Merchant Website: citarella.com
## Citarella: A Century of Culinary Excellence Rooted in Seafood
Citarella, a name synonymous with fine food and unparalleled seafood quality, holds a rich place in the culinary fabric of New York, a story that stretches back over **100 years** to its founding in **1912**. While its history is long, the modern chapter of the company began in **1983** when **Joe Gurrera** purchased the modest, beloved neighborhood seafood shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Gurrera, a man deeply rooted in the fish business, saw in the small storefront an opportunity to build a landmark, driven by his unwavering **love of seafood**.
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### The Vision of Joe Gurrera and a Foundation of Freshness
Joe Gurrera's passion was cultivated early, working alongside his father in a Greenwich Village fish shop as a teenager. His commitment to sourcing the best led him to supply many of New York City's top restaurants, a trade that demanded waking in the dead of night to secure first pick of the day's catch at the **Fulton Fish Market**. When he acquired Citarella, he implemented this same tireless dedication.
The company is built on an uncompromising standard of quality, which prioritizes freshness and trusted relationships. Citarella still sources many of its fresh fish—such as flounder, fluke, and striped bass—that are **wild-caught** with a line and hook by principled fishermen in the waters of Long Island Sound and the Atlantic. Furthermore, the fishmongers are trained like **artisans** who hand-cut, hand-shuck, and hand-prepare all seafood to order, possessing rare skills like the ability to debone an Atlantic-caught shad. This steadfast commitment to quality and customer service, along with valuing relationships with both multi-generational purveyors and its staff of nearly 1,000, is considered the company’s "heart and soul."
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### From Local Shop to Gourmet Market Authority
Today, Citarella is recognized as a premier destination for the finest seafood in the world, having expanded well beyond its original Upper West Side location. The business now operates **seven market locations** across New York City, The Hamptons, and Greenwich, Connecticut, in addition to offering **nationwide online ordering**.
Citarella prides itself on having the **freshest seafood in the country** by utilizing every available 21st-century technology to drastically shorten the time from the water to the customer's plate. The fresh, never-frozen seafood can be shipped **priority overnight** anywhere in the continental United States. The packaging process is state-of-the-art: each item is wrapped in waxed paper, sealed in plastic, and carefully packaged with ice packs in an insulated, leak-proof box designed for optimal integrity. Notably, Citarella **never cryovacs** its fresh fish, ensuring the seafood arrives ready to eat.
While firmly rooted in seafood, Citarella has evolved into **"The Ultimate Gourmet Market."** Its locations offer a comprehensive selection for food lovers, including hand-selected **prime beef dry-aged for 21 days**, pasture-raised chicken, Berkshire pork, and specialty game. Additionally, the company's kitchens provide an outstanding variety of delicious **chef-prepared entrées**, side dishes, and appetizers, while its pastry chefs offer a daily array of irresistible baked masterpieces.
Joe Gurrera's influence has also expanded into the broader culinary community. He opened his first wine shop in 2016, delivered the commencement address at the Culinary Institute of America in 2017, and published his first cookbook in 2018. Ultimately, the success of the company is best summarized by the founder himself: **"Passion. I am where I am today because I truly love what I do.”**
Date posted: Dec 4th, 2025
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