Dell’icious is back near Carnegie
Guests at Wednesday night’s gala reopening of Carnegie Hall will thrill to the triumphant strains of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
But the most exciting sounds at Trattoria dell’Arte at 907 Seventh Ave. across the street will be the renewed buzz of customers chowing down on veal chop parmigiana, burrata-stuffed ravioli and thin-crust pizza with “a lot of pepperoni,” as the menu calls it.
Trattoria dell’Arte, like Carnegie Hall, has been dark since the citywide pandemic shutdown began in March of 2020. The restaurant’s relaunch marks the latest milestone in Midtown’s recovery.
The colorful, 400-seat, three-level jumbo Trattoria has been a Midtown institution since it opened 33 years ago. It drew much of its nighttime business from Carnegie Hall, which in turn counted on Trattoria to feed hungry music lovers. Owner Shelly Fireman waited until the hall reopened with 3,671 seats — and potential restaurant customers — in its three performance venues.
“It’s a joyous day,” Fireman said. “We’re giving everybody champagne as soon as people walk in.”
Before the lockdown, Trattoria dell’Arte, flagship of Fireman Hospitality Group, saw revenue “north of $12 million” annually, Fireman said.
Company CEO and partner Benjamin Grossman said, “We don’t expect to equal that. But we know this neighborhood very well. We’re optimistic that it will get better.”
Grossman said that in pre-COVID times, Trattoria might serve 500 customers from Carnegie Hall on any given night. “But these are not normal times,” he said.
Trattoria had less trouble rehiring staff than many other places. Executive chef Brando De Oliveira, who worked with Fireman for 20 years, is back along with most of the managers.
But tough times still lie ahead while office buildings remain only 28 percent occupied and tourists are few.
Fireman wouldn’t speculate on how well his restaurants, or the city, would do in the long run — but “survive we will,” he said.