Shelly Fireman, New York Restaurateur for Theatergoers, Dies at 93

Shelly Fireman, the New York restaurateur known for a string of theatrical Italian eateries that catered to concertgoers and theater audiences, died on Oct. 9 in Manhattan. He was 93. The cause was a stroke, Ben Grossman, chief executive of the Fireman Hospitality Group, said. Mr.

Fireman’s company owns eight restaurants in New York and two outside Washington. His establishments — including Cafe Fiorello, across from Lincoln Center (opened 1974), Trattoria dell’Arte, near Carnegie Hall (opened 1988), and Bond 45, which opened in 2005 — were noted for flamboyant décor, large portions and features such as the antipasto bar he brought back from Capri.

Trattoria dell’Arte also displayed large sculptures by Milton Glaser; the Redeye Grill (1996) featured revolving bronze shrimp and a signature “dancing shrimp” dish. Critics and reviewers commented on the broad appeal of his places: Frank Bruni called Bond 45 “a kind of emphatic charm,” and Ruth Reichl awarded the Redeye Grill one star in a 1997 review.

Born in the Bronx on Nov. 22, 1931, Sheldon Martin Fireman was the elder of two children of Frances (Moses) and Samuel Fireman. He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, attended Hartwick College but did not graduate, and began his restaurant career with the Hip Bagel in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s.

Key Topics

Culture, Shelly Fireman, Fireman Hospitality Group, Cafe Fiorello, Trattoria Dell'arte, Carnegie Hall