We've been seeing a lot of progress at the corner of Lexington and Ashland as of late. The remake of The Place, the opening of Turnstyle Designs, and a slew of business developments over the past couple of years. Now we're seeing yet another big development unfold on Ashland, right across the street from The Place. It turns out that White Cow Dairy (Facebook), an extremely successful homegrown Buffalo business is in the process of converting a formerly nondescript and unnoticed shopfront into a colorful and creative outpost. "This Summer, we've taken a hole-in-the-wall space on Ashland & Lexington, that years ago was the Buffalo Cooperative Credit Union office," said White Cow Dairy co-owner Patrick Longo. "And we're making it into our Farm Shop: selling everything fresh we make at Blue Hill Farm, in East Otto, daily."
If you're not familiar with White Cow Dairy, then chances are that you're living under a rock (or not reading Buffalo Rising). It wasn't until I ran into a White Cow Dairy yogurt rack at Eataly in NYC that I realized just how far the wholesaler (and retailer) had made it.
White Cow is once again on the 'mooove'. As much as the wholesale business is flourishing, and the sales at the Bidwell Market are strong, White Cow has been looking for a home base in the city - a place to call home, where yogurt fans can go on a daily basis to find the addictive yogurt. "We have been seeking a Buffalo home for the food from our farm, for some time," Patrick told me. "The Bidwell Market is nice, but Saturday morning for six months of the year is insufficient for anybody serious about every day eating. Farmer's Markets are (seasonally) designed for fruits & vegetables, but for dairy: dairy never stops, and needs a roof on its head, where people can get what they want, all year round. We do a lot of things with milk people don't see too often, and we'll be doing all of it, and a little more, in Little Soho - where Ashland meets Lexington in a neighborhood stuffed full of trees and gardens and sidewalk homes from another century."
I'm a big fan of what White Cow Dairy is adding to the neighborhood, both inside and out. Just take a look at those gorgeous new transom windows made by James Sawyer's Sixth Dimension Stained Glass shop (located on Lexington). The facade has literally been transformed into a rustic work of art. The Farm Shop is just one more addition to a culinary movement that we are seeing in the neighborhood. Just down Elmwood we have also seen a killer cheese shop open and soon an artisanal cured meats business will open. Between the market-style purveyors and the number of great restaurants within walking distance, being a foodie in the Elmwood Village is full of delicious benefits. Patrick tells me that the Farm Shop will be ready for customers by the end of September.
too bad coppa is not opening this year