Author: Carolyn Batt

Carolyn Batt is a Buffalo marketing director by day and international traveler the rest of the time--although always returning to her home for the past 12 years in Allentown.

It’s been almost 100 years since Elmhurst first began as a traditional dairy in New York City and grew to be one of the largest dairies on the east coast. But with the arrival of the 20th century, dairy was on the decline. In 2016, second-generation owner, Henry Schwartz, closed Elmhurst’s last dairy. However, this wasn’t the end of the company. A year later, Elmhurst 1925, a plant-based milk company in Elma, NY emerged. Why Elma? Schwartz’s family is also the co-founder of Steuben Foods, which is headquartered in the Buffalo suburb. Steuben is known for their aseptic packaging, or…

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Just as spring has finally seemed to arrive in Buffalo, so has the newest kombucha microbrewery and taproom. Big Norwegian will land at 500 Seneca later this season and feature an exciting array of kombucha flavors from a seasoned brewer—owner and founder Andy Bannister, aka the “Big Norwegian.” Big Norwegian will be a giant ode to Bannister’s heritage and family. Hailing from the First Ward, and a current resident of Larkinville with his wife and two young daughters, his new kombucha undertaking is set right in between these locations, in the Hydraulics District. Bannister’s father-in-law, a carpenter, built the central…

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In August, we wrote about Hyatt’s future home in North Buffalo coming to fruition.  As of January 24th, Hyatt’s has settled into its new location, the former Frontier Lumber site at 1941 Elmwood in North Buffalo. This new location combines the store’s offerings from its previous Allentown and Clarence locations, while offering an expanded selection of products, workshop and event spaces. Set far back from the street, Hyatt’s new, 42,000 square foot space boasts 15,000 square feet of retail space and 27,000 square feet of warehouse, office, and frame shop space. Its striking blue and purple façade and industrial interior…

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Homefront, Inc, one of Buffalo’s community development non-profits, and a very important resource for home ownership in Buffalo and Erie County, is rehabbing six houses on 19th Street on the City’s West Side. The houses will be gutted down to their foundation frames and will feature new roofs, new siding, new windows, new interiors, new wiring and new mechanicals. All of the rehabs will sell in the range of $49,000 to $56,000 with a purchase subsidy and are targeted for first-time homeowners. The rehabbed dwellings will all be single-family units. The first house rehab, 106 19th Street (top image and right,…

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Last night during the premiere of Tableland, Buffalo debuted its own culinary exploration in Buffalo: You’ll Eat it Up! Filmed and edited by Buffalo’s own award-winning filmmaker, John Paget, and produced by the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, Buffalo: You’ll Eat it Up! is a short film highlighting the rich culinary scene in our Queen City. Nelson Starr of Truebluebuffalo.com is the host of this collaboration of Buffalo’s regional favorites, fine dining, farmer’s markets, wineries and food festivals. From the recent creation of Beef on Weck maki rolls at SeaBar to the age-old tradition of Beef on Weck at…

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Chow Chocolat, located at 731 Main Street, is one venue I wish I would have hit during Restaurant Week for their offering. Alas, I didn’t, but luckily they will be hosting a slew of events in the upcoming months. As Chow’s website says, they are the only true chocolatier in Buffalo, also choosing to eliminate the use of artificial ingredients that equates to some awfully delicious confections. And not only is there chocolate, but Chow also offers organic free trade coffee and espresso, all served in biodegradable, environment-friendly cups, and pastries and baked goods. Go check out the chocolate, the…

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It was back in 1951 that William Steinberg, the then-conductor of the BPO, requested that Buffalo-born artist Martha Visser’t Hooft construct sets and costumes for the BPO’s production of Igor Stravinsky’s piece, “A Solider’s Tale”. Now, years later, the piece and scene from 1951 will be recreated by the Buffalo Chamber Players (BCP) and Buffalo Soundpainting Ensemble. The BCP is made up of members of the BPO and other highly-regarded area musicians, and the Buffalo Soundpainting Ensemble is comprised of a group of dancers, actors, poets, and visual artists working in the medium of structured improvisation under Christian Brandjes, assistant…

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Buffalo State theater student Jason Lee Klinger zeroed in on the idea of a vampire love saga long before the relatively recent Twilight phenomena began, but his version is just a bit different. His story chronicles a zombie going after a vampire in “Zombie Loves Vampire”.          Klinger’s digital HD-short, a romantic comedy of sorts, is set in the streets of Buffalo. Receiving permission for filming at certain areas of the city proved difficult for the film maker, but others weren’t quite as difficult, Klinger says, like “the exterior of the Unitarian Church at Elmwood and West, an undisclosed cemetery…

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Every year Buffalo State College hosts Take Back the Night. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the event that is dedicated to returning a voice to survivors of sexual violence. In previous years over 300 students, faculty and staff have attended the event.For Take Back the Night 2009: Do Something!, performances by Tha Ink Club and Casting Hall have been scheduled, as well as a special performance by two Buffalo State students. Two survivors of sexual violence will also speak about their experiences. The event takes place from 6:30-9PM this Friday, April 24th in the Campbell Student Union Social…

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ECMC  has presented a donation of $8,673 to Harvest House and Good Neighbors Health Care, which they accepted gleefully. The check was presented to the founders of Harvest House, Gary and Linda Tatu, by ECMC Board of Director Chair Sharon L. Hanson and CEO Jody L. Lomeo. It was 16 years ago that the Tatus chose to purchase the former South Presbyterian church and Sunday school building at 1782 Seneca Street in Buffalo, following with renovations that transformed into a Baby and Children’s Ministry and Christian Retreat Center. Today these buildings are now known as Harvest House. In the years after the…

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