600 Food Center Dr Bronx, New York, 10474- United States
Company Details
About Citarella
Over a century of culinary history and counting
Our story began in 1983 when Joe Gurrera bought Citarella: a beloved neighborhood seafood shop on ManhattanÂ’s Upper West Side, around since 1912. At the time, the store was small (occupying just a fraction of the space that CitarellaÂ’s flagship location does today) but Joe saw it as an opportunity to build his love of seafood in this local treasure.
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Joe’s passion for seafood started when he was a teenager, working alongside his father at the family’s fish shop in Greenwich Village, learning the trade. After college Joe went into business for himself, supplying the freshest and best to some of New York City’s top restaurants. It’s a story familiar to many hard-working New Yorkers: waking in the dead of night, Joe would arrive at the Fulton Fish Market early — to guarantee first pick of the day’s incoming catch. Then, he would then work late into the evening, sleeping just a few hours before starting again.
Through the years, Joe carefully honed his knowledge, building relationships with trusted fishermen and collecting pearls of wisdom from experienced.
Firmly rooted in seafood, Joe’s influence now extends throughout the entire culinary community. He opened his first wine shop in 2016, delivered the December 2017 commencement address at the Culinary Institute of America, and wrote his first cookbook, Summer 2018. Each new accomplishment is a reminder of Joe’s dedication — and the values that Citarella still stands for today. Or, as Joe himself explains it, “Passion. I am where I am today because I truly love what I do.”
