Restaurant Week

Le Cirque Features Special Menu Created by Chef from Italy's Hotel Byron

Filed under: Dining, Wine

Everyone knows that dining at the Maccioni family's Le Cirque, the legendary restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is an experience to savor. Not only is its atmosphere striking and spacious, but everything, from the impeccable service offered by its staff to its beautifully presented food is beyond compare.

For the next two days, however, customers can enjoy all the greatness that Le Cirque has to offer while also experiencing the impressive talents of Executive Chef Andrea Mattei. The 31-year-old Mattei leads the Magnolia Restaurant at the Hotel Byron in Forte Dei Marmi on the Tuscan seacoast of Italy. Mattei has created a prix fixe menu for the restaurant and will serve as its guest chef through Saturday, February 5. Mattei is seen in the photo above with Le Cirque's founder Sirio Maccioni.

Mattei was discovered by one of Sirio's sons who visited Hotel Byron last summer. "My brother, Marco, had dinner with his wife at the Magnolia Restaurant at the Hotel Byron just before they left on their honeymoon," Mauro Maccioni told Luxist. "Hotel Byron is very polished and caters to an affluent crowd. Marco liked it so much he asked my father and me if we would like to bring the chef to New York."

Gallery: Le Cirque Features Guest Chef from Italy's Hotel Byron

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Denver Restaurant Week Starts Soon

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Over 260 restaurants are participating in Denver Restaurant Week which takes place from February 26 to March 11. The event provides a chance for people to dine out at a reduced price. For $52.80, two can dine on a prix fixe menu usually featuring three courses. Most restaurants are providing the same deal for only $26.40 for solo diners (the 5280 also refers to Denver's altitude). The restaurants range from steakhouses and pubs to fancier fare as well as catering to special diets (gluten-free Italian anyone?). National chains including Melting Pot, Ted's Montana Grill,and Carrabba's Italian Grill are also offering special deals. This is the seventh year of the event and Huffington Post recently compiled a list of the top ten restaurants you might want to sample during this promotional period.

Tags: denver restaurant week, denver restaurants, restaurant week

The Best of London Comes to New York: Chef Michael Hartnell of Le Caprice

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Chef Michael Hartnell of Le Caprice in New York.

Luxist had the opportunity to talk to rising star chef, Michael Hartnell, Executive Head Chef at Le Caprice, the fashionable Martin Brudnizki-designed restaurant in Manhattan's Pierre Hotel overlooking Central Park. The 28 year old wunderkind is known for his creative and modern European dishes.

Hartnell has worked for the Caprice Holdings Group for the past six years; prior to opening Le Caprice in New York, he was Head Chef at Daphne's in South Kensington, London.

Le Caprice, which opened in October 2009, is the American outpost of the famous London brasserie that shares the same name.

Luxist: Tell us about your background?

I was born in West London and grew up on the outskirts of London. My big opportunity came at the age of 15 when I did my work experience with my brother at The Ivy in London's West End. After finishing school, I completed my apprenticeship there and at other restaurants including Daphne's in South Kensington where I eventually became Head Chef at age 26 and Locande Locatelli, which is a One Star Michelin Italian Restaurant owned by Giorgio Locatelli.

Luxist: How does Le Caprice reflect your personality and vision as a chef?

Le Caprice embodies everything I love about food: its simple, well-produced and well executed. There is something on the menu for everyone's taste and that is a good reflection of myself. I'm not a complicated cook that likes to over elaborate on dishes, but what we do is done with a lot of passion. I aim to produce simple food using the best produce possible in sync with the seasons.

Luxist: Describe the menu offerings at Le Caprice in New York. What are the specialties? How often will the menu change? Describe your seasonal fare.

Chef Hartnell: We have Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and Bar menus. We have weekly changing specials and we also tweak the a la carte menu on a weekly basis to keep the menu as seasonal as possible. At the moment we are using fantastic fava beans, peas and artichokes. One of my favorite things right now is King Salmon, which we get from Washington State.

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Le Caprice Celebrates Restaurant Week in New York

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Le Caprice on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is an art-deco designed restaurant.

For the first time, New York's Le Caprice, the fashionable Martin Brudnizki-designed restaurant in Manhattan's Pierre Hotel overlooking Central Park, will participate in Restaurant Week. Le Caprice will offer a special prix fixe menu featuring a three course lunch for $24 while the three course dinner menu is priced at $35 per person. Restaurant Week runs from Monday, July 12 through July 25th.

"Restaurant Week gives everyone the opportunity to visit the restaurant to experience our signature and New York specialties if they have not already done so," says Le Caprice's Executive Chef Michael Hartnell.

Le Caprice, which opened in October 2009, is the American outpost of the famous London brasserie that shares the same name.

Le Caprice's prix fixe lunch and dinner menus during Restaurant Week feature Signature Caprice dishes such as the mixed beets salad, wild salmon served with buttered runner beans and chanterelles and Chicken Milanese as well as New York Specialties such as the Caprice Burger. Dessert options include Le Caprice's delicious honeycomb ice cream served with hot chocolate sauce.

Signature cocktails at the Le Caprice Bar are not to be missed. Included on the menu are such signature drinks as Gabriel's Martini and the Ginger Caprice. Le Caprice is also featuring a few Summer cocktails on the menu which include a light and refreshing Raspberry Mojito and the Amalfi Martini, which is made with fresh lemon puree.

The restaurant's wine list features a broad selection of wines from around the world. It includes select European wines from small producers whose focus is quality rather than quantity and who release small parcels to the U.S. The restaurant also features smaller boutique producers from the US who likewise focus on the craft of their wine making rather than the status of their labels.

Le Caprice is located at 795 Fifth Avenue. It is open for lunch from 12 pm to 3 pm Monday through Friday; dinner is served from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm. On weekends, brunch is served from 11:30 am to 4 pm.

To make a reservation, call (212) 940-8195 or book online at Open Table.

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