Credited with -- but refusing to take credit for -- the creation of crème brûlée, Sirio Maccioni is a legendary restaurateur. The charismatic Maccioni and his wife, Egidiana, a legendary cook in her own right who authored the Maccioni Family Cookbook, have presided along with their sons Mario, Marco and Mauro over the nightly culinary scene at Le Cirque, where New York's high society has dined since 1974. New York City's renowned Le Cirque isn't the only jewel in the Maccioni crown, however. Maccioni's restaurant empire also includes Osteria del Circo, also in New York, as well as a second Le Cirque and a second Osteria del Circo, both at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Maccioni's newest creation is Sirio Ristorante, at ARIA in Las Vegas. Here, Executive Chef Vincenzo Scarmiglio dishes up rustic home-style Italian specialties alongside indulgent contemporary cuisine from Maccioni's homeland of Tuscany. The Maccionis asked Chef Scarmiglio specifically to helm Sirio and moved him from Osterio del Circo for its opening. It's no wonder, as Chef Scarmiglio has an impressive background himself. He began his career in a small town near Tuscany called Orbetello, then worked in kitchens in Porto Ercole, Livigno and Florence. Upon coming to the United States, and to Las Vegas, in particular, he graced the kitchens of Piero Selvaggio's Valentino and later Paul Bartolotta's Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare. He's therefore an expert in Mediterranean seafood. Ultimately, after a stint in Reno, he received the call from Maccioni, who asked him first to become executive chef at Osterio del Circo at the Bellagio, and later to open Sirio Ristorante, where he now helms the kitchen. And thanks to several special touches, such as bread brought with a decanter of olive oil that's poured at the table, add all the more to the spectacular atmosphere. To read our exclusive interview with Chef Scarmiglio, please click here. Otherwise please continue on to read the menu.

From The Display (build your own antipasto tasting platter; choice of: one for $12; two for $24; three for $34; or five for $52).

Insaccati e Affettati (Cold Cuts): Prosciutto di San Daniele (dry cured ham); Bresaola (air-dried salted beef); Speck (cold smoked ham); Salame Toscano (Tuscan-style salami studded with whole peppercorn); Cacciatorino al Tartufo (black truffle-flavored Italian-style dry sausage); Mortadella (cooked pork sausage); Prosciutto Arrosto (rosemary roasted ham).

Selezione di Formaggi Italiani (Selection of Italian Cheeses): Parmigiano Reggiano (Emilia Romagna, cow milk, hard, delicate, fragrant, savory); Castelmagno (Piedmont, cow-sheep milk, crumbly texture); Montasio Giovane (Friuli Venezia Giulia, cow milk, hard, mild flavor); Pecorino di Fossa (Tuscany, sheep milk, semi-hard, strong flavor); Robiola Bosina (Lombardy, cow-sheep milk, semi-soft, mild flavor); Gorgonzola Piccante D.O.P. (Lombardy, cow milk, soft blue cheese, sharp flavor); Caprino Blu di Riforano (Piedmont, goat-cow-sheep milk, soft, wrapped in seasonal leaves); Cacio di Bosco al Tartufo (Tuscany, sheep milk, semi-hard, white truffle flavored).