Maccioni’s family wanted to recreate the success of Le Cirque in a different restaurant, with the same touch of Sirio’s style but more informal. Marco and Mauro, Sirio’s sons, managed to succed the task by creating the Osteria del Circo.

I was there last night, quite early, and I was surprised to see how the beautiful restaurant located in midtown Manhattan, was already fully packed by 6 PM. That’s pre - theater crowd, that is followed by those who are going to have dinner later on.

I was among the latter, with some other friends, customers and sales people. I did the usual: encourage new yorkers to taste the Maremma menu, taste our wines (Poggio Argentiera and Salustri), taste and take home the amazing olive oil of Frantoio Franci, inviting them to visit Maremma.

That’s not always an easy task, because people come to taste Maccioni’s food, impeccably prepared every night by executive chef Federico Bartolotta, helped by a bunch of young and talented crew, some of which were discovered in Italy and brought in New York by the Maccionis, like the 25 yrs old Alfio Luongo, from Montecatini to Manhattan. Every thing becomes much easier when in the kitchen there is a genius preparing the Maremma Menu. I’m talking about Luciano Zazzeri, of La Pineta Restaurant, of Marina di Bibbona (when will your web site be ready, Luciano?). I could witness that the people remained speechless in front at simple but absolutely magic creation of Luciano, such us the ravioli filled with cacciucco, and the triglia alla Livornese on a bed of squids cooked with their ink. Beautiful.

Luciano came in the room to say hello, because he had to leave a little earlier to go at dinner with Sirio at Le Cirque, where Andrea Menichetti and his staff of da Caino where preparing their menu. What a fantastic experience we are having, with all these fantastic chefs mixing their stories, getting to know each other and making a lot of noise about Maremma in the best restaurants of the capital of the World: New York. And more than that, we are also having tons of fun!

tonight, day 4, Maremma Restaurant.