It started with a gyro cart and a dream one mid-October night during BLINK in 2022. Having been in the restaurant industry for years, Over-the-Rhine resident Alex Frohlich decided to take a chance and set up a recently purchased gyro cart in his apartment's courtyard during BLINK for neighbors and passersby to try some of his dishes and give their feedback. As luck would have it, the feedback was positive, and Frohlich remembers thinking, "There's something here; I'm gonna keep working towards this." And so Alley Baby began.
Food has been a part of Frohlich's life for as long as he can remember. Frohlich says he grew up in a big family, and his father traveled often. When he returned, they would make big meals with friends and family to gather and celebrate. "Us all being together and having meals together was important to my parents, and I'm glad we did," says Frohlich.
Family is a constant theme in Frohlich's story. He named his business after his dad's childhood nickname for him: Alley Baby. He even used his dog, Hank, as inspiration for the restaurant's logo.
One of his first jobs was as a busboy at the now-closed Houston Inn in Mason when he was 14 years old. From there, he graduated from the Cincinnati State Midwest Culinary Institute. After graduating, he worked off and on in the industry, from managing restaurants to working as a private chef. One of the families he worked for as a private chef for five years, along with friends and family, encouraged him to go out and start a business on his own, which is how he ended up purchasing the gyro cart for BLINK.
After a positive response during his BLINK debut, Frohlich started promoting Alley Baby more and undertook more catering gigs to test his food and spread the word. Around this time, Frohlich was working for a door company in Norwood, which happened to have a catering kitchen area. The building owner let Frohlich use the space to prep his food when he was just getting started. As fate would have it, this location would also become where Frohlich would choose to open his brick-and-mortar location for Alley Baby.
One of the first places Alley Baby set up shop was in Second Story’s back alley, where he set up a food cart on most weekends and sold food.
This year, Alley Baby was invited to participate in its first Taste of Cincinnati. "I saw it as an opportunity to get Alley Baby out there and kind of separate myself from these other businesses," he said. At its first Taste of Cincinnati, Alley Baby won Best of Taste in the appetizer category for their smoked chicken wings.
Since then, Frohlich has been working on opening his first brick-and-mortar location in Norwood, where RJ Distillery was located before moving to Eastgate. He plans to offer a laid-back spot with exceptional service and a lounge-like vibe. "I really want to put an emphasis on you coming in, chilling, relaxing and getting excellent food and service without having to worry about all these extra fees," he explains.
Many of Alley Baby's dishes are inspired by recipes Frohlich would make at home for friends and family, which he calls elevated comfort food. "I put a lot of time into every dish," he said.
Some menu items include the award-winning wings and a coconut chicken sandwich, another crowd-favorite at Taste of Cincinnati. There's also the Alley Baby burger, which is made with a lamb and Angus beef blend and topped with housemade Alley Sauce, lettuce, pickles and cheese. Frohlich also makes fresh-cut fries that are served with the sandwiches. The location also has an alcohol license and will serve drinks and spirits.
Living close to Findlay Market, Frohlich finds inspiration from the market, especially when it comes to using local ingredients. "Just walking around there has been great, and talking with the other vendors," he says. "I really wanted to make that a part of this when I could."
Frohlich also sources ingredients from his parent's small farm in Lebanon when he can. "My parents kind of have their own Funny Farm," laughs Frohlich. He says his dad has about a half-acre garden where he likes to get tomatoes and beans, along with duck eggs.
Frohlich is waiting to hear back from Norwood's Health Department with the official go-ahead before opening the brick-and-mortar location. He has the inventory and equipment in place and plans to offer delivery options immediately once he gets approval. From there, he plans to open the restaurant inside within two to four weeks.
Alley Baby, 2810 Highland Ave., Norwood. More info: instagram.com/thealleybaby.
This story is featured in CityBeat's Aug. 7 print edition.
