Review: SWEET CARROT - A Fresh, Innovative Approach to Homemade Comfort Food
Hop on over to the SWEET CARROT on Tuesday, November 13th when it launches its newest location on Sawmill Road in Dublin, Ohio. I had the fortunate opportunity to catch a sneak peek prior to its opening. Serving all natural, made-from-scratch comfort foods with an emphasis on dietary needs, this restaurant offers much more than just carrots and alfalfa sprouts.
First, SWEET CARROT makes everything from scratch. From smoking their melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket for 16 hours to smoking pulled pork for 14 and even smoking tomato for an hour, you can be sure that every single ingredient that hits your palate is sourced from the most natural, freshest ingredients Ohio has to offer.
With a "hospitality/people-first" philosophy, SWEET CARROT caters to real people with real dietary restrictions. With separate menus for soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian options, you are sure to find the perfect dish to suit your needs. This includes being a strict nut-free restaurant and operating separate fryers and griddles for gluten/gluten-free needs so that there is absolutely no risk of cross-contamination. Even the staff are prohibited from bringing in their own lunch or outside food that contains any nut products whatsoever. And going above and beyond, the gluten-free cookies are wrapped separately so there is no contact with their counterparts.
Food safety is a top priority. SWEET CARROT has the highest grade blast chillers available and trains their staff and crew to ensure proper food preparation for each guest. SWEET CARROT also understands family. From the moment you walk inside, you will see a handmade wooden wagon with kids' menus, brightly colored whimsical decor with hand-drawn cartoon bunnies on the walls, and even pint-sized mirrors and stools in the bathrooms for the little ones.
The concept is simple. You start with a base of griddled corn cake, organic kale salad, sweet buttered roll sandwich or mac-n-cheese. Then you add a protein such as beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, or Ohio chicken meatballs. And finally top it off with house made dressings, sauces, aiolis, artichokes, corn salsas or cole slaw. The result? A fresh, innovative approach to healthy, homemade cuisine with all the sweet goodness to satisfy every customer.
Owner, Angela Petro, started with a catering business serving boxed lunches, then bought a food truck and a smoker and launched her very first event at the Columbus Arts Festival. On a truck and a dream, Petro was then catapulted into quick success. Featured in 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' Food Network's Guy Fieri calls the Ohio Chicken Meatball Sandwich "spot-on." Petro opened her first official SWEET CARROT restaurant in Grandview 3 years ago, then her second location in Polaris in February of this year. Good news (and food) travels fast, so it's no surprise that Petro is launching her latest Dublin location, and it probably won't be long before her concept is franchised. When asked about her success, she will not take credit alone. Although solo owner and operator, Petro swaps "I" for "we," emphasizing team playership and accountability. "It takes a village," Petro says.
Hop on board and come check out all the goodness SWEET CARROT has to offer. Tuesdays kids eat free with a paying adult. Eat in, deliver courtesy of Uber Eats or Door Dash, or cater your next event. Wine and beer is served seasonally. Visit https://www.sweetcarrot.com/ for more information.
From This Author - Christina Mancuso
Christina Mancuso, a mother of 3, has traveled to well over 70 cities on various Broadway National Tours. She is now residing in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio after spending a year in NYC to... (read more about this author)

November 9, 2022
The audience was thrilled to welcome home Columbus’s own sextuple superstar, Andrew Levitt aka Nina West, who has successfully conquered the entertainment genres of TV, film, theatre, music, web series, and most recently as an author of children’s book, “The You Kind of Kind.” His role as Edna Turnblad is just icing on the cake.

June 20, 2022
California Wine Country's award-winning Transcendence Theatre Company returned once again to the incomparable Jack London State Historic Park to celebrate its 11th season. And what better way to celebrate than through dance. Directed by acclaimed international director and choreographer Luis Salgado, 'Let's Dance' features a cast and creative team of international talent from all across the country and beyond, including Puerto Rico, Colombia and Spain. Salgado's vision was to 'bring the flavor of Latin culture to Broadway classics and present a show that is bold, high-energy, and embraced by all.' And that is exactly what he did.

May 20, 2022
Winning more than 100 international awards including three Tony Awards and a Grammy Award, WICKED has managed to cast its spell on more than 60 million people across the globe for nearly two decades, and is still going strong today. Read our critic's review.

March 30, 2022
An illustrious creative team is at the helm of PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, with direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award®-winner Jerry Mitchell, music and lyrics by Grammy®-winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and book by the movie's legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. But is that enough to make this stage adaptation successful? That depends.

February 9, 2022
Nominated for seven Tony awards in 2017 and winning Best Direction in a Musical under Christopher Ashley’s extraordinary direction, COME FROM AWAY landed in Columbus at the Ohio Theatre on Tuesday night to a welcoming and lively audience.