Cabaret Restaurant opened by former waitress
by BREANN HOWELL West Seneca Editor

More than 25 years ago, Nadine Lattanzio began waiting tables in a restaurant located at 490 Pearl St., in Buffalo.

At the age of 15, Lattanzio was unaware that her first employer would play such a significant role in her life.

This past summer, Lattanzio, a West Seneca resident, reopened the establishment, centered in the heart of Buffalo's theater district, as the Cabaret Restaurant.

The building, which has been in Lattanzio's husband's family for more than 50 years, started out as the Prince Edward Hotel in 1960.

Joe Vaccaro, Lattanzio's grandfather in-law, changed the 52-room hotel and gentlemen's club into Vaccaro's Coffee Shop and then Joe's Coffee Shop in 1970, as he did not want his grandchildren growing up around the bawdy clientele of the hotel.

Lattanzio began dating her future husband as a teenager and came to work at the diner owned by his grandfather.

Though Lattanzio waitressed and tended bar, she said her favorite task was cooking alongside Vaccaro.

"I served there, and then went into the kitchen and learned how to cook," she said. "It was my first job. It was good. I met a lot of people in the downtown area."

Vaccaro passed away in the early 1980s and his family began to lease the building out several years later. The business changed hands many times, operating as Andraccio's, Cup-o-Joe, Angelo's Backstage, Tiffany's, Cabaret, Joe's Deli, Vinny's Bar and Lydia's Pearl.

Meanwhile, Lattanzio took a hiatus from the restaurant industry to raise her three children. She then returned to Lydia's Pearl as a waitress and bartender. After Lydia's closed, the family was not sure if they wanted to keep the business.

However, Lattanzio spoke to her in-laws and convinced them to give her a chance at running her own restaurant.

"I decided to give it a shot," she said. "Through working here over the years I already knew people downtown and loved downtown."

The building required two years of renovations. The entire first floor was gutted and what once were three separate areas is now a spacious bar and dining room. After purchasing antique-looking lights, Lattanzio was inspired to purchase decor to give her "cabaret" an old theater atmosphere.

While work was under way on Cabaret, Lattanzio waitressed at Tony Rome's in West Seneca.

Cabaret's menu is divided into "Act I" (appetizers) and "Act II" (entrees). It fittingly offers dishes like the "Liza Minelli" and "Cast and Crew" sandwiches.

"Our stuffed hot peppers are doing well," Lattanzio said of one of her most popular menu items.

She said the eggplant parmesan, scallop special and steak dinner are also bestsellers.

Lattanzio also has help from her in-laws, husband and children.

"I want them (her children) to be a part of this," she explained.

The entrepreneur said she does a lot of business with actors and stagehands from Studio Arena and Shea's but also delivers lunches to offices throughout the downtown area.

Cabaret also features a private dining area upstairs for business meetings or small parties.

"I love meeting new people," she said. "Everyone says they feel comfortable when they walk in. I try to please everyone."

Cabaret offers daily specials and happy hours. For information, call Cabaret at 842-4181.