The New York City food scene mourns the loss of one of its greatest, pioneering figures, as Patsy Grimaldi, celebrated for his influence on the New York pizza landscape, passed away at the age of 93 due to natural causes on Thursday night. Grimaldi's legacy stretches back to his early days at his family's East Harlem pizzeria and spans over a formative era that reshaped the city’s taste for coal-fired, brick-oven pizza.
Known for his visionary approach to pizzeria establishments, Grimaldi has had a history of animating the city's iconic pizza scene since opening his pizzeria in Brooklyn in 1990. With a coal oven that marked the first of its kind in over half a century in NYC, Grimaldi blazed a trail for the gourmet pizza that would define a culinary movement. "He was a visionary who maintained a life-long passion — maybe obsession — for making and sharing great pizza," Matt Grogan, his longtime friend and business partner, told The New York Post.
Grimaldi's work spanned several decades and involved his fair share of dramas, such as the need to rebrand his pizzeria to Grimaldi's in 1995 after a legal dispute, as reported by Eater New York. Despite selling his business in 1999 and a brief retirement, his love for the craft saw him return in 2012 to open Juliana's, a pizzeria named after his mother, at the original location of his first establishment, sparking a now-resolved feud with Frank Ciolli's Grimaldi's, which operates right next door.
Following Grimaldi's death, Juliana's announced on Instagram that they would be keeping his table empty "to begin to honor his legacy," and also that the restaurant will temporarily close tomorrow, February 19, in remembrance of the late pizzaiolo, as noted by Eater New York. Grimaldi's own establishment shared its respects, stating, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Patsy Grimaldi, a true icon in the pizza world. Patsy’s passion for coal-fired, brick-oven pizza, and his commitment to quality set a standard that continues to inspire us every day."
Despite the changes over the years and the rise of new culinary trends, Grimaldi maintained a traditional perspective on the pizza-eating experience, often reminding customers at Juliana's to savor the moment rather than focus on a social media post. "People today, they come in and they start taking pictures before they even take a bite," Grimaldi once said. "I tell everybody, ‘Look, don’t take a picture now. Eat the pizza because it’s gonna get cold, and you’re not going to enjoy it. You have to enjoy it while it’s hot.'” This was detailed by The New York Post.
Grimaldi's impact will undoubtedly be felt for many years to come, as the city continues to relish in the coal-fired, brick-oven pizza renaissance that he was instrumental in cultivating. He is survived by his daughter, Victoria Strickland; his grandson, David Strickland; and his younger sister, testament to a life that extended far beyond dough and tomato sauce to a family and a city that embraced his vision and passion for pizza.
