Photo by Ralph Daily via Flickr
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Shelly Fireman, the larger-than-life restaurateur who brought Café Fiorello to life across from Lincoln Center in 1974, has died at the age of 93. Known for blending bold flavors with even bolder personality, Fireman helped shape the landscape of New York City dining for more than half a century.
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Fiorello was just one of many restaurants in his portfolio — which also included Redeye Grill, Brooklyn Diner, Trattoria Dell’Arte, and Bond 45 — but it was arguably the crown jewel, serving generations of Upper West Siders and pre-theater crowds with its thin-crust pizzas, antipasto bar, and enduring charm. His more recent Upper West Side addition, Café Paradiso opened in 2023 at 144 West 65th Street (replacing Indie Food & Wine).Raised in the Bronx, Fireman — who also lived on the Upper West Side, in a high-rise apartment near Fiorello — credited his parents with instilling in him a love of art, literature, and hospitality, a mix that defined his restaurants, many of which featured his own sculptures. A passionate artist, he filled his spaces with humor, heart, and a sense of spectacle, from life-sized bronze nudes to cartoonish flourishes.
His Fireman Hospitality Group now includes eight Manhattan restaurants and several in Washington, D.C., and was projected to generate over $90 million in sales this year, according to the New York Post.
He remained active through the final year of his life, opening Paris Bar on West 57th Street at age 93. But it’s Café Fiorello — still going strong after 51 years — that will stand as his lasting tribute on the Upper West Side.
“Shelly was a beloved New Yorker, sculptor, and restaurateur whose warmth, creativity, and humor left a mark on the city’s dining and cultural scene,” read a statement posted Thursday by Café Fiorello. “His legacy lives on in every space he touched, every guest he welcomed, and every memory he helped create.”
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