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For three decades, it was one of those quintessential Midtown restaurants that felt almost as much a part of the neighborhood as Carnegie Hall itself. Now, the curtain has come down.
Redeye Grill, the massive American brasserie on Seventh Avenue opposite Carnegie Hall, served its final meals yesterday, bringing an end to a 30-year run that made it a favorite for theatergoers, concert crowds, tourists and a few Hollywood heavyweights, too.
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Redeye Grill opened in 1995 under the direction of legendary restaurateur Shelly Fireman. It never tried to be the city's trendiest restaurant; instead, it perfected a very New York formula: oversized portions and desserts big enough to share before a show. And then there was the restaurant's most delightfully over-the-top creation: the famous Dancing Shrimp, a dozen colossal coconut-battered prawns skewered into a pineapple-filled oak ball so they wobbled and "danced" as they arrived at the table.
Diners entered beneath towering bronze shrimp sculptures before stepping into a two-story dining room anchored by an 88-foot mural from pop artist Red Grooms, one of the signature artworks in Fireman's eclectic collection. Fireman, who died last October at age 93, built a restaurant empire around New York's cultural institutions, opening restaurants near Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Broadway that catered to audiences before and after performances.
Over the years, Redeye Grill became a reliable celebrity haunt, with everyone from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks to Rita Wilson, Bryan Cranston and Ethan Hawke dropping in. (Most recently, the stars gathered there in May following the Broadway Celebrity Autobiography afterparty.)
According to the New York Post, the restaurant's lease expired and Fireman Hospitality Group was unable to reach terms on a new agreement with its landlord. The family-owned company, now led by CEO Ben Grossman, continues to operate a number of well-known Manhattan restaurants, including Café Fiorello near Lincoln Center, Bond 45 in the Theater District and Trattoria dell'Arte across from Carnegie Hall.
For generations of New Yorkers, Redeye Grill wasn't just somewhere to eat before the show. It was part of the show. And Midtown will feel just a little less colorful without those dancing shrimp.