Wantagh Shop Little Kitchen Gains Popularity Amid Pandemic

WANTAGH, NY — For two years, Carlo Stanisci has been running his Little Kitchen in Wantagh. It's hard to characterize the shop. The space was only big enough for a couple of tables. He tweaked the menu and then COVID-19 happened.

Stanisci, who operates the storefront by himself, closed the doors to customers eating inside. He cooks, but primarily for preorders.

"We thought being in front of the train station would be super busy," Stanisci told Patch.

While most restaurants shut in the first months of the pandemic, Stanisci stuck it out by cutting breakfast and lunch options from the menu. His focus went to creating a different dinner meal each night, which he said helps to control food expenses.

"The neighborhood kind of rallied behind me, which was great," he said.

He uses fresh ingredients and local ones as well. His protein choices come from The Meat Grinder in Wantagh and produce is picked from Pat's Farms in Merrick.

Stanisci found his popularity since the pandemic changed his game plan. Orders would regularly come in — especially during the holiday season.

He also finds extra money in catering directly for customers' parties.

Not one to sit and wait, Stanicsi is exploring a possibility for adding a baker to his Railroad Avenue eatery and is welcoming customers again during the day.

"That's the great thing about this place. It's small. It's my space," Stanisci, a Brooklyn native, who has called Wantagh home for the past four years, said. "I've never worked in an area or in a business where it's a tight-knit community. The customers [who] come in here, we all know each other by name."

Perhaps it's that connection that allows Stanisci to give large portions so people can have leftovers just as he remembers from his own family meals.

But, he gives back to the community in other ways as well. Stanisci was recently seen preparing 12 roast chicken meals with potatoes and a vegetable for local war veterans.

"My soon-to-be stepdaughter is in the Marine Corps, so it's a personal thing," he admitted. "It's good for the soul."

He enjoys interacting with the community and, obviously, being a chef. But, he's still trying to figure out his future.

"I think Little Kitchen could be a little more," Stanisci said. "What exactly? I don't know yet. My vision has changed so many times because you go with how the market is."

Stanisci believes he'll have to reevaluate his business model by the end of the year.

"But, right now I'm blessed enough where I can ride it out for a little while longer," he said. "I'm creating such a following, but at the same time, you've got to be realistic."