Martha Stewart, known for her impeccable hosting skills, gracefully moves through her spacious kitchen, passing marble tables and rows of copper pots and pans. She takes a moment to thank the chefs and servers before heading to the head of a long table in the Brown Room. As she goes, she adjusts a place setting and asks a couple of guests if they find the jacquard wingback chairs as comfy as she does.
In this room filled with shelves of glass cake stands, jars, bowls, vases, and coupes, Martha stands up to welcome her guests, sharing highlights of the night’s menu. Later, she’ll check with those guests about the crispiness of their roast chicken. She’s attentive to detail, ensuring everyone enjoys a frozen pomegranate Martha-Rita made with fresh fruit extract. Snapshots are taken of the food, caviar is lavishly spread onto baked potato, mashed using a technique she acquired in Maine, and attendees leave with a gift of wine and one of her cookbooks.
Those familiar with her shows or magazines would recognize the setting—the sunlit, manicured garden and her distinctive faux-bois stenciling technique—reminiscent of her Bedford, New York farmhouse. But this isn’t her home; it’s an impressive replica in Las Vegas—her first restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart.
“This was the idea from the start,” Martha explains over lunch. “We’ve worked hard to bring my farmhouse to life here in Las Vegas. The dishes served here are ones I make in my own home for family and friends. They’re recipes we’ve perfected over the years, including some family favorites like the pierogi my mom taught me.” Her mother’s specialty is served with sage brown butter, and she suggests trying the Golden Ossetra caviar as a topping.
The Bedford’s opening was a grand event with guests like rapper Snoop Dogg, actress Ellen Pompeo, and various Las Vegas chefs and celebrities inside the Paris Las Vegas casino. The early buzz around reservations and menu items like the gazpacho duo, a square burger on brioche, and corn and jalapeno pudding suggests a successful venture for Caesars, the parent company of Paris Las Vegas.
“Many have watched Martha for years, wondering what it’s like to be in her home and savor her culinary creations. Now, they can live that experience at The Bedford,” says Sean McBurney, Caesars Entertainment regional president. “This was once a dream, now it’s a reality, all crafted to Martha’s specifications.”
Martha’s demand for quality included pronunciation videos for staff (with caipirinha and cachaça proving tricky), months of choosing place settings, and specific ingredient selections like Żubrówka Bison Grass vodka for Martha-tinis. She worked alongside her longtime personal chef Pierre Schaedelin to adapt her recipes for a restaurant kitchen.
For Martha, it was essential to embrace seasonality despite being in Vegas. The menu will change, with digital yard scenes in fake windows transitioning through spring blooms, autumn hues, and snowy landscapes. She’s particularly enthusiastic about holiday plans. “We’re already planning for Christmas; it’ll be gorgeous,” she shares. “I usually have at least 20 trees in my home.”
The Bedford joins a lineup of celebrity-led restaurants at Paris Las Vegas, including Lisa Vanderpump’s Vanderpump à Paris, a new Nobu location, Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay Steak. Jason Gregorec, the hotel’s general manager, adds, “The Bedford completes the property as a culinary hub. It’s unique not only as Martha’s sole restaurant but because it reflects her personality. She’s both aspirational and relatable; it’s truly authentic to Martha.”
Considering Martha’s association with hospitality, culinary innovation, and decoration, it’s surprising it took this long for her to open a restaurant. “It’s unusual for me, at my age, when others are retiring, to start a restaurant,” Martha, 81, admits. “But I’ve long had plans for this.”
“Initially, I was busy with various projects. Running a restaurant while hosting a daily show and developing products was impossible,” she recalls. “Staying up late and rising at 5 a.m. for TV didn’t suit me. Now I can work with less sleep, so it’s fine.”
Martha’s polished East Coast flair seems contrary to Vegas’s vibrant energy, but she’s a fan of the locale. “I’m eager to have reasons to visit more,” she says. “I enjoy the entertainment, the shopping—it’s unmatched. We’re coming back to see Adele, we adore her. And I like the blackjack tables; I explore different restaurants to see what others are doing.”
Though she missed a chance to visit Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen in Caesars Palace. “We tried on the first night, but the only available time was 11 p.m., which felt late to us,” Martha confesses.
Takeaway: Even celebrities face challenges securing popular restaurant reservations in Vegas!
