We Got The First Look At Martha Stewart's New Restaurant. Here's What You Should Know
One of the biggest names in the cooking and lifestyle world has arrived in Las Vegas — Martha Stewart. The Bedford by Martha Stewart, modeled and named after her farmhouse home in upstate New York, is now open at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. For Stewart, this is the first full-service restaurant project she's embarked on, which seems so natural that we're surprised it's taken this long to happen. "It's [a] rather strange time for me, when most people my age are retiring, to embark on a restaurant of all things," Stewart said during the restaurant's inaugural media lunch. "But I've always wanted a restaurant, and this opportunity I just couldn't pass [up]. I just loved the idea."
While Las Vegas might seem like an odd location for such a restaurant, given Stewart's clean, modern, and often preppy aesthetic, it's a town she says she loves spending time in regularly. Between the shows, the shopping, the food, and the blackjack tables, Stewart feels right at home in Las Vegas — and now she's got a kitchen of her own in town to seal the deal. We joined Stewart and her team for both a proper cocktail party to celebrate the restaurant's opening and an intimate lunch the next day to talk to the icon herself about the details of the restaurant. If you're planning a trip to Vegas and are curious about visiting The Bedford, here's everything you can expect to find at The Bedford by Martha Stewart.
The inspiration for the menu
When someone this famous for their cooking opens a restaurant, the expectations for a well-executed meal are pretty high. Stewart has published thousands of recipes over the last several decades in her cookbooks, magazines, and website, and demonstrated them on her television show, so we were curious to see which dishes would be carefully selected to be served at The Bedford. Each recipe is pulled either directly from her vast collection, from family recipes from both her mom and daughter, and from meals she personally cooks and serves in her own home.
The menu was choreographed by Stewart's long-time personal chef, Pierre Schaedelin, who was responsible for translating Stewart's recipes into restaurant-style meals, with a uniquely personal touch. Thomas Joseph, the Executive Vice President and Culinary Director of Food at Martha Stewart (who is also a James Beard award winner and talented chef in his own right) also worked behind the scenes to make sure the restaurant's food and drinks programs operate smoothly and have that signature Martha Stewart style. Given that the style of the restaurant is meant to replicate Stewart's home and hospitality, the menu is both personal and comforting, while maintaining a high degree of precision. Inspired by the seasonal gardens and foods Stewart grows at the Bedford farmhouse in New York, the menu in Las Vegas will also change seasonally.
Highlights of the menu include roasted chicken and pierogis
Everything on the menu at The Bedford feels familiar. You'll find bistro favorites, comforting homestyle dishes, and traditional entrees. It's a menu mostly filled with relatable foods that have been impeccably executed. Appetizers include cocktail party hits like the jumbo shrimp cocktail, crab cake, oysters Rockefeller, ricotta-stuffed zucchini blossoms, and steak tartare. There are four traditional salads on the menu, offered alongside a gazpacho duet. Alexis's Chopped Salad was created by Stewart's daughter, Alexis Stewart, and was inspired by a salad that she enjoyed on a trip to Las Vegas, ironically.
Big Martha's Pierogis are another beloved family dish, created by Martha Stewart's mother, Martha Kostyra. The pierogis are stuffed with traditional potato filling and are served dressed with brown butter. Four pasta dishes are also available to satisfy and console those who've lost more than they won at the slots, and range in price from $29.95 to $38.95 per dish.
Finally, a selection of entrees includes a roast chicken and two steak options for a hearty meal. But a salmon en croûte is available for those looking for an elegant change of pace, as well as a halibut and corn chowder, and couscous royale — which comes topped with a roasted lamb chop, lamb rissole, chicken thigh, and harissa vegetables. Martha's Square Burger is an interesting addition to the menu since Stewart claims to not enjoy burgers. But this one made the cut and is topped with tomato jam, caramelized onions, and homemade mustard.
The splurges here are worth it
Martha Stewart commands a sense of elegance. So it's expected that there would be some high-ticket items on the menu for those high rollers who want to enjoy a little bit of luxury at her restaurant. Many menu prices are high, but a few dishes are unexpectedly more expensive.
A whole roast chicken is listed for $89.95. It's stuffed with breadcrumbs and carved tableside, so you're getting some entertainment worked into the price. We were lucky enough to get a bite of this chicken while having lunch with Stewart and her team, and, although we were skeptical at first, this chicken is the best we've ever had. The skin is perfectly golden, glossy, and crisp, and the herbed breadcrumbs make the perfect stuffing. The bird itself is perfectly moist and delicately cooked, making the dish worth every penny in our opinion.
The buckwheat crepes are a relatively straightforward appetizer that starts at $99.95 because they include one ounce of Golden Osetra caviar. A two-ounce portion of caviar is available for $150.95, and a four-ounce portion is $250.95. You also have the option to add caviar to Martha's Smashed Baked Potato, raising the price of this $15.95 side dish anywhere from $115.95 to $266.95, depending on the caviar portion size. That's quite a bit to pay for a baked potato, but it's Stewart's favorite way to enjoy one. Finally, you can also add caviar to Big Martha's Pierogis, which will also raise the price of this otherwise modest dish.
The wines and cocktails are creative and plentiful
Upon arriving at the grand opening party for The Bedford, we were greeted with a tray of wine glasses, all filled with Martha's Chard — one of the 19 Crimes collection wines that pay homage to Stewart's federal conviction nearly 20 years ago. The playful vintage is just the beginning of The Bedford's wine list gems. There are currently 16 wines offered by the glass at approachable price points, especially for sparkling wines and higher-end reds. But there are also a couple of big-ticket bottles on the list, including a bottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne Brut Rosé Épernay, France 2008 for a whopping $1500.95, and a bottle of Grand Vin de Château Latour; a 1998 Bordeaux from Pauillac that costs $1950.95 per bottle. White wine lovers have a lot to look forward to on this list, with a delightful selection of chardonnay, white burgundy, sauvignon blanc, and riesling wines.
The cocktail menu follows the same traditional path that the dinner menu does, with pristine versions of the classics. For those looking for a heavier drink, try Martha's Perfect Manhattan, Old Fashioned, or the Classic Sazerac. But if you're feeling a little playful and want a cocktail that you'd imagine sipping on the porch on a summer afternoon with Martha, try the Meyer Lemon Drop, Frozen Pomegranate Martha-Rita, or the White Cosmopolitan. These may taste a little lighter than the old-school favorites, but they all pack just as big of a punch.
The Bedford is a replica of Martha Stewart's real home
The design of the restaurant isn't just inspired by Stewart's Bedford home; it's a replica of the farmhouse, down to the sconces, paint colors, and views from the windows. Kevin Sharkey, Stewart's Executive Director of Design, was tasked with recreating Stewart's home in Las Vegas, down to the finest detail. We had lunch in the "Brown Room", a smaller semi-private dining room located to the right of the main dining room. Stewart pointed out that the paneling was hand-painted with the faux-boix method, which she had created herself in her own home. Sharkey was able to painstakingly source the glass sconces in the Brown Room, as well as the mercury bowl-shaped fixtures in the main dining room to mimic those in the New York farmhouse. The marble tables came directly from Stewart's home for the most authentic experience. Even the grey padded dining room chairs and wing-back chairs in the lounge area are duplicates of those in Stewart's home.
Other little touches include views of Stewart's garden and property through the dining room windows, which are large digital screens that will change with the seasons. Cabinets full of cut glass and milk glass serving dishes, cake stands, and large display jars mimic the collections Stewart keeps in her own kitchen. Finally, each table is set in perfect Martha Stewart fashion, with a full place setting, bread plate, and tiny dish of salt and pepper — exactly what you'd expect in the dining room of this consummate host.
The Bedford by Martha Stewart is the real deal
For just a little while, sitting in the dining room and chatting with Stewart, Sharkey, and Joseph, it was easy to imagine that we were really in Stewart's home thousands of miles away. The hustle and bustle of Las Vegas are left at the host stand, and the gleaming white surfaces and copper pots hanging in front of the kitchen make you feel like the pages of Martha Stewart Living have come to life right before your eyes. And for those who have followed Stewart's career for the last several decades, it's a real pleasure to behold. Nothing about this space seems forced, and Stewart seems as comfortable and genuine in it as she would among friends.
The calm setting feels deceptively small, in part due to the way the space is divided into areas that correspond to Stewart's actual home. Whether you find yourself in the Brown Room, the living room, near the kitchen, or on the porch, you're going to be comfortable. Stewart herself is exactly what you think she would be, a balance of sharp businesswoman and gracious host, with a comfortable conversational style that's not too formal — all of which comes through in the overall feeling of the restaurant. While other restaurants in the casino may lean on more theatrical designs to keep the party going, this restaurant takes a step back from the fanfare and is true to Stewart's brand. A meal at The Bedford by Martha Stewart feels like coming home.