If you’re heading for the Big Apple for Thanksgiving, put Sirio Ristorante at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, on your must-visit list. We got a chance to dine there a few weeks after it opened (and right before Superstorm Sandy struck New York), and the space, designed by Forbes Travel Guide Tastemaker Adam D. Tihany, reminded us of a space right out of the ’60s. The glamorous design is indicative of high style, Italian Art Deco and features a brown and orange color scheme, sleek limestone bar, glossy wooden tables, and black and white photos of Italian streetscapes.
Famed restaurateur Sirio Maccioni and his sons are behind the concept (they also own the original Sirio location at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas). And executive chef Filippo Gozzoli’s menu focuses on beautifully prepared Italian cuisine. Try the Gorgonzola e ciccioli di guanciale (pumpkin risotto with Gorgonzola cheese and Italian bacon) or the spaghetti alla finta carbonara di mare (classic carbonara with guanciale Italian bacon, egg yolk and Parmigiano Reggiano). Just save room for one of the signature Italian desserts — think quadrato di cioccolato e nocciole piemontesi (chocolate hazelnut crunch mousse with coconut sorbet and candied lemon).
Of course, Sirio Ristorante’s prime location on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park makes it ideal for a blood orange Bellini or a bloody Mary at the bar before — or after — a day in the park.
