SIRIO MACCIONI
The Great Culinary Entrepreneur
By John Rizo
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irio Maccioni, founder of the famously known Le Cirque. is a force of nature. A simple Tuscan farmer’s son, with great ambition came and conquered New York by excercising the idea that a restaurateur is not only a purveyor of fine food, but is also a stylish struggle of celebrity and high society. The great Maccioni, has yet to shed his Old World ways or, for that matter, his magnificently English dialec, Siriohas reigned supreme over his little duchy two restaurants in New York and others in Las Vegas, Mexico City, and beyond for the past 34 years, collecting presidents, popes, moguls, and movie stars as friends and loyal customers. The family business, Maccioni, his wife, Egidiana, and their three sons, Mario, Marco, and Mauro is the subject of A Table in Heaven, a well-received behind-the-scenes documentary that once premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, focusing on Le Cirque’s big move from the Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue to the Bloomberg building on East 58th Street. In the film’s most searing scene, Maccioni is shown reacting with devastation to a less-thanglowing July 2006 review of the new establishment by New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni—a name that these days he can’t bring himself to even utter. Never mind that Maccioni changed chefs, revamped the menu, and Bruni has recently filed a much rosier reassessment. Amici Journal is honored to have had this exclusive interview with such an outstanding individual, and world-renowned celebrity, known throughout the culinary restaurateur, industry. And an individual with a charismatic way that would leave one astounded!
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uring the research process preceding the article on Michael Galata that appeared in the last issue of Amici Journal, the name Sirio Maccioni kept coming up regularly. When asked just who is Sirio Maccioni, Galata said, “He is the God of Fine Dining!” Strong words. But in fact Sirio Maccioni is arguably the most successful independent restaurateur in the world. He is bolstered in this position by the efforts of his wife, Egidiana (“Egi”) and three sons, Mario, Marco and Mauro. Sirio Maccioni can lay claim to owning and running the Numero Uno fine restaurant in New York City, the famous Le Cirque. And you know what Frank Sinatra said about this town —”If I can make it here...” Speaking of Old Blue Eyes, it was none other than Frank Sinatra who sponsored Maccioni to live in the States in 1956. At that time Sirio had been a chef on ocean liners. He had been doing this for some time and had made his mark in “Cuba,” which “was the place to go,” before Castro. “I was once the guest of Batista, the chef at the Tropicana,” recalls Maccioni. “When I came to New York, I worked in The Colony [Restaurant], at 61st and Madison for 10 years.” He opened his flagship restaurant, Le Cirque, in the Mayfair Hotel in 1974. In 1997 the restaurant moved to the Palace Hotel and in 2006 it reopened in its current location in the Bloomberg Tower building at 151 East 58th Street. In 1995 an Italian version of Le Cirque, “Circo,” featuring Egi’s recipes, opened for business at 120 West 55th Street. In the last two decades he has established successful spinoffs of both the French and Italian eateries in Las Vegas (“We have the
best Italian restaurant in Las Vegas!”) and, most recently, New Delhi, India. Why French? “You have to go back in history,” Maccioni explains. “After the war [World War II] Italy was almost totally destroyed, while French cuisine was considered the best.” The owner of a French restaurant in New York—what nationality does Sirio Maccioni consider himself? “Definitely Italian! No one can ever take that away from me.” Sirio Maccioni has interesting roots. He was born and raised in Montecatini Terme in the heart of the beautiful, undulating hills of Toscana, about halfway between Florence and Lucca. Visitors to this area note the constant “Pop! Pop! Pop” of the shotguns of bird hunting enthusiasts, probably the most well known of whom, at one time, was Giacamo Puccini. Apparently this area is a magnetic draw to outdoorsmen from all over the world. “Montecatini Terme is mostly a resort,” says Sirio, whose father was a concierge in one of the town’s many hotels. From this situation he got his first experience working in restaurants. For Maccioni’s incredible success in a very, very tough business, he has been recognized as a New York “Living Landmark,” along with the likes of Walter Cronkite and George Steinbrenner. He is bemused by the high acclaim lavished on him by his fellow New Yorkers. “I don’t understand exactly what that means. I still work seven days a week.” He just keeps on going, running Le Cirque as best he can, with the best help he can get. “Our chef now is Craig Hopson, the son of an English hotel manager.” Not everything has gone so smoothly re-
Mr. Maccioni Overlooking His Staff
garding England. For two years it was widely publicized that the latest Le Cirque would open in London. “We have had some difficulties,” admits Maccioni. Another Le Cirque will open soon, which attracts not only local gourmets, of course, but also well known celebrities. “Recently Al Pacino dined at Le Cirque,” informs Sirio. “He is a very interesting man.” This economy is also interesting, as most of us know only too well. It has affected Sirio Maccioni, like all God’s children. “We are still attracting the same number of diners,” he claims, “but they are spending 25-30% less, especially on wine.” This too, will pass, especially for a man who has fulfilled the American dream so brilliantly. The author of a best-selling autobiography, Sirio Maccioni is coming out “with another book, with all the recipes of Le Cirque.” It might be a good idea to acquire this book, specifically anyone seriously (no pun intended) interested in the restaurant business. After all, how could you do better than by learning from the best?
Sirio Quotes “I like to make drama, but I don’t like to have stupid drama. You know, for many years, I was able to attract the very best people. For me, one of the best customers in the restaurant in the last 20 years was a guy that manufactured chairs in Queens. But he always used to come in with the most beautiful women, and he drank the very best wine, so I don’t want to get involved or get excited. The best wine, and he liked the most beautiful women. And I think, from my point of view, especially today, there are not enough stars and kings and presidents to fill a restaurant, even though I’ve had most of them. So, you know, you do your job.” “ The food. It goes together. You cannot try to do anything if you don’t feel that you have good food. Food can be a very different indication of what food is all about. To me it determines. If it’s a cassoulet or an Italian dish, the sausage and beef, I go downtown. If you tell me that, with all due respect, it’s nouvelle cuisine, I don’t go. Now, you eat better in New York.... The big thing is, you need a place to go to eat. For many years, it’s been changing, but always there are fine restaurants. One comes up, and another one went down. Everything has been done, going back many years ago.”
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