Hel-lo! Let's parse the press release that just hit the Eater inbox, shall we?
What: Le Cirque, re-opening at 151 East 58th Street
Who: Sirio Maccioni and Family
PR Firm: Susan Magrino Agency
Best PR Quote: "Le Cirque has always been a place where the worlds of food, fashion, art and culture converge. We are excited to once again welcome our friends and customers as we move from one of the city’s oldest landmarks to one of its newest landmarks." —Sirio Maccioni
Best PR Babble: "Under the leadership of the Maccioni family including wife Egidiana, sons Mario, Marco, and Mauro, the legendary restaurant will entertain and attend to patrons with its hallmark service and exciting atmosphere as it has done for over thirty celebrated years."
N.B. Grand opening party May 18. Jockeying to get on the list begins—now.
After the jump, the press release in full.
THE RINGMASTER RETURNS
Sirio Maccioni to Open Le Cirque at One Beacon Court in May 2006New York, NY – March 28, 2006 – Heralded as the year’s most highly anticipated restaurant opening, owner Sirio Maccioni will once again welcome friends and guests at his renowned Le Cirque when the restaurant opens its doors on May 30th at its new home within the prestigious One Beacon Court (151 East 58th Street). Under the leadership of the Maccioni family including wife Egidiana, sons Mario, Marco, and Mauro, the legendary restaurant will entertain and attend to patrons with its hallmark service and exciting atmosphere as it has done for over thirty celebrated years.
“Le Cirque has always been a place where the worlds of food, fashion, art and culture converge,” said Maccioni, who has wined and dined high society in New York for nearly half a century. “We are excited to once again welcome our friends and customers as we move from one of the city’s oldest landmarks to one of its newest landmarks.”
Sirio Maccioni first opened the original restaurant in 1974 at the Mayfair hotel, and in 1997 relocated it to a larger space in the New York Palace Hotel under the name Le Cirque 2000. On May 18th, the restaurant, designed by architect/designer Adam D. Tihany and architect Costas Kondylis, will celebrate with a grand opening party at its new location in One Beacon Court. Le Cirque will be located in the impressive rotunda of the shimmering glass and steel tower, developed by Vornado Realty Trust, which is also the new headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. Le Cirque attracts a host of celebrities, politicians and royalty including Robert De Niro, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Bono, Rudy Giuliani, Cindy Crawford, Michael Jordan, Donatella Versace, Bill Clinton, Ron Perelman, Elle Macpherson, and Roberto Cavalli. In addition to maintaining its status as a favorite among such luminaries, Le Cirque and Sirio Maccioni have helped launch the careers of many illustrious chefs – Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, Terrance Brennan, Alain Sailhac, Rick Moonen, Jacques Torres, Sottha Khun, Sylvain Portay, Michael Lomonaco, and Geoffrey Zakarian among them.
The 16,000 square foot restaurant will feature a main dining room, a separate bar area and private event mezzanine suspended above the bar. The 27 foot-high semi-circular main dining room with polished ebony panels and a giant abstract “big top” light shade, will comfortably seat 95 people. The all glass bar, which appears and disappears like a magic circus box, serves as a commanding architectural element anchoring the 65 seat bar area and balances the custom designed 27 foot steel and glass wine tower. The wine tower visually connects the 80 person private dining mezzanine with the first floor. The restaurant walls, adorned with bent wire framed art pieces inspired by Alexander Calder’s magical circus installation will capture the whimsical and playful spirit of the original Le Cirque. The restaurant’s tables will feature Reidel stemware, Villeroy & Boch china, silver by Greggio and Ricciarelli and the restaurant staff will be outfitted with custom designed ties from Stefano Ricci.
Executive Chef Pierre Schaedelin, who began his career with Le Cirque in 1999, and mentored under two of the world’s finest chefs, Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV and Paul Haeberlin at Auberge de l’Ill, returns to the restaurant after a brief period working as Martha Stewart’s private chef. Drawing upon the history of the restaurant, Schaedelin will create an extensive menu for Le Cirque incorporating original favorites with new culinary creations. The wine list includes nearly 700 varietals that will be showcased within the two-story wine tower unparalleled in a New York City restaurant. Maccioni, of course, legendary for his love of all things beautiful, will have an all female team of sommeliers.
Sirio Maccioni opened Le Cirque in 1974 and as his three sons have grown older, they have followed their father into the restaurant business. Maccioni recently shared the culinary career of his family in his 2004 autobiography, SIRIO: The Story of My Life and Le Cirque (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; $29.95; cloth; ISBN 0471204560; June 2004), co-written by Peter Elliot. The book chronicles the ringmaster’s journey from Tuscany to New York and honors those that helped him along the way to becoming the owner of one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants.
In 1996, the family opened a casual version of Le Cirque called Osteria Del Circo in New York City. This was soon followed by the 1998 opening of Circo and Le Cirque in Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel, which are consistently two of the top grossing restaurants in Las Vegas. In 2002, the Maccioni family opened their first international Le Cirque located in Mexico City. Sirio Maccioni and his family reside in New York City and also maintain a home in Montecatini, Italy, Maccioni’s birthplace.
