Dairy Joy Dreams.

Do you guys day dream of small businesses when you see empty commercial spaces, and voids in towns or markets ? This little car repair (?) shop was for sale smack in the center of beautiful St. Helena, California. It sat on a large empty parking lot + I couldn't help but dream of Lewiston, Maine's Dairy Joy : an outdoor ice cream shop that opened for business as the ground thawed, and as soon as temperatures were pushing 50 degrees, Batesies + town residents alike were lining up for over the top sugary ice cream treats.

For St. Helena, I imagine an assortment of gourmet ice creams and sorbets. Things like local meyer lemon, rhubarb, special grapes. And have you ever tried wine sorbets ? Well if you haven't run don't walk to Whole Foods to check them out. This shop would feature local vineyard collaborations as specials -- maybe a different vineyard every month ? Coffee + tea in the mornings, maybe some baked goods. The lot would be grass with picnic tables, and wooden crate planters of vegetables and flowers.

And despite the fact I've left St. Helena with no return trip planned, I'm still plagued by the fact that I haven't thought of a name. What would my little ice cream shop be called ?