in May of 2006. The 16,000-square-foot restaurant is
interrupted by a giant abstract “big top” light shade.
Designed by Adam Tihaney and Costas Kondylis, it has
a separate bar area for special events. But it is the 27-
foot wine tower that commands attention.
It’s All in the Family
Sirio has three sons “in the business,” as he said, “Not
that I encouraged them. I wanted them to be architects
or lawyers. I did what I could, for instance, by
introducing them to I.M. Pei if they evidenced an
interest in architecture, or Anthony Quinn if they were
interested in acting.” In the end, the years of being in
and scurrying around the early Mayfair Le Cirque
location won out and the family legacy took root.
The Maccioni family now oversees a global
restaurant group including superb dining establishments
in Las Vegas, India, the Dominican Republic, Abu
Dhabi and Dubai. A “brasserie” version of Le Cirque
is also expected to open in Palm Beach, Florida in the
near future. You may taste their cuisine on Holland
America Cruise Line as well, as they offer “An Evening
of Le Cirque” aboard its fleet of world-class ships.
When Sirio received the James Beard Award for
Lifetime Achievement, it was suggested that the
Maccionis should be considered our Royal Restaurant
Family. The dynasty concept is not unusual in Europe
where many restaurants are continued by generations
of family members. With the inclusion of Sirio’s wife
Egidiana (Egi to the family) in the mix, the whole
family is involved. Egi gave up a successful singing
career to become a mother and to “keep the boys in
check. We tried to make them independent and I think
we succeeded,” Sirio reminisced.
The three brothers now virtually run the business
and it’s not as if it was just handed to them. Sirio
insisted that each speaks a fourth language in addition
to English, Italian and Spanish. Mario went to St.
Petersburg to learn Russian, Marco chose German, and
Mauro was supposed to learn Chinese but apparently
love came in the way of that. In addition, for experience
Mario spent summer vacations at Roger Verge’s
Moulin de Mougins on the Cote d’Azur. Marco worked
the kitchen at Les Crayers in Reins. Mauro brought new
ideas to the restaurants from his tenure in Florence.
Le Cirque is Born
In l974, Sirio opened his signature restaurant at the
Mayfair Hotel. It became a New York landmark known
as Le Cirque, “the circus” in French, and Sirio was the
ringmaster. “Le Cirque was first of all about people and,
of course, I knew how to pick good chefs.”
Over the years, some of the outstanding chefs he
has had at his restaurant include: Daniel Boulud, David
Bouley, Terrance Brennan, Alain Sailhac, Rick Moonen,
Jacques Torres, Sottha Khun, Sylvain Portay, Christophe
Bellanca, Michael Lomonaco, Alain Allegretti, Bill
Telepan, Alex Stratta and Geoffrey Zakarian. This is a
virtual who’s who list of today’s restaurant scene,
including current Executive Chef, Matteo Boglione.
In l997, Le Cirque moved into the luxurious
surroundings of the New York Palace hotel in the
landmark Villard House under the name Le Cirque
2000, offering a magnificent lobster BLT (fondly
remembered by this writer) and a menu that captured
New York.
By 2004, Le Cirque was an established New York
City landmark and the decision was made to move
to One Beacon Court in the prestigious Bloomberg
Building on East 58th Street, finally opening its doors
LEFT
The custom-designed 27-foot, climate-
controlled, glass-and-steel kaleidoscope
wine tower at Le Cirque is a site to behold.
20
THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER
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Travel Perspectives
All photos courtesy of the Maccioni Restaurant Group (LC International LLC)
