Vik-Thor's Journal

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/09/30/brunching-it-up-at-alcove-by-madtree-brewing/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57534

Cincinnati is home to many breweries, and two of the most well-known are Rhinegeist and MadTree Brewing. I don’t drink beer, so I’ve never made it a point to visit any of these famed breweries. I always figured there was somewhere more in my wheelhouse to check out.

Two weeks ago, two of my friends from Wisconsin were coming to Cincinnati for a concert. Though it was a short trip for them, they had just enough time before they left to have brunch with me. While I definitely know a place or two for dinner and drinks in Cincy, I am much less versed in the ways of Cincy brunch locations. So, I had to ask one of my Cincy resident friends for a brunch recommendation, and she pointed me in the direction of Alcove.

I had never heard of Alcove before, and I never realized MadTree even had a restaurant at all. When I looked it up, I was immediately enticed by the well-lit, wide-open space, warm tones from all the wood furniture and flooring, and the wild amount of plants they had occupying the space. I loved the look of it, and after checking out their brunch menu, I was sold, and made us reservations.

Alcove is open every day of the week for lunch and dinner, as well as having their full brunch available from 10-3 on Saturday and Sunday. During the weekdays they still have their brunch but with a limited menu instead of the full version. Apparently this is a more recent change!

When my friends and I arrived, we were asked if we wanted to be seated in the main area, the patio, or the greenhouse. We were all intrigued by the sound of the greenhouse, so we picked that and were led to a room just off the main area that had floor-to-ceiling windows, vibrantly colored velvet furniture, even more plants, and its own bar. It was a really pretty space and we were glad we chose it.

After perusing the menu, we decided the best thing to start off with would be some of their spiked coffee options for a bit of a boozy brunch moment.

I opted the for the espresso martini, which consisted of vanilla vodka, cold brew, hazelnut liqueur, vanilla simple, cocoa bitters, and came with a brûléed top. My friend Austin got their spiked coffee which comes with vanilla, amaretto, salted maple cream, and your choice of spirit. He went with bourbon, specifically Buffalo Trace (which was an upcharge). Mattea started off with an iced coffee which is what you see in the photo, but then later tried their Double Dirty Chai which is just vanilla infused bourbon, chai, espresso, and your choice of milk. I didn’t get a photo of that one but she was kind enough to let me try it and I thought it was quite good even though I don’t care for bourbon. Austin’s hot bourbon coffee was definitely too bourbony for me, though. Mattea and I agreed my espresso martini was super yummy.

For something to share, we settled on their charcuterie board. If you aren’t feeling the meat, you can make it just a cheese board for nine dollars cheaper. Here’s what we got:

On the menu the description is basically just “artisan meats and cheeses,” and I kind of thought that when the server brought it out she would tell us what all came on the board, but that didn’t end up happening so my friends and I just placed our bets on what was what. While I did like everything on the board, I do think it was just a little sparse. I would say this is better if it’s just you and one other person, rather than trying to share between three or four people.

For our mains, Mattea and I ordered the exact same thing: the Crispy Tofu and Couscous, as well as the Potato Gnocchi as a side. Austin went for a true brunch classic: Chicken and Waffles.

When our food came, Mattea and I were presented with something definitely different than what we ordered. Before us sat the Crispy Tofu Sandwich. It was a simple mix-up, and we both debated whether or not to say something or just eat the sandwich. Finally, we mustered the courage to say something, and our server let us keep the sandwiches on the house and brought out our correct item soon after. Hooray for free sandwiches!

Here was our Crispy Tofu and Couscous with broccolini, sun dried tomatoes, and red pepper puree:

All of the red pepper puree is at the bottom, so you can just barely see it in the photo, but once I got everything all mixed together it was a lot more evenly distributed over the couscous and whatnot. I didn’t get a picture of the gnocchi, but it came with a roasted garlic cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and asparagus. The gnocchi was really good, I ended up eating way more of that than my main dish, and had to get a box because I tore up my gnocchi.

And here was the chicken and waffles:

(Austin added an over-easy egg on top.)

We took this opportunity to order another round of drinks. Austin picked the mimosa flight, which came with orange juice, peach juice, cranberry juice, and pineapple juice.

Austin, Mattea, and I all agreed on a ranking of pineapple being the best, then cranberry, then orange, and finally peach.

And I got their Basil Rosé, which was gin, rosé, basil, lime, and simple:

This cocktail was so summery and light, very refreshing and perfectly sweetened.

While we were dining, a photographer came over and asked if he could take some pictures of us enjoying our meal and hanging out. We obliged, and in return he gave us each a ten dollar gift card to use towards our bill. That was so generous! He really did not have to do that, we were totally fine being a part of his photos for free, but that was really cool.

All in all, we really enjoyed our brunch at Alcove by MadTree Brewing. It’s an eclectic, beautiful space right in OTR, with tons of gluten-free and vegetarian options, good drinks, and good service. I definitely want to go back sometime, and I’m happy to now know of a good brunch place in Cincinnati.

After our experience at Alcove, I decided to look up MadTree and see what else I was missing out on. It turns out they have two other locations besides Alcove. They have a taproom over in Oakley, and a location they call “Parks & Rec” up in Blue Ash. All of their locations are open everyday of the week, and their Parks & Rec location even serves brunch all day, everyday!

Both the Oakley Taproom and Parks & Rec are dog-friendly and family-friendly, but the Parks & Rec location appears to really excel in the family-friendly aspect, with indoor and outdoor play areas for kids and recreation for all ages. Their Parks & Rec location is also designed with every type of family in mind, with their Branch Out initiative, which aims towards accessibility and inclusivity for all. You can read more about their efforts on that front here.

Aside from that, I was really interested to learn about MadTree’s commitment to the environment. I learned that they are the only certified B-Corp brewery in Ohio, and belong to a whopping 0.2% of B-Corp breweries overall. They are also a part of 1% For The Planet, 100% of their spent grain goes to feeding livestock, they plant or donate 5,000 trees a year, and even pay their employees for 16 volunteer hours a year. There’s even more to learn about their sustainability efforts and commitment to community if you want to check it out here and here.

Overall, MadTree seems like a super cool company with a lot to offer Cincinnati. I can’t believe I overlooked it before just because I don’t like beer! I would love to check out their other locations, and support them and their efforts towards making Cincinnati a healthier, happier place.

Do you like spiked coffee? Are you a brunch connoisseur? Have you tried MadTree Brewing before, or any of their locations? Let me know in the comments, be sure to check out MadTree Brewing, their Oakley Taproom, Parks & Rec, and Alcove on Instagram, and have a great day!

-AMS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/09/30/brunching-it-up-at-alcove-by-madtree-brewing/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57534

Posted by Athena Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/09/30/the-big-idea-becky-ferreira/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=57529

For as long as people have been looking up at the stars, there have been thoughts about aliens. Are they humanoid, or completely and utterly different from us? Are they benevolent or world-conquering? Author Becky Ferreira shines some light on the subject in the Big Idea for her newest book, First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession With Aliens. Follow along in her Big Idea to see if they come in peace.

BECKY FERREIRA:

Aliens will always be with us, even if we never find them.

Earth is awash in aliens. 

They dominate our popular culture: In 2025 alone, aliens starred in blockbuster films from Superman to Predator: Badlands and streaming favorites from Alien: Earth to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Whenever unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) are captured on film—like the recent firing of a Hellfire missile at a mystery object—aliens are top of mind for millions of people. 

Meanwhile, the ancient dream of discovering extraterrestrial life is entering an exciting new phase. This year, potential biosignatures were found on Mars and in the skies of an exoplanet 124 light years from Earth. These are just the latest tantalizing hints that life might exist beyond our world—though none has remotely approached the high bar of an unambiguous alien detection.

I’ve covered the search for alien life as a science reporter for the past 15 years, and also written a great deal about our broader cultural fixation on aliens. In my new book First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens—out from Workman Publishing on September 30—I aimed to provide a one-stop primer for all the diverse meanings that aliens hold to people. 

The book traces the origins of our hunch that we are not alone in the universe deep into prehistory. It chronicles the massive pop culture footprint of aliens, and the thriving subcultures that believe they already walk among us. It spotlights the ingenious ways that humans have learned to search for life—from the shiny beryllium mirrors of space telescopes, to the dusty wheels of Martian rovers, to the algorithms that comb through sky surveys looking for any sign of intelligent beings out in the dark. It imagines what might happen if we one day confirm our ancient suspicion that “others” exist—and what it would mean if we really are alone.

First Contact was a joy to write, but it wasn’t an easy ride. I set out to cram as much pertinent material about aliens into the pages as possible, while keeping it short enough to be read in an afternoon sitting. I read dozens of books and countless studies, but there is simply no way to ever adequately keep pace with a topic that has inspired such immense creativity and diverse interpretation. I’m happy with how the book turned out; now I just need to churn out another 700 volumes.

The development of this book also coincided with some major life changes. I got to work on it as my son was rapidly morphing from a baby into a toddler with big opinions (and emotions to match). As I pondered how humans might communicate with an advanced alien species, I was often simultaneously trying to decipher the expressions of a tiny wild person—to interpret his gestures and muddled sentences, to make him laugh, to console him, to share his wonder. 

During the writing process, I was also rebuilding my freelance reporting career from scratch after a decade on staff at a media company that flamboyantly self-destructed (many such cases). Fortunately, I have now found my footing, which I don’t take for granted. Still, this stressful and tiring experience often inspires daydreams about slipping into a Rip-Van-Winkle slumber that takes me straight through to 2050 when I wake up feeling refreshed at last.

That said, aliens turned out to be great company throughout all the trials and tribulations. They were with me during the midnights I spent coaxing the kid back to sleep; the 3am writing sessions in the serene pre-dawn dark; the hammocked summer afternoons reading the latest extraterrestrial saga; and evenings revisiting classic films about the moment we finally make contact with something—someone—beyond our home world. 

The story of our obsession with aliens is ancient, but I truly believe it has never been more engrossing. We may be on the cusp of finally resolving this most elusive question, or we may face a future alone in a silent universe. 

Regardless of the outcome, I hope that First Contact will be a reminder that the search for extraterrestrial life is a human odyssey, an heirloom passed down by our stargazing ancestors marked with the fingerprints of each successive generation that has inherited it. It is an effort that looks to the sky for alien life, sure, but it also embodies the cherished homegrown values that I am trying to instill in my own young Earthling: curiosity, imagination, resourcefulness, and appreciation for a cosmos that is awesome in every sense of the word, no matter who else might be sharing it with us. 

FIRST CONTACT: The Story of Our Obsession With Aliens: Hachette|Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Powell’s

Author socials: Website|Newsletter|X|Instagram|Bluesky

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/09/30/the-big-idea-becky-ferreira/

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