Black Tie International • 40

S i ro Maccioni, a captivating gentleman,supports my contention that a restaurant isonly as good as the person heading it up.When first visiting Le Cirque (originally onEast 65th Street), it was Siro who greetedme. A tall, impeccably dressed man withan effulgent smile, he summed up in hiswell-disposed personality the numero u sreasons why this restaurant has lured agood segment of New York's "best people,"most of them highly articulate in theirfidelity.

After a quarter-century, and with much fan-fare, Siro transported his restaurant formu-la with its high-caliber cooking and top-notch service, to larger, more opulent, hip-p e r-than-hip quarters in the New Yo r kPalace Hotel on fashionable MadisonAvenue, relabeling the place Le Cirq u e2000. Since then, offshoots were devel-oped, one in Las Vegas, the other MexicoCity.

At Le Cirque 2000 they not only satisfyhunger in various subtle and refined ways,but soothe and stroke your ego. And theseministrations are accomplished withoutobsequiousness or condescension. A n dhappily, the boss doesn't possess the pecu-liar urge of some restaurateurs to enter inti-mately into the lives of their patrons. Mr.Maccioni is cordial and far from stuffy, butrarely departs from the realities which gov-ern relationships between customer andhost.

As for the fare, executive chef PierreSchaedelin, former protege of A l a i nDucasse, and newly appointed co-execu-tive chef Alain Allegretti, more than fill thedemands of the most fastidious tastes, gen-erally attaining culinary greatness--a word,incidentally, that I reserve for no more thantwo or three restaurants in the entire city.

Both Le Circque chef's are noted here fortheir mastery of the restaurants classics.They also provides most of the elaborateand costly classical preparations of la hautecuisine. But if dining more simply is yourbag, you will find their touch just as sure.

If memory serves, there are a couple ofdishes associated with meals I had here.For one, frutti di mare salad, a skillful min-gling of octopus, arugula and linguine,tossed with shellfish vinaigrette that is asgood as you might experience in a prosper-

Roasted chicken with lemon and ginger, sweet red andyellow peppers, roasted potatoes and bok choy

Roasted veal chop, lasagna of vegetables and sweet bread

Risotto milanese and Due pasta & Casserole of winter vegetables Petit foors

Sirio Maccioni (far left), the fabulous Le Cirque staff and Marco Maccioni (far right)

Photos by

ISSUE06-DOCUMENT02 3/8/70 18:29 Page 20

ous provincial European household. Theother, fresh tuna tartare. It likewise is clearand pure, infused with fresh herbs andhoney mustard vinaigrette, sending a agree-able perfume to my nose. There is alsoa rugula sauce, daikon radish and microgreens rounding out the dish.

Casserole of winter vegetables is a classicrich dish, tasting of what it contains,enhanced by morsels of mushrooms, fruits,and generous shavings of pungently fra-grant seasonal white truffles, demonstratingthe kitchens quality as well as anything elsemight. Also enjoyed was the grilled Doversole, adroitly and swiftly deboned at a sidetable so the juices would not lose their savor.This fish had a distinct flavor, strangely dif-ficult to match in most restaurants. Noteson a recent lunch celebrate a delicate appe-tizer course of compresse of leeks, crispypig's feet and braised pig's cheeks in a mus-tard vinaigrette.

An outstanding classic is perfectly cookedand subtly seasoned quenelles of the fresh-est pike, enriched in an airy, aromatic lobstersauce. Chef's also have a fine hand withsautéed tenderloin of Black Angus steakRosssini, the meat meltingly tender, cookedto order, and accompanied by Jerusalemartichoke puree, foie gras and sauce madere.The kitchen likewise seduces with a vealchop scintillating with sweetbreads andmushroom lasagne, black truffles with acrispy baked potato, and lemon/gingerroasted chicken. Artistically composed sidedishes include baby vegetables, pommessoufflés and fluffy mashed potatoes.

T h e re are the usual extravagances of adessert menu relating to a restaurant of thisclass--deftly handled by a legion of experts--executive pastry chef Luis Robledo-R i c h a rds, Cynthia Sweeney and DanielBelanger. Their offerings include classic LeCirque examples like creme brulee or theweightless Napoleon, swathed in fre s h l ywhipped cream neltled in flaky pastry, andnew signature desserts such as sumptuoustarte tatin, ravioli of pineapple and mangobraced by white ice cream and pineapplesorbet, and chocolate caramelized bananabombe with a caramel center.

There are good wines in the cellar, but themanagement does not make a fetish of cob-web rarities. Instead it prefers to offer therobust, lively wines of fairly recent vintage.H o w e v e r, Ralph Herson, the knowledgewine director is justifiably proud of the greatyears.

**** Le Cirque 2000, 455 Madison Avenue(near 50th & 51st Street), New York. (212)303-7788. Open for lunch and dinner. A lacarte dinner entrees $24 to $42. Reservationsadvised. Accepts major credit cards.

Black Tie International • 41

Chocolate Bombe with a blackberry andcrunchy nougatine center over

an almond dacquoise and spiced blackberry sauce

Ravioli of mango and pineapple with a lemon-scented pound cakeand frommage blanc ice cream

Casserole of winter vegetables, wild mushrooms and seasonal fruits

ISSUE06-DOCUMENT02 3/8/70 18:29 Page 21