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Over a century of culinary history and counting
Our story began in 1983 when Joe Gurrera bought Citarella: a beloved neighborhood seafood shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, around since 1912. At the time, the store was small (occupying just a fraction of the space that Citarella’s flagship location does today) but Joe saw it as an opportunity to build his love of seafood in this local treasure.
Built on a Foundation of the Finest Seafood
Our story began in 1983 when Joe Gurrera bought Citarella, a beloved neighborhood seafood shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side since 1912. At the time, the store was small (occupying just a fraction of the space that Citarella’s flagship location does today) but Joe saw it as an opportunity to build on his love of seafood in this local treasure. Today, with 7 market locations and nationwide online ordering, Citarella is the premier destination for the finest seafood in the world!
Only the Best - Fresh from the Source
Many of the fresh fish we sell—flounder, fluke, striped bass—are wild caught (yes, with a line and a hook) by fisherman with principles who wake early and brave the waters of Long Island Sound and the cold Atlantic beyond. Our fishmongers are still trained to wield a knife like artisans. They hand-cut, hand-shuck, and hand-prepare all our seafood to order. You can search far and wide and you won’t find many fishmongers who can still debone an Atlantic-caught shad. But you will find them at Citarella.
We still value relationships more than anything – with our trusted purveyors who work the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Mediterranean. Some of them for many generations. And with our close-knit staff of almost 1000, too. Some see those bonds as a thing of the past. But they shouldn’t be. They are our heart and soul. And if you ask any of the millions of customers who shop at our stores and order online each year, they might tell you our steadfast commitment to quality and customer service recalls another time, too. But there’s nothing old-fashioned about Citarella seafood delivery.
Because at Citarella, we pride ourselves on having the freshest seafood in the country. Period. That means we’ll use every 21st century technology available to shorten the time between when a fish is in the water and when it’s on your plate. All the fresh—never frozen—seafood on our site can be shipped anywhere in the continental United States priority overnight. Here on our website, choose whatever your palate desires today, and select your butchering preference, and our fishmongers will hand prepare your order. Our packaging is state of the art.
While others might, we never cryovac our fresh fish. Instead, each item is wrapped in waxed paper, sealed in plastic and carefully packaged with ice packs in an insulated, leak-proof box designed specifically to maintain quality and integrity. And that means, wherever you are, if you get a taste for succulent Nova Scotia lobsters, fresh PEI oysters, robust wild swordfish steaks, or seasonal Florida stone crab claws on a Tuesday, we can have it at your doorstep—fresh and ready to eat—on Wednesday.
And what’s more modern than that?
Our Original Fishmonger and Seafood Visonary
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 their experience. 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.”
The Ultimate Gourmet Market
Today you can visit any one of our 7 markets in NYC, the Hamptons, and Greenwich, CT and explore the very finest, most delectable offerings for the food lover. Along with our unmatchable selection of fresh-never-frozen seafood, our butchers will pamper you with hand-selected prime beef, dry-aged for 21 days for superior flavor. You can also enjoy pasture raised, heirloom chicken, flavorful and juicy Berkshire pork, tender natured veal and more, with specialty game selections available upon request.
From our kitchens you can choose from an outstanding variety of delicious, chef-prepared entrées, side dishes, appetizers, salads and more. Our selection is extensive, and all you do is take home, heat, and serve for the ultimate in epicurean dining without the fuss. Of course, our pastry chefs will dazzle you with an irresistible variety of freshly baked masterpieces every day. Coffee time and after-dinner dessert have never been sweeter!
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.”
The Citarella Standard
We’re passionate about sourcing and selling the world’s best seafood. When you order our fresh seafood online, what you receive always reflects the unrivaled standard of our markets. It’s hand-prepared, never frozen, and shipped overnight.
FRESH FROM THE SOURCE
At Citarella, we’ve been sourcing the freshest seafood since 1912. So, we still do some things the old-fashioned way.
Many of the fresh fish we sell—flounder, fluke, striped bass—are wild caught (yes, with a line and a hook) by fisherman with principles who wake early and brave the waters of Long Island Sound and the cold Atlantic beyond. Our fishmongers are still trained to wield a knife like an artisan. They hand-cut, hand-shuck, and hand-prepare all of our seafood to order. You can search far and wide and you won’t find many fishmongers who can still debone an Atlantic-caught shad. But you will find them at Citarella.
We still value relationships more than anything. With our trusted purveyors who work the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean. Some of them for many generations. And with our close-knit staff of almost 1000, too. Some see those bonds as a thing of the past. But they shouldn’t be. They are our heart and soul. And if you ask any of the almost five million New Yorkers who shop at our stores each year, they might tell you our steadfast commitment to quality and customer service recalls another time, too. But there’s nothing old-fashioned about Citarella seafood delivery.
Because at Citarella, we pride ourselves on having the freshest seafood in the country. Period. That means we’ll use every 21st century technology available to shorten the time between when a fish is in the water and when it’s on your plate. All of the fresh—never frozen—seafood on our site can be shipped anywhere in the continental United States priority overnight. Here on our website, choose whatever your palate desires today, and select your butchering preference, and our fishmongers will hand prepare your order. Our packaging is state of the art.
While others might, we never cryovac our fresh fish. Instead, each item is wrapped in waxed paper, sealed in plastic and carefully packaged with ice packs in an insulated, leak proof box designed specifically to maintain quality and integrity. And that means, wherever you are, if you get a taste for succulent Nova Scotia lobsters, fresh PEI oysters, robust wild swordfish steaks, or seasonal Florida stone crab claws on a Tuesday, we can have it at your doorstep—fresh and ready to eat—on Wednesday.
And what’s more modern than that?
