Paul Shire came onto the local food scene in 1990, when he and Anthony Salemme opened the DownCity Diner to much critical acclaim. That concept evolved into DownCity Food + Cocktails. Eventually Shire moved on to open and operate Oak, another popular restaurant located on the East Side, for six years. After a bit of traveling, Shire returned to New England, specifically to York, Maine, to help his aunt open Blue Sky. His aunt is Lydia Shire, the famous Boston restaurateur. Most recently, he was the chef at Andreas on Thayer Street in Providence.

Shire has been cooking since he was 13. Cooking is definitely in his blood – his great grandfather was the chef to the king of Egypt. Prior to DownCity, Shire gained experience at other highly successful restaurants: Biba in Boston, Angels in Providence, Spain in Cranston and Narragansett. Shire is a graduate of Providence Country Day School, Gould Academy, and Nichols College. He resides in Providence.