What’s In A Name?
What’s In A Name?
Ellicottville is a patchwork quilt of history, little story squares that meld to paint a picture of a place where lives have interwoven for generations. This year, as Ellicottville celebrates its bicentennial, ellicottvilleNOW delves into the stories behind the names of the town’s favorite businesses. These are tales of family, fortune and fate, rooted in the love of wintry hills and weekend trips that turned into forever.
THE ASHFORD STATION BISTRO
5386 Depot Street West Valley, NY 716-942-3040
Tucked away on Depot Street in West Valley, there lies a little juncture of paradise. Cozy yet elegant, The Ashford Station Bistro, nicknamed “The Station,” was once, you guessed it, a railway station.
It was, in fact, one of the first railway stations in the town of West Valley, a waystation for cargo and passengers from across the East Coast. After the derailment of the station in the late 60s, the Ehman family purchased the building. The main owner, with founder Emily Tingue, transformed the derelict old building. Both lovers of historic trains and locomotives, the founder-owner duo decked the restaurant in fun, train-themed paraphernalia. Highlights include a 1920s carnival train, vintage railroad signage, and black-and-white photos of locomotives and steam engines from Pittsburgh to Buffalo.
Kicking it up another notch, Emily themed the restaurant’s dishes after important train-related moments in history. Some of her favorite delicacies and aperitifs include Crazy Train Tacos, the Wabash Bomb, The Wig-Wag Sandwich, and the Orange Blossom.
“It isn’t just great food,” Emily explains, “it’s also an educational experience for all ages.” Railfan, trainspotter, ferroequinologist, or newbie, all are welcome at The Station.
DAFF DRY GOODS
17 Washington Street Ellicottville, NY 716-699-2293 daffevl.com
In 1992, Arleen Solly moved to Ellicottville. Finding a kindred spirit in local legend Dina Dipasquale, the two businesswomen became close friends. Each week, they would meet for a light lunch to gab amiably and discuss seriously. At the end of each meal, one would say jokingly, “I gotta go, I have fish to fry.”
When the two decided to go into business together, they had the perfect name: DAFF, or “Dina and Arleen Fry Fish.”
Laura Solly, Arleen’s daughter, migrated to Ellicottville in 2000 to start managing the business. Soon, she bought out Dina’s share. After the sale, Arleen would tease, “Now, it’s Daughter and Arleen Fry Fish.” When Laura eventually bought her mother’s share, too, she considered changing the name.
“I was never a huge fan of it,” she admits. “I just wasn’t sure if visitors would understand.”
In a separate interview, Arleen, who owns Kazoo II right next door, laughed: “I told Laura, ‘Everybody knows the name, you’d be crazy to change it.’ So she stuck with it.”
Taking it in stride, Laura added “Dry Goods” to the marquee and DAFF Dry Goods was born. Stepping inside, a quick perusal will gift you high quality men’s and women’s apparel, shoes, and unique accessories. With sidewalk chalk in the summer and cozy Patagonia in the winter, DAFF is a business built on 30 years of friendship and family.
GADO GADO
26 Monroe Street Ellicottville, NY 716-699-2128 gadogadoellicottville.com
More than two decades ago, Suzanne Roberts, an Ellicottville native, accepted a position in Japan. The job, an unexpected opportunity, opened doors to a universe beyond her wildest dreams. Fueled by curiosity, Suzanne hopped around Southeast Asia’s island countries discovering, appreciating, and evolving. Once she ventured to the “magical archipelago” of Indonesia, there was no turning back. Finally settling in Bali, she remembers, “I was hooked on travel. Life was officially on another roadmap.”
Indonesian, with its words borrowed from English and Dutch, is a complicated language to learn. Suzanne was enthralled. “Gado-Gado,” a term meaning a “mixed grouping of items” or a potpourri of sorts, stuck out during her conversations with locals. When she started her business, exporting handicrafts, clothing, and other products from Indonesia, she knew that Gado-Gado was the perfect name for her up-and-coming Ellicottville storefront.
“The name is very representational of my business,” she says. “There is a lot of variety in my shop, with products from Indonesia and all over the world.” Today, Gado-Gado specializes in women’s clothing and accessories.
“We are always striving to add unique finds to our collection,” Suzanne explains, “pieces that speak individually to you, that you gravitate towards.” At its core, the shop showcases one-of-a-kind pieces for lifelong wear. That is the Gado-Gado guarantee.
SILVER FOX STEAKHOUSE
23 Hughey Alley Ellicottville, NY 716-699-4672 thesilverfoxrestaurant.com
In 1958, Gerry Nickolson started skiing at Holiday Valley. Enchanted by the rolling hills and charming village, he began to spend more and more time in Ellicottville. Skiing evolved from a winter pastime to a year-round passion, and Gerry got involved with the ski school to share the joy with others. At the time, John Northrup was the school’s director. The two men became fast friends, always up for a good joke. Indeed, it was John who coined the term, “The Silver Fox.” And just like that, Gerry’s new nickname stuck.
Ten years later, Gerry, who owned a concrete construction business, purchased a building in the town he had come to love. The property served as business headquarters, but it was clear that the locale had potential for something more. Gerry and his son, Michael, toyed with the idea of turning the building into an antique shop or custom apartments. After some thought, the family settled on a restaurant. Gerry had worked in his brother-in-law’s tavern and uncle’s Buffalo-based restaurant after he got out of the service. The shift to restauranteur was all too natural.
In 1974, The Silver Fox began to take form. After some research, it was discovered that the building had once been a fur trading hub, well-known for drying and selling animal pelts. “It really was pre-ordained,” says Michael Nickolson, the current owner.
Today, The Silver Fox Steakhouse stands in Gerry’s memory. The only steakhouse in town, the establishment is famed for its Dry-Aged Rib-eye steaks, Porterhouse, and decadent Wagyu steaks. With fish, chicken, and pork options galore, it is the quintessential late-summer-in-Ellicottville dinner treat.
THE PURPLE DOORKNOB
11 Washington Street Ellicottville, NY 716-699-2084 thepurpledoorknob.com
Comfy and cozy in its new location on Washington Street, The Purple Doorknob’s siren call is irresistible. Once a Monroe Street sensation, the store’s big move catapulted it to true stardom: the largest sock shop in Western New York.
“The original store was an antique store called The Purple Doorknob,” Rachel Northrup, the current owner explains. “The former owner came up with that name because the original property had a purple doorknob on the garage. When she went to close on the property, the doorknob had vanished. She negotiated and would not sign ANYTHING until it was returned.”
When the owner opened the antique store, her boyfriend asked: “Why don’t you name it The Purple Doorknob?” It was that simple. When Rachel purchased the property in 2015, she kept the name.
“It’s really a great trojan horse because people ask, ‘What the heck is that?” she laughs, referencing the unique name. “It invites them in.”
Unlike the old location’s ancient (and stubborn) doors, Rachel’s new doors have beautiful purple doorknobs for all to see. If that were not enough, the giant purple doorknobs above the entrance are a sure indicator that you have found sock utopia.
“I like to call the store The Purple Vortex,” says Rachel. “When I was offered to buy the original location, when I went in myself, I got sucked in. It was a major energetic force of color, magic, fabrics, and expression. Just a fun, colorful place that I wanted to recreate.”
THE TEE BAR … WITH A TWIST
8 Washington Street Ellicottville, NY 716-699-9079
Before the aerial chairlifts that now grace Ellicottville’s ski slopes, there was the T-bar lift. First implemented in the United States in the 1940s, the new lift was considered a vast improvement to its tricky predecessor: the rope tow. Categorized as a “surface ski lift,” a T-bar allows its rider to keep their skis on the ground as they ascend the slope. One can also exit the lift before it reaches the summit, a fun perk entirely impossible with today’s chairlifts.
Dina Dipasquale, owner of Dina’s Restaurant, had this history in mind when she co-opened The Tee Bar with Kim Reading, owner of Mud, Sweat n’ Gears.
With layers upon layers of clever wordplay, The Tee Bar with a Twist serves hard ice cream and soft custard, alongside trendy Ellicottville-themed garb. Perfectly coinciding with the new “bar” business trend (Drybar and Beauty Bar come to mind), The Tee Bar is a colorful and joyous place to savor one last summer cone.
KAZOO II
21 Washington Street Ellicottville, NY 716-699-4484
“I had a very good friend,” begins Arleen Solly, “a friend with close ties to the original American Kazoo Company in Eden, New York.”
“That’s where,” she explains, “the first metal kazoos were ever made.”
In 1916, there was an extreme surplus of sheet metal in Western New York. With many able workers and no real production plan, an Eden-based factory owner partnered with Emil Sorg, the inventor of the metal kazoo, to bring some action to a sleepy town. Why did Sorg call his contraption a kazoo? No one knows, but the little metal humming instrument exists nowhere else in the world.
“My friend ended up buying the business,” continues Arleen. “He knew I owned shops and asked me to visit. He wanted to restore the factory, transform it into a museum, and add a little gift shop at the end.”
A kazoo is made in eighteen steps, enormous die cut machines stamping and slicing sheet metal into malleable pieces. Today’s American Kazoo Company employs the same machines and techniques that it did 100 years ago. The kazoo is “as American as apple pie,” a truly democratic instrument for anyone to play.
With Arleen’s help, the new venture became a success. The partnership pondered: should we open in another location?
Arleen wanted a change. “Let’s do it in Ellicottville. It’ll be fun.” When it came to naming the store, there was no question - it had to be Kazoo II.
Kazoo II is now an eclectic collection of home décor, filled to the brim with folk art, children’s toys, stationary, and books, of course. As Arleen says: “Books are an important part of what I do.” But does the store carry kazoos, too?