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A Crust Above A Crust Above College Hill’s El Camino College Hill’s El Camino Baking Co. is serving up Baking Co. is serving up ‘real’ bread and pastries ‘real’ bread and pastries to the hungry masses. to the hungry masses. BY SEAN M. PETERS

BY SEAN M. PETERS

College Hill is now home to El Camino Baking Co., which, after several weekends of what it described in an Instagram post as a “barebones low key dry run,” is now open for regular bakery/co ee shop hours as of Aug. 24. e bakery is owned by Ryan Morgan, who gained national attention as owner and head baker of Sixteen Bricks, and pastry chef Megan Ketover, who’s established a great reputation in the industry as executive pastry chef for Boca and, more recently, Khora and Hart & Cru. is will be the rst time Morgan has opened a bakery with retail options instead of the wholesale business he’s used to running at Sixteen Bricks. “It’s super nerve-wracking to realize you’ve never had a retail location before,” Morgan says. “I run a pretty good sized wholesale operation, but it’s just kind of getting all of those other movements of navigating humans coming in — they really want a lot of attention.”

Morgan isn’t sure how he’s going to transition to direct customer interaction — the baker is well known for his congenially blunt way of communicating which, some might argue, translates incredibly well into the no-nonsense way he bakes.

“I’m gonna get canceled before this is all over,” he says between laughs. “ ey’re gonna be like, ‘this fuckin’ guy is mean!’”

As long as the quality of his baked goods continue to maintain their level of excellence, it shouldn’t be a problem. At the end of the day, don’t we all want a great loaf of bread more than a simpering baker?

To those familiar with College Hill’s dining scene, El Camino operates out of the building formerly occupied by Red Rose Jems Pizzeria. El Camino serves co ee along with all of its carbo-centric o erings and the shop is set to add pizza to the menu in the near future, once they build out the rest of their building, which will include a dining room. e bakery has yet to set a date for the launching of its pizza menu. “It’ll be Neapolitan, for sure,” Morgan says of the pizza style he’s going to approach. “I don’t think it’s going to be better than St. Francis [Apizza], but it’ll be very di erent.”

Neapolitan pizza is typi ed by its simple ingredients and airy, thin crust — not an unusual choice for a baker whose fermented pizza dough is meant to be the highlight of the dish.

As of the opening date, the bakery o ers an assortment of pastries — think seasonal fruit tarts, croissants and other elevated fare — and for bread, there’s cardamom and apricot bread made with khorason ancient grain our, pain de Campagne (French sourdough), schiacciata (Tuscan atbread similar to focaccia) made with Yocora Rojo our, whole wheat “Super Seed” loaves and spelt-made baguettes and pretzels. e menu rotates because, as Morgan puts it, El Camino gives him the chance to make bread that he wants to bake, not what his wholesale clientele requests.

“I’ve been running a big bakery and I’ve not been able to really focus on the things that have made me very happy,” Morgan says. “Baking and creating breads used to be something that made me exceptionally happy. And then over the years with working with chefs, you know, you’re making what makes them happy.”

Morgan has set up his stone mill in El Camino’s front window so passersby can enjoy a glimpse of how grain is turned into our.

“It’s up on a stage and it’s kind of enclosed like an aquarium so dust doesn’t go everywhere,” Morgan says. “I can just hang out in there and mill our and look like a circus act.”

Morgan’s bread is prized by consumers thanks to his adherent use of domestically grown wheat — not necessarily local, but Kentucky sourced. Because of this, he touts his bread to be superior to commercially available bread made from imported and overly processed our.

“I can keep prices down by feeding people real food,” he says. “It has better taste, a better nutritional value, there is zero waste because each part of the wheat berry that I put in is milled to a powder and turned into bread that you eat. It

College Hill is now home to El Camino Baking Co., which, after several weekends of what it described in an Instagram post as a “barebones low key dry run,” is now open for regular bakery/co ee shop hours as of Aug. 24. e bakery is owned by Ryan Morgan, who gained national attention as owner and head baker of Sixteen Bricks, and pastry chef Megan Ketover, who’s established a great reputation in the industry as executive pastry chef for Boca and, more recently, Khora and Hart & Cru. is will be the rst time Morgan has opened a bakery with retail options instead of the wholesale business he’s used to running at Sixteen Bricks. “It’s super nerve-wracking to realize you’ve never had a retail location before,” Morgan says. “I run a pretty good sized wholesale operation, but it’s just kind of getting all of those other movements of navigating humans coming in — they really want a lot of attention.”

Morgan isn’t sure how he’s going to transition to direct customer interaction — the baker is well known for his congenially blunt way of communicating which, some might argue, translates incredibly well into the no-nonsense way he bakes.

“I’m gonna get canceled before this is all over,” he says between laughs. “ ey’re gonna be like, ‘this fuckin’ guy is mean!’”

As long as the quality of his baked goods continue to maintain their level of excellence, it shouldn’t be a problem. At the end of the day, don’t we all gives you nutrition and bers and minerwant a great loaf of bread more than a als. It makes you poop and it makes you simpering baker? feel like you have energy and it doesn’t

To those familiar with College Hill’s weigh you down.” dining scene, El Camino operates out of Fresh bread is in high demand at El the building formerly occupied by Red Camino and runs out quickly, so if you Rose Jems Pizzeria. El Camino serves plan to buy a loaf, be sure and arrive co ee along with all of its carbo-centric early. o erings and the shop is set to add pizza to the menu in the near future, once they build out the rest of their building, which will include a dining room. e bakery has yet to set a date for the launching of its pizza menu. “It’ll be Neapolitan, for sure,” Morgan says of the pizza style he’s going to approach. “I don’t think it’s going to be better than St. Francis [Apizza], but it’ll be very di erent.” Neapolitan pizza is typi ed by its simple ingredients and airy, thin crust — not an unusual choice for a baker whose fermented pizza dough is meant to be the highlight of the dish. As of the opening date, the bakery o ers an assortment of pastries — think seasonal fruit tarts, croissants and other elevated fare — and for bread, there’s cardamom and apricot bread made with khorason ancient grain our, pain de Campagne (French sourdough), schiacciata (Tuscan atbread similar to focaccia) made with Yocora Rojo our, whole wheat “Super Seed” loaves and spelt-made baguettes and pretzels. e menu rotates because, as Morgan puts it, El Camino gives him the chance to make bread that he wants to bake, not what his wholesale clientele requests. “I’ve been running a big bakery and I’ve not been able to really focus on the things that have made me very happy,” Morgan says. “Baking and creating breads used to be something that made me exceptionally happy. And then over the years with working with chefs, you know, you’re making what makes them happy.” Morgan has set up his stone mill in El Camino’s front window so passersby can enjoy a glimpse of how grain is turned into our. “It’s up on a stage and it’s kind of enclosed like an aquarium so dust doesn’t go everywhere,” Morgan says. “I can just hang out in there and mill our and look like a circus act.” Morgan’s bread is prized by consumers thanks to his adherent use of domestically grown wheat — not necessarily local, but Kentucky sourced. Because of this, he touts his bread to be superior to commercially available bread made from imported and overly processed our. “I can keep prices down by feeding people real food,” he says. “It has better taste, a better nutritional value, there is zero waste because each part of the wheat berry that I put in is milled to a powder and turned into bread that you eat. It gives you nutrition and bers and minerals. It makes you poop and it makes you feel like you have energy and it doesn’t weigh you down.” Fresh bread is in high demand at El Camino and runs out quickly, so if you plan to buy a loaf, be sure and arrive early.

Ryan Morgan’s new bakery offers an assortment of pastries and bread.

PHOTO: SEAN M. PETERS

El Camino Baking Co., El Camino Baking Co., 5915 Hamilton Ave., College Hill. 5915 Hamilton Ave., College Hill. Info: instagram.com/ Info: instagram.com/ el_caminobakingco. el_caminobakingco.

EATS EATS Alice in Over-the-Rhine Delivers Imaginative Cocktails Alice in Over-the-Rhine Delivers Imaginative Cocktails in a ‘Retro-Future’ Setting

in a ‘Retro-Future’ Setting BY LEYLA SHOKOOHE

BY LEYLA SHOKOOHE

While Alice, a new bar in Over-the-Rhine, opened in late June, doesn’t take its name or inspiration from the one of Wonderland fame, the spot is just as charming and beguiling. Located in an old garage-warehouse on the corner of East Liberty and Main Streets, Alice stands apart from the other bar options in the area with colorful industrial vibes and clever cocktails.

“We opened Alice to bring a new experience to Cincinnati,” says Seth Maney, one of three partners in the building and business. “We wanted to bring these old empty buildings back to life for the love of the history, bringing an overlooked, but amazing, workshop to a public use.”

In 2018, Maney and his partners James Fisher (of Lost Hospitality and Somerset) and Joshua Smibert bought the building, formerly home to J.B. Schmitt Company from 1872 to 2012. e original plan had been to open the space in early 2020, but the COVID19 pandemic halted the timeline. e group then took 2021 to build their vision.

So why is it called Alice?

“It was a good contrast to the masculinity and the heaviness of an old world workshop from the 1870s,” Maney says. “It is about duality. If there’s a word that I could put with Alice, it would probably be the duality of the physical, the metaphysical, and your senses and your state of mind changing.”

Alice is a triptych of sorts: there’s the courtyard and patio, the indoor bar area and the disco room. e courtyard has a relaxing vibe accented by an art-light installation made from repurposed agricultural water tanks. e bar itself, a square concrete island in the middle of its room, makes people-watching, which still retains something of its pandemic rari ed glow, easier than ever. Exposed beams and a huge yellow duct, neon squiggles and a marquee-esque menu enhance the night-club-in-late80s-Germany vibes.

If a bathroom isn’t Instagrammable these days, did you even use it? Maney and crew enlisted a team of artists to transform each of the ve bathrooms in Alice as they saw t (one CityBeat favorite has a gobo projector and is excellent for sel es). e hallway leading to those bathrooms is a canvas, too - everything from the ceiling down is plastered in a retro collage of assorted magazine clippings, ephemera, show posters and nostalgia-inducing imagery.

“ e general vibe of the place is sort of this retro-future thing. ere’s a lot of old plastic vintage ephemera mixed with this concept of what the future could or would look like, sort of futuristic movies that are post-apocalyptic,” Maney says.

Seating inside of Alice is ample, with low couches and retro-cushioned seats. e open bar concept allows for good ow, a necessity in these semipost-pandemic days. General manager Rich Harwood (formerly of Japp’s and Neon’s), J.P. Mayer (who has led the beverage program at 21C) and Emily Patton are the beverage and bar leadership team. ere are six house cocktails, some pre-mixed standards, great wine options, and some fun non-alcoholic cocktails.

Indeed, the cocktail menu reads like a greatest hits album of sorts, with names like Beet on the Brat, Ari Up, Death of a Clown, Dead Flowers, Smoke & Mirrors and Dinner Party. Dead Flowers features bourbon, rose vermouth and cream sherry, served neat with a bit of lemon peel. e Ari Up is a super-fun and aesthetically pleasing, sexier version of a Long Island iced tea. e cocktail features a housemade cola and cardamom and looks like what Wednesday Addams would drink if she stopped by. ere are two house shots: the House Green Tea (which reads like an immunity booster, is crisp and full- avored) and the Co ee Crisis. Don’t sleep on the list of mocktails, or non-alcoholic cocktails, either. e icc Bitch is a spin on a strawberry shake, and if you’re in the mood to add some booze, rum renders it a cooler cousin to the pina colada.

Adjacent to the bar, the disco room is a huge black box-like space with a DJ and light booth upstairs, primed to pick up the dance-club mantle in a way no other bar has quite been able to do

While Alice, a new bar in Over-the-Rhine, opened in late June, doesn’t take its name or inspiration from the one of Wonderland fame, the spot is just as charming and beguiling. Located in an old garage-warehouse on the corner of East Liberty and Main Streets, Alice stands apart from the other bar options in the area with colorful industrial vibes and clever cocktails.

“We opened Alice to bring a new experience to Cincinnati,” says Seth Maney, one of three partners in the building and business. “We wanted to bring these old empty buildings back to life for the love of the history, bringing an overlooked, but amazing, workshop to a public use.”

In 2018, Maney and his partners James Fisher (of Lost Hospitality and Somerset) and Joshua Smibert bought the building, formerly home to J.B. Schmitt Company from 1872 to 2012. e original plan had been to open the space in early 2020, but the COVID19 pandemic halted the timeline. e group then took 2021 to build their vision.

So why is it called Alice?

“It was a good contrast to the masculinity and the heaviness of an old world workshop from the 1870s,” Maney says. “It is about duality. If there’s a word that I could put with Alice, it would probably be the duality of the physical, the metaphysical, and your senses and your state of mind changing.”

Alice is a triptych of sorts: there’s the courtyard and patio, the indoor bar area and the disco room. e courtyard has a relaxing vibe accented by an art-light installation made from repurposed agricultural water tanks. e bar itself, a square concrete island in the middle of its room, makes people-watching, which still retains something of its pandemic rari ed glow, easier than ever. Exposed beams and a huge yellow duct, neon squiggles and a marquee-esque menu enhance the night-club-in-late80s-Germany vibes. If a bathroom isn’t Instagrammable these days, did you even use it? Maney and crew enlisted a team of artists to transform each of the ve bathrooms in Alice as they saw t (one CityBeat favorite has a gobo projector and is excellent for sel es). e hallway leading to those bathrooms is a canvas, too - everything from the ceiling down is plastered in a retro collage of assorted magazine clippings, ephemera, show posters and nostalgia-inducing imagery. since the old Japp’s Annex days. e disco had its rst real outing during the nal weekend of Pride Month in June. e Alice team enlists Brave Berlin to do projection mapping, art and light in the disco room, with DJs and dancing every Friday and Saturday night. e space also is available for private events and rentals. “We have some really extraordinary spaces in Cincinnati, and those extraordinary spaces can create extraordinary experiences,” Maney says. “It’s important to pour your heart and soul and blood, sweat and tears into these buildings because once they’re gone, they’re gone, and the experiences they can engender are what make us unique. at’s really the culture and story of the city. We need to embrace our past but at the same time, push for the future.”

“ e general vibe of the place is sort of this retro-future thing. ere’s a lot of old plastic vintage ephemera mixed with this concept of what the future could or would look like, sort of futuristic movies that are post-apocalyptic,” Maney says. Seating inside of Alice is ample, with low couches and retro-cushioned seats. e open bar concept allows for good ow, a necessity in these semipost-pandemic days. General manager Rich Harwood (formerly of Japp’s and Neon’s), J.P. Mayer (who has led the beverage program at 21C) and Emily Patton are the beverage and bar leadership team. ere are six house cocktails, some pre-mixed standards, great wine options, and some fun non-alcoholic cocktails. Indeed, the cocktail menu reads like a greatest hits album of sorts, with names like Beet on the Brat, Ari Up, Death of a Clown, Dead Flowers, Smoke & Mirrors and Dinner Party. Dead Flowers features bourbon, rose vermouth and cream sherry, served neat with a bit of lemon peel. e Ari Up is a super-fun and aesthetically pleasing, sexier version of a Long Island iced tea. e cocktail features a housemade cola and cardamom and looks like what Wednesday Addams would drink if she stopped by. ere are two house shots: the House Green Tea (which reads like an immunity booster, is crisp and full- avored) and the Co ee Crisis. Don’t sleep on the list of mocktails, or non-alcoholic cocktails, either. e icc Bitch is a spin on a strawberry shake, and if you’re in the mood to add some booze, rum renders it a cooler cousin to the pina colada. Adjacent to the bar, the disco room is a huge black box-like space with a DJ and light booth upstairs, primed to pick up the dance-club mantle in a way no other bar has quite been able to do since the old Japp’s Annex days. e disco had its rst real outing during the nal weekend of Pride Month in June. e Alice team enlists Brave Berlin to do projection mapping, art and light in the disco room, with DJs and dancing every Friday and Saturday night. e space also is available for private events and rentals. “We have some really extraordinary spaces in Cincinnati, and those extraordinary spaces can create extraordinary experiences,” Maney says. “It’s important to pour your heart and soul and blood, sweat and tears into these buildings because once they’re gone, they’re gone, and the experiences they can engender are what make us unique. at’s really the culture and story of the city. We need to embrace our past but at the same time, push for the future.”

Every inch of Alice’s perfectly curated interior and exterior is meant to be documented on your Instagram feed.

PHOTOS: PHIL ARMSTRONG Every inch of Alice’s perfectly curated interior and exterior is meant to be documented on your Instagram feed.

PHOTOS: PHIL ARMSTRONG

Alice, 1432 Main St., Alice, 1432 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, aliceotr.com. Over-the-Rhine, aliceotr.com.