Last winter Summit Park lost the two restaurants at its main buildings within about seven weeks. Brown Dog Cafe served its last day on December 19, 2025, and Senate followed during the week of February 3, 2026. Both spaces are open again. Each sat empty for about eight months, and both new tenants run their main businesses somewhere other than Blue Ash.
MadTree took the former Brown Dog space for Alcove-Summit Park, which opened August 11. The team behind Alfio's Buon Cibo in Hyde Park Square and Noche in Covington took the former Senate space for D'Oro, which opened October 6. MadTree also runs MadTree Parks & Rec inside the park, so the company now operates two of Summit Park's three sit-down restaurants.
How the two spaces emptied out
The closings happened for different reasons, and both involved operators going back to something else. Local 12 reported that Brown Dog Cafe's owners were retiring when they closed the Summit Park location on December 19.
Senate had been at the park since 2017. WCPO reported that its owners called the week of February 3 its final week there because the lease was expiring, and that closing let them focus on their Over-the-Rhine businesses.
So the restaurant that left Summit Park pulled back toward the urban core, and the restaurants that replaced it came out from the urban core. Brown Dog's departure followed the same pattern a few weeks earlier. It was a long-running local cafe owned by people who were stepping away, and a regional brewery with locations in Oakley and Over-the-Rhine replaced it.
Alcove moved into Brown Dog's old corner
Alcove-Summit Park is at 1000 Summit Place, Suite A. FOX19 described it as an indoor oasis on the edge of the 130-acre park, with greenery covering the walls and ceiling, a greenhouse bar, and a private nook for large groups. The menu rotates with the seasons, alongside house cocktails and MadTree beer.
The company already knew this park. MadTree CEO Rhiannon Hoeweler told FOX19 the company had "received great feedback with MadTree Parks and Rec in Blue Ash" and saw Alcove as a place for "more elevated date nights, celebrations, and memory-making occasions." The other Alcove is in Over-the-Rhine, and the MadTree brewery is in Oakley.
One detail connects the restaurant to the park itself. According to FOX19, Hoeweler said MadTree plans to donate a portion of Alcove's revenue to Blue Ash Parks and Recreation to support its sustainability efforts.
At opening, FOX19 listed these hours: Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Summit Park's announcement said Alcove serves lunch and dinner daily, with brunch on weekends.
D'Oro is Alfio's team's everyday restaurant
D'Oro opened Tuesday, October 6, at 1100 Summit Place in the former Senate space. Chef Alfio Gulisano, Jennifer Birt and Michelle O'Brien co-own it, the same three who run Alfio's Buon Cibo and Noche. Alfio's Buon Cibo is at 2724 Erie Avenue on Hyde Park Square, and Noche is at 701 Madison Avenue in Covington.
CityBeat reported that the team designed D'Oro to be more approachable for everyday dining than Alfio's Buon Cibo, which leans toward fine dining. The name comes from "oro," the Italian word for gold. O'Brien explained the idea to CityBeat:
"We wanted D'Oro to feel special without requiring a special occasion."
The menu is Italian-Argentine, built around handmade pasta, steaks, dishes cooked over fire, empanadas and shared plates, with a large wine and cocktail program like the team's other two restaurants. The Cincinnati Enquirer's opening report named a short-rib Bolognese, spaghetti and meatballs, and empanadas among the dishes. Inside, there's a full-service bar, a main dining room, a patio, and a private dining room that seats up to 16.
D'Oro opened for dinner only, Tuesday through Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m., and said lunch would follow in the weeks after opening. A little over two weeks in, hours may already have changed, so check the current schedule before planning a weekday lunch there. D'Oro's own website still shows its pre-opening placeholder, so the reservation listing is the more reliable place to look.
Who runs Summit Park's kitchens now
MadTree Parks & Rec opened February 6, 2025, at 4321 Glendale Milford Road and serves brunch, lunch and dinner daily. MadTree's own location page describes it as inside the park. Here's how the park's three restaurants line up:
| Restaurant | Address | Opened | Operator's other locations | Before |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MadTree Parks & Rec | 4321 Glendale Milford Rd. | Feb. 6, 2025 | Oakley brewery, Alcove in OTR | n/a |
| Alcove-Summit Park | 1000 Summit Place, Suite A | Aug. 11, 2026 | Oakley brewery, Alcove in OTR | Brown Dog Cafe, closed Dec. 19, 2025 |
| D'Oro | 1100 Summit Place | Oct. 6, 2026 | Alfio's Buon Cibo in Hyde Park, Noche in Covington | Senate, closed week of Feb. 3, 2026 |
The table shows one company, MadTree, running two of the three restaurants. The other restaurant comes from a team whose best-known place sits on Hyde Park Square. None of the three operators started in Blue Ash, and all three built something new for the park. MadTree created a Parks & Rec concept there, and the second Alcove has its own greenhouse bar. D'Oro has its own name and its own cuisine, and its owners describe it as less formal than Alfio's.
That means a dinner at the park now is food from operators people may already know from Erie Avenue, Madison Avenue or Over-the-Rhine. The difference is a parking lot that's easier to deal with and a 130-acre park right outside.
Where the two new restaurants fit into November
The new restaurants open just before the busiest stretch of Summit Park's year. Here are the Blue Ash dates on the city calendar for the coming weeks:
- Wednesday, November 11, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Veterans Day Ceremony & Luncheon takes place at the Blue Ash Recreation Center, 4433 Cooper Road. The luncheon costs $7.
- Saturday, November 14. The Summit Park Ice Rink opens for the season and runs through January 10, 2027. During the opening period, weekday sessions run 5 to 8 p.m., and weekend sessions run noon to 2, 3 to 5, and 6 to 8 p.m. Each session costs $7 per person, skate rental included.
On a Saturday, the rink schedule leaves breaks between sessions. Weekend brunch at Alcove starts at 10 a.m., before the noon skate. The 6 to 8 p.m. session ends around the time most restaurants are winding down dinner, and Alcove serves until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, according to its opening-day hours. Summit Park hasn't posted its 2026–27 holiday event lineup yet. The rink page still shows last season's events and says new dates are coming soon, so watch that page if you're planning around a specific holiday event.
As of this fall, the two buildings at 1000 and 1100 Summit Place have restaurants in them again for the first time since February, and the park's ice rink opens on November 14.
The Julia Wesselkamper Group follows changes like these at Summit Park because they shape everyday life around Blue Ash. If you'd like to talk through what's opening near your street, or how the park's latest additions fit into a move you're considering, The Julia Wesselkamper Group would be glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
