Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven

[Holly Moore]

Sirio Maccioni, owner of Le Cirque versus the New York culinarily aware. A clash of generations, father versus his sons. A wonderful HBO documentary sharing the evolution of Le Cirque - location, cuisine, customers, NY Times stars.

I rooted for Sirio but New York City's thirst for the avant-garde seems to have won, or at least eked out a minor victory.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Holly Moore (log)

[zeffer81]

Yes, I read about this! When will us non-HBO subscribers have the opportunity to check this out?

[tsquare]

We were riveted. Made us think of a few families in Seattle - not the stars worries, but the family dynamics. Well worth watching.

[Septemberdog61]

We were riveted. Made us think of a few families in Seattle - not the stars worries, but the family dynamics. Well worth watching.

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We watched this last night. I laughed and cried. Very entertaining and poignant.

[Batard]

Yes, I read about this!  When will us non-HBO subscribers have the opportunity to check this out?

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I've seen this posted on the Internet, but downloading it is probably a copyright violation. As an HBO non-subscriber, I'm now in a moral dilemma -- download it and watch it guiltily, or not watch it at all and retain my ethics. Tough choice ...

[Lenski]

Don't download it, it will soon be out on DVD. And you could ask for someone to tape it.

I thought it was a riveting documentary. The night they are waiting for Bruni's review is priceless. And I have never understood why people allow themselves to be filmed while fighting. Talk about issues within that family.

l

[Tsulli1]

A few thoughts:

I thought it was fairly depressing documentary overall.

One of the first phrases out of Sirio's mouth was: "I hate this business."

Pulling Henry Kissinger aside after lunch for his opinion on the new location of Le Cirque was... interesting.

One thing I wasn't clear on, when they talked about "the number 14" was that $14,000 per month for rent at the Bloomberg building? If so, HOLY HIGH RENT BATMAN!

[CKatCook]

I saw this and was more interested in how Sirio was not willing to explore new ideas. Now, I never even so much as worked in a resturant, but it seems to me that in order for the place to remain open it is going to have to change with the times.

Just my opinion...

[Holly Moore]

You say "change," I say "cave"

Two other New York institutions did not change. Peter Luger's, which flourishes, and Luchow's, which perished.

I still think back to when now-retired Fritz Blank of Philadelphia's Deux Cheminees served a classic chicken kiev at a Russian Banquet he created one year for Book and Cook. It was perfect and reminded me why classics are classics.

There should always be room for the classic cuisines served in the classic manner.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Holly Moore (log)

[GordonCooks]

I felt it painted a picture of exclusionism rather than hospitality. The food was secondary, catering to society foremost.

I also didn't think it was flattering to Mauro.

[saturnbar]

All I kept thinking was how these people were going to piss away what appears to be a very substantial family fortune for what appear to be selfish reasons. Any guesses on what they spent to open the new Le Cirque, no way they ever recoup that. My guess is if it closed today, they would all be living on the street. And apparently, it is all riding on Sirio, he goes and its caput. Talk about a gamble. The whole famly should have just moved back to Montecatini, open a tratoria, and clip coupons. Hubris, plain and simple. Times change, deal with it. ch

[Kevin72]

The Food Geek in me would liked to have seen more how they went about getting that star back from the NYT. Plus maybe more on his background and how Le Cirque rose to prominence to begin with.

Started promisingly but meandered off course and spent too much time dwelling on the pains of getting the new place open. You can turn on any number of reality shows these days and get that story.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Kevin72 (log)