and
if we couldn't make it better, we didn't. We kept
their recipes and then our family recipes are included in
that too. So Anthony has he's got the gift for
putting food together that just tastes great. And so some
(02:05):
of are family recipes and their family recipes, and it's
just what we think is the best.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
I love the history and all of that, and the
dishes and the cooking. I think it's so special and
important family family history in the family.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
So tell me a little bit about first of all,
on the kind of like the meal side of the house,
if you will, the actual restaurant. What are a couple
of the historic and most love dishes that you have
over there.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
We're well known for lasagna. We've gotten a lot of
rave reviews, and I agree our lasagna is very good.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
And then we have chicken parmesan, and we are very
homey Italian. It's not fancy, although Anthony's a chance to
get creative and show off his skills with his seafood
special that he runs every night. So we have some
good culinary skills as well, that's shown and those are
(03:03):
always good. But you know, the traditional spaghetti and meatballs,
the lasagna, kicking parmesan, marsalas, those are all great cellars.
You know.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I think we're automatically putting Mackayla on the naughty list
for not going over there, because let me tell you something,
when you walk into Lowlandeppes, you feel like you're in
Tuscany and Mikayla just got back from Italy and you
as one of our bat Like, if you want the
feel of Italy Tuscany, go to Lowlandeppees. Do you hear
that all the time, just the whole atmosphere, Steve, people
(03:35):
love going there.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
We do hear that, and that's really heartwarming because that's
really all we are. We're just the family that's cooking,
you know, And it reminds me of Mindy, our family
growing up, you know, going over Aunt Roses, Aunt Louisa's
and the great food that came up that came out
of those, out of our childhood, kind of inspired us
(03:58):
to continue on and look for a restaurant many many
years ago. Way before we found this, uh, we had
been we had it in our mind, in our radar
that we wanted to do something like this and it
came to fruition.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Mindy's a little bit emotional emotion.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Steve's dad, Frankie, and my mom were like best friends
first cousins, and so that's all we ever knew was
Frankie and Calm. We all were like one big family.
Its just I'm so glad that you're doing so well
with Lowland Zeppi's It makes me so happy, it truly
sincerely does. And then you open up this bakery and
I love the whole fact of this bakery. What are
(04:36):
our contestants going to be eating with these cookies that
you made?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Steve Well, I want to throw out there too before
we Before I do that, Grandma Minnie, we got to
remind remember her and her the cooking and her over
at Grandma Minie's basements. There was a lot of great
parties too. So the bakery then became when the space
became available and we'd kind of outgrown our ability to
do everything we needed to do at one and on kitchen,
(05:00):
so it became the bakery. And our bakery right now
is run by my grandson Evan and Melanie, two young kids.
I say kids, but they're you know, in their mid twenties.
But but they're passionate. They're really hard workers and creative
(05:21):
and they enjoy coming to work and it's fun watching them.
And then we have two others that help us out too.
Young we got Savannah and Brooklyn help us out there too.
But they're good kids, they work hard, they got great
work ethic. You don't hear a lot of that. You
hear a lot of the opposite of that.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
They work really hard and enjoy what they do, so
it's watched fun watching them develop and and the bakery
has really grown exponentially.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
So, Steve, what are our contestants having today?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm seeing some traditional cookies and right, yeah, so what's all.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
In these boxes?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Well, for the for the for the contest, we have
our traditional the chocolate chip, the peanut butter, the snicker doodles.
Those are some of the most popular, just traditional cookies.
And that's for the contest. And then we threw in,
uh a little something there for the for the studio
some of our other homemade cookies that you usually only
(06:24):
see around the holidays. Uh, these are cookies that you'll
find in our case almost every day.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I told Steve, I said, Steve, whatever you want to
show and bait for us, we'll put on the air
and I'll take a picture and help you promote it.
You know, I just want to want to try to
help with promotions. He's like, Oh, I told him, I said,
even if you have like cookies left over, instead of
throwing them out, just give them to us. We can
just do that to showcase. And he's like, there's nothing,
there's nothing. Last, No, you're going through so many cookies
(06:51):
right now, aren't you.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
We are we can't bake m up. We're doing the best.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
Right because we go ahead.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It's it's homemade. I mean, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
We're doing small batch, just like you would at home,
just like in your in your family kitchen that really
nobody has time to do anymore. And so these are
that's the whole concept of the cookies that you guys
are looking at. Those are cookies that we just do
small batch and we do our best to keep up
(07:22):
with the well.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
But these are absolutely you know, we.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Were talking earlier about how sometimes you got to say
no when you're planning your Yeah, let's I'm going to
show these on the Facebook live this box of these
beautifully dune cookies. But we were talking about how sometimes
when you're doing Christmas, you just got to say no.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
And what better way to say no than don't bake
as much. Go to Lowland just second and get homemade cookies. Yes,
that's just like your own.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
All right, we're gonna let you go, Steve. But what's
the best way that people can get more information on
your awesome restaurant and bakery at Lowland's Zeppi's in Gehanna.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
They smell amazing.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Absolutely most information. Our website is small, but it's very informational.
Nick takes care of that for us. It's uh Lola
and Giuseppes dot com. Most every anything you would need
to know, phone numbers and the menu and UH ordering reservations,
all of that is information right on the website. Rola
(08:18):
and Giuseppes dot com.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
Thanks, thank you so much for sponsoring this. We appreciate
it all.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Right, Minnie Michaela, keep up the good work.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Thanks. Merry Christmas, Steve, Merry Christmas to you.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Merry Christmas. This is what matters
Oh, one of the favorite Christmas songs of all, especially
for Mia Madre.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
All Right, so we are getting ready for this year's
annual Christmas cookie eating contest, and this year we have
probably some of the best cookies we've ever had part
of this competition with Kayla because they.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Are cookies from a bakery that was an offspring of
a concept that's been around Columbus for years, and Mindy
has a very personal connection to someone who kept it
going in Columbus, Ohio, Gehanna specifically, he's my couz.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Steve fan Selly is on the line with us right now,
the owner of Lola and Giuseppe's, which is in Gehannah. Steve,
first of all, thank you for providing the cookies for
this year's contest. That was nice of you.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Mark.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
We want to know a little bit about Lola and
Giuseppes because I was just saying off air we were
talking to our contestants that we'll introduce in the next segment.
I've had Lola and Giuseppes on my out to Eat
saved list on Instagram for a minute, like more than
a minute. I live in Hilliard, so I'm not always
out in Gehanna for dinner. But there's a story behind
Lola Andpes and can you tell us a little bit
about what it was before you took over things there?
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Well, yeah, Loa and Giuseppes was started by Lowland Giuseppe
I caaboned years ago, about eighteen nineteen years ago actually,
and they were ready to retire, and so our Elaine
and I and our two sons, Anthony and Nick bought
the restaurant from them about eight and a half years
ago and kept it going. And in addition, now we
(01:30):
added a bakery that came about because of all the
great response we got from our desserts that we were
sold at the restaurant.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Now, Steve, if I remember right, you held on to
the recipes, the original recipes from Lowland Guzeppes, and then added.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
To that right, oh, exactly, because we have the best
of both worlds. We got to taste their recipes and
if we couldn't make it better, we didn't. We kept
their recipes and then our family recipes are included in
that too. So Anthony has he's got the gift for
putting food together that just tastes great. And so some
(02:05):
of are family recipes and their family recipes, and it's
just what we think is the best.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
I love the history and all of that, and the
dishes and the cooking. I think it's so special and
important family family history in the family.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
So tell me a little bit about first of all,
on the kind of like the meal side of the house,
if you will, the actual restaurant. What are a couple
of the historic and most love dishes that you have
over there.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
We're well known for lasagna. We've gotten a lot of
rave reviews, and I agree our lasagna is very good.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
And then we have chicken parmesan, and we are very
homey Italian. It's not fancy, although Anthony's a chance to
get creative and show off his skills with his seafood
special that he runs every night. So we have some
good culinary skills as well, that's shown and those are
(03:03):
always good. But you know, the traditional spaghetti and meatballs,
the lasagna, kicking parmesan, marsalas, those are all great cellars.
You know.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I think we're automatically putting Mackayla on the naughty list
for not going over there, because let me tell you something,
when you walk into Lowlandeppes, you feel like you're in
Tuscany and Mikayla just got back from Italy and you
as one of our bat Like, if you want the
feel of Italy Tuscany, go to Lowlandeppees. Do you hear
that all the time, just the whole atmosphere, Steve, people
(03:35):
love going there.
Speaker 4 (03:37):
We do hear that, and that's really heartwarming because that's
really all we are. We're just the family that's cooking,
you know, And it reminds me of Mindy, our family
growing up, you know, going over Aunt Roses, Aunt Louisa's
and the great food that came up that came out
of those, out of our childhood, kind of inspired us
(03:58):
to continue on and look for a restaurant many many
years ago. Way before we found this, uh, we had
been we had it in our mind, in our radar
that we wanted to do something like this and it
came to fruition.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
Mindy's a little bit emotional emotion.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Steve's dad, Frankie, and my mom were like best friends
first cousins, and so that's all we ever knew was
Frankie and Calm. We all were like one big family.
Its just I'm so glad that you're doing so well
with Lowland Zeppi's It makes me so happy, it truly
sincerely does. And then you open up this bakery and
I love the whole fact of this bakery. What are
(04:36):
our contestants going to be eating with these cookies that
you made?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Steve Well, I want to throw out there too before
we Before I do that, Grandma Minnie, we got to
remind remember her and her the cooking and her over
at Grandma Minie's basements. There was a lot of great
parties too. So the bakery then became when the space
became available and we'd kind of outgrown our ability to
do everything we needed to do at one and on kitchen,
(05:00):
so it became the bakery. And our bakery right now
is run by my grandson Evan and Melanie, two young kids.
I say kids, but they're you know, in their mid twenties.
But but they're passionate. They're really hard workers and creative
(05:21):
and they enjoy coming to work and it's fun watching them.
And then we have two others that help us out too.
Young we got Savannah and Brooklyn help us out there too.
But they're good kids, they work hard, they got great
work ethic. You don't hear a lot of that. You
hear a lot of the opposite of that.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
They work really hard and enjoy what they do, so
it's watched fun watching them develop and and the bakery
has really grown exponentially.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
So, Steve, what are our contestants having today?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm seeing some traditional cookies and right, yeah, so what's all.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
In these boxes?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Well, for the for the for the contest, we have
our traditional the chocolate chip, the peanut butter, the snicker doodles.
Those are some of the most popular, just traditional cookies.
And that's for the contest. And then we threw in,
uh a little something there for the for the studio
some of our other homemade cookies that you usually only
(06:24):
see around the holidays. Uh, these are cookies that you'll
find in our case almost every day.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I told Steve, I said, Steve, whatever you want to
show and bait for us, we'll put on the air
and I'll take a picture and help you promote it.
You know, I just want to want to try to
help with promotions. He's like, Oh, I told him, I said,
even if you have like cookies left over, instead of
throwing them out, just give them to us. We can
just do that to showcase. And he's like, there's nothing,
there's nothing. Last, No, you're going through so many cookies
(06:51):
right now, aren't you.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
We are we can't bake m up. We're doing the best.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
Right because we go ahead.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It's it's homemade. I mean, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
We're doing small batch, just like you would at home,
just like in your in your family kitchen that really
nobody has time to do anymore. And so these are
that's the whole concept of the cookies that you guys
are looking at. Those are cookies that we just do
small batch and we do our best to keep up
(07:22):
with the well.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
But these are absolutely you know, we.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Were talking earlier about how sometimes you got to say
no when you're planning your Yeah, let's I'm going to
show these on the Facebook live this box of these
beautifully dune cookies. But we were talking about how sometimes
when you're doing Christmas, you just got to say no.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
And what better way to say no than don't bake
as much. Go to Lowland just second and get homemade cookies. Yes,
that's just like your own.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
All right, we're gonna let you go, Steve. But what's
the best way that people can get more information on
your awesome restaurant and bakery at Lowland's Zeppi's in Gehanna.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
They smell amazing.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Absolutely most information. Our website is small, but it's very informational.
Nick takes care of that for us. It's uh Lola
and Giuseppes dot com. Most every anything you would need
to know, phone numbers and the menu and UH ordering reservations,
all of that is information right on the website. Rola
(08:18):
and Giuseppes dot com.
Speaker 5 (08:19):
Thanks, thank you so much for sponsoring this. We appreciate
it all.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Right, Minnie Michaela, keep up the good work.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Thanks. Merry Christmas, Steve, Merry Christmas to you.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Merry Christmas. This is what matters
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