Sirio: The Story of My Life and Le Cirque - Hardcover

by Peter J. Elliot (Author), Sirio Maccioni (Author)

Sirio Maccioni is a living legend, a restaurateur extraordinaire who has wined and dined high society in New York for nearly half a century. Along the way, he helped launch the careers of many illustrious chefs - David Bouley, Daniel Boulud, and Jacques Torres among them - and befriended a host of celebrities in the arts, politics, and business, from Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa to Nancy Reagan and Ivana Trump. Now Maccioni lets us into his world, revealing the secrets that have made his Le Cirque one of the world's most celebrated restaurants.

With the help of award-winning Bloomberg restaurant critic Peter Elliot, Maccioni recounts the story of his life and his restaurant career. Beginning with his childhood in rural Tuscany during World War II and the tragedies and privations that left him determined to pursue success at the world's finest restaurants, he shares a journey that took him to post-war Paris and Hamburg and the nightlife of pre-Castro Cuba and finally to New York.

By 1961, the dashing young Maccioni had become maitre d' at New York's most storied restaurant, the Colony. Within thirteen years, he had the experience and contacts he needed to launch his own restaurant, Le Cirque, which quickly became the hub of cafe society in New York.

From hiring the right chefs and revolutionizing the way top restaurants operate to popularizing now-famous dishes such as pasta primavera and creme brulee, Maccioni reveals how he made Le Cirque such a long-running success - a success that reached new heights when the restaurant moved to a new location in 1997. Along the way, Maccioni explains how he's dealt with defecting chefs and demanding customers. And through it all, he pays tribute to his proud Tuscan roots and to his wife and their three sons, who operate the family's other New York restaurant, Osteria del Circo, as well as restaurants in Las Vegas and Mexico City.

Like Maccioni himself, Sirio is full of passion, energy, and life - the unforgettable story of the world's most extraordinary restaurateur.

Front Jacket

Sirio Maccioni is a living legend, a restaurateur extraordinaire who has wined and dined high society in New York for nearly half a century. Along the way, he helped launch the careers of many illustrious chefs-David Bouley, Daniel Boulud, and Jacques Torres among them-and befriended a host of celebrities in the arts, politics, and business, from Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa to Nancy Reagan and Ivana Trump. Now Maccioni lets us into his world, revealing the secrets that have made his Le Cirque one of the world's most celebrated restaurants.

With the help of award-winning Bloomberg restaurant critic Peter Elliot, Maccioni recounts the story of his life and his restaurant career. Beginning with his childhood in rural Tuscany during World War II and the tragedies and privations that left him determined to pursue

success at the world's finest restaurants, he shares a journey that took him to post-war Paris and Hamburg and the nightlife of pre-Castro Cuba and finally to New York.

By 1961, the dashing young Maccioni had become maitre d' at New York's most storied restaurant, the Colony. Within thirteen years, he had the experience and contacts he needed to launch his own restaurant, Le Cirque, which quickly became the hub of cafe society in New York.

From hiring the right chefs and revolutionizing the way top restaurants operate to popularizing now-famous dishes such as pasta primavera and creme brulee, Maccioni reveals how he made Le Cirque such a long-running success-a success that reached new heights when the restaurant moved to a new location in 1997. Along the way, Maccioni explains how he's dealt with defecting chefs and demanding customers. And through it all, he pays tribute to his proud Tuscan roots and to his wife and their three sons, who operate the family's other New York restaurant, Osteria del Circo, as well as restaurants in Las Vegas and Mexico City. Like Maccioni himself, Sirio is full of passion, energy, and life-the unforgettable story of the world's most extraordinary restaurateur.

Back Jacket

When one considers legendary restaurateurs of the world, Sirio Maccioni strides like a giant across the landscape. We've all learned (and stolen!) from him. His work ethic is second to none-the consummate gentleman who cares for kings and queens in the same measure as his everyday guests. Peter Elliot has brilliantly captured the essence of Sirio's life, which by definition encompasses the best and brightest of New York.
-Charlie Trotter

"Sirio Maccioni is the perfect maestro. He does it all: great food, great entertainment, and always with a room full of the best people. He's the only person I could ever imagine going into the restaurant business with!"
-Donald Trump

"Few can resist the courtly indulgence of Le Cirque's brilliant ringmaster-juggler of tables, dapper hand-smoocher, ego massager to generations of the high and the flighty."
-Gael Greene

Author Biography

Sirio Maccioni lives in New York City and Montecatini, Italy. Along with his wife, Egidiana, and their three sons, Mario, Marco, and Mauro, he operates Le Cirque 2000 and Osteria del Circo in New York City as well as Le Cirque and Osteria del Circo in Las Vegas and Le Cirque in Mexico City.

Peter Elliot is the food critic for Bloomberg LP and host of Dine, which airs on Bloomberg Radio in the New York area and nationally on satellite radio. The show won a James Beard Foundation award in 1999. He lives in Litchfield, Connecticut, and is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.