Wealthy Long Islanders Go to Kitchen Kabaret in Roslyn Heights for the Scene
Nassau News Staff Writer
ROSLYN HEIGHTS, NY – Kitchen Kabaret is an upscale eatery/delicatessen in Roslyn Heights and is situated among some of the most exclusive and expensive shopping in the state of New York. It caters to the wealthy demographic of those living in Roslyn, Mineola and Manhasset. Nassau News went and explored the scene.
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James King, Jr., or “Jimmy Jr.”, is currently the manager and vice president of the Kitchen Kabaret in Roslyn Heights. His father, James King, opened Kitchen Kabaret about 20 years ago and then watched it become popular.
“This was just a regular deli, and over time we realized that there was quite a clientele that came in – fairly affluent...there’s a lot of traffic coming off the expressway and Northern Boulevard…it's at the crossroads of a lot of money in this area…it just became kind of a ‘hot spot,” he said.
The complex expanded, more people came into the store for a dining experience as there were more tables in the café.
Kitchen Kabaret’s popularity grew with the help of the media, “We had some good exposure over time…the ‘Gotti’ series, numerous write-ups in the Times and Newsday,” King Jr. said, “and it just became kind of – I guess – a spot people wanted to hang out in.”
Pricey it may be, but Kitchen Kabaret draws a clientele that loves what they have at any expense.
17-year-old Amy Stein from Jericho said, “I come to Kitchen Kabaret every day because it’s 5 minutes from my house, and they have really good food…whatever you’re in the mood for…you come here, and it’s always a scene. If you want to be seen, you come here. It’s near [clothing boutique] Singer 22 and [salon and spa] Ambiance.”
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One New York Times article in July 2006 calls Kitchen Kabaret a "lively self-service cafe."
Another Times article written in September 1992 says, "Kitchen Kabaret is a combination of the elegant and hometown. It is Balducci's with a Long Island spin. While the truck drivers are eating their muffins in the parking lot, the chef, Pasquale Teramo, is busy making fresh mozzarella in the vast kitchens beneath the store. Later each morning, a shipment of that mozzarella goes to seven or eight of the finest restaurants on St. Martin in the Caribbean."
In Newsday's "A Guide To (Almost) Every Eatery Along The LIE" they say that Kitchen Kabaret "is also a great place to go for a quick meal. The spacious, rambling market has a huge assortment of ready-made fare: Cold and hot sandwiches, prepared pastas, salads and entrees, a full-service bakery; made-to-order pizzas, a chopped- salad bar, a juice and smoothie bar, an omelet station and a coffee bar with tables and chairs."
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