In a world where hipster ice-cream flavors like basil and olive oil are becoming more common, Daily Moos Creamery in Cortlandt Manor is a welcome throwback. Located in a tiny standalone building in the parking lot of a small shopping center off Route 202, the bright-white building is painted part-pink with black-cow spots and is sure to catch your child’s eye.
The shop offers soft-serve chocolate or vanilla, which can be supplemented with one of eight different flavor ribbons (pistachio, strawberry, cotton candy, banana, birthday cake, black cherry, blue raspberry, or mocha cappuccino). They also have a dozen classic candy and sprinkle toppings for milkshakes and twisters (ice cream blended with candy).
“It’s a 9-by-9 foot square space, so there is really not too much we can do in there,” owner Frank Realbuto confesses. “But ice cream is a happy business to be in. The kids get a kick out of how small it is in there.”
Moos customers will actually represent the third generation of kids to reach for a cone out of the whimsical building, which was originally erected as an ice-cream dispensary. About two decades later, Carvel moved in and resurrected the place as a full-service ice-cream shop, to the delight of a new wave of neighborhood children (yours truly among them).
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Realbuto and his Daily Moos partner Robert Cavone also own The Daily Bagel next door, and those customers have been pining for something in the adjacent building. Cavone and Realbuto played with different ideas for, but ultimately decided to reincarnate it once again as a sweets destination.
“We sampled endless amounts of ice cream and did our research,” says Realbuto, who grew up only a few miles away in Yorktown and now lives in Mahopac.
They selected a premium ice-cream mix, bought two ice-cream-making machines, and invested the time, money, and effort to make the place look new and exciting again. Daily Moos officially opened for business just in time for the fourth of July, and lines have already been winding on hot summer evenings. Now, all they have left to do is to name the friendly cartoon cow on their logo. If you want to give it a shot, head over to their Facebook page and leave your submission there.
