We've already had such a wonderful response to my second-ever restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart at the Foxwoods Casino Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Foxwoods officially opened to the public on Saturday, March 14. Among the guests that evening was Anthony Picozzi, one of my longtime devotees of the Martha Stewart Brand and a contributor of "Martha Moments," a blog and content archive created in 2006 by another devotee, Andrew Ritchie. Earlier this week, Andrew asked Anthony to write about his dinner experience at the restaurant.
Enjoy Anthony's photos and review.
If you follow Martha Stewart at all, you know her world is built around beautiful homes, thoughtful details, and food that feels special but still comforting. Her new restaurant, The Bedford, which just opened at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, is basically that idea brought to life.
In keeping with the theme of her first restaurant in Las Vegas, the concept is that it’s modeled after Martha’s own 1925 farmhouse in Bedford, New York. The rooms are meant to feel like spaces in her home, with vintage décor, marble tables, cabinets filled with glassware, and little design details that feel very “Martha.” Instead of a typical restaurant layout, it really does feel more like walking into someone’s beautifully designed house.
As a longtime student of Martha, I jumped at the chance to experience The Bedford on opening night with my partner and our friends Tim and Matt, who are fellow members of the Martha Moments online community. Our reservation was at 9:00 PM, and what we thought would be dinner turned into a full three-hour experience. We didn’t leave until midnight, and by that point we were the last table still there!
One of the highlights of the night was where we were seated. We were first seated at a small table in the Green Room, which is designed to resemble Martha’s living room at her Bedford home, but later moved to the long marble table in the center of the room (because our appetizers wouldn’t fit at our original table lol).
The room itself is done in beautiful green tones with faux bois detailing and includes “windows” showing scenes from Martha’s property, her gardens, and even footage of her riding her Friesian horse. Sitting at that long marble table with friends felt more like being invited to a dinner party than being in a casino restaurant.
Since there were four of us, we decided the best approach was to share everything so we could try as much of the menu as possible.
We started with several appetizers. Here is the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail.
We also had Oysters Rockefeller, Big Martha’s Pierogies (inspired by Martha’s mother’s recipe), and Martha’s Big Turkey Meatball. One thing we were really hoping to try, the house-made bread basket (which includes JuneBug’s flatbread), was unfortunately unavailable by the time we were seated. That just gives us a reason to go back!
For the main dishes, we continued sharing and ordered this Honey Mustard Salmon.
This is the Kurobuto Pork Chop. We also enjoyed the Scallop Risotto and the Filet Mignon. Everything felt very “Martha” in the best way. Classic dishes done well, comforting but elevated.
One of the most memorable moments of the night actually came as a side dish. We ordered two of Martha’s smashed baked potatoes, one with caviar and one without. They’re finished tableside, which makes the whole thing feel like a bit of dinner theater.
The server brings out a perfectly baked potato and smashes it open at the table before loading it up with crème fraîche, chives, butter, and bacon.
One of ours was finished with caviar, which made it feel extra indulgent. It’s simple, but somehow also over-the-top in the best Martha way.
Naturally, we had to explore the cocktail menu as well. Between the four of us we tried several including The Martha-tini.
We also tried a Meyer Lemon Drop, a Frozen Pomegranate Martha-rita, a Classic Martha-rita, and an Espresso Martini. The lemon drop is one of Martha’s favorites, and it’s easy to see why. It might have been my personal favorite of the night.
Even after all of that, we couldn’t leave without dessert. We shared this Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie.
We also shared this Classic Crème Brûlée and a Chocolate Pistachio Tart. The lemon meringue pie was probably the standout for me, but honestly everything was good.
By the time we finished dinner, it was midnight and we were the only four left in the restaurant. Before heading out, we were able to walk around the restaurant to take photos and made one last stop at the Bedford gift shop. The waitstaff was very friendly; they loved pointing out details and were excited by our excitement!
I couldn’t resist picking up a few things: a Bedford hooded sweatshirt, a reusable water bottle, and a tote bag that says “In My Martha Era,” which felt pretty appropriate after the evening.
After three hours at the table, it was easy to see what Martha was trying to create here. The Bedford isn’t just a restaurant; it’s meant to feel like stepping into her world, where thoughtful design, classic recipes, and good company all come together around the table. Whether you’re a longtime Martha fan or just someone who appreciates a beautifully prepared meal, it’s the kind of place that invites you to slow down, share dishes with friends, and enjoy the evening a little longer than you planned. If opening night was any indication, The Bedford may quickly become one of my go-to restaurants.
Whether you’re a longtime Martha fan or just someone who appreciates a beautifully prepared meal, it’s the kind of place that invites you to slow down, share dishes with friends, and enjoy the evening a little longer than you planned. If opening night was any indication, The Bedford may quickly become one of my go-to restaurants. If you can, visit The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Foxwoods.
The outdoor gardens at my farm are still pretty bare, but there’s lots of work getting done in the greenhouses to prepare for the growing season ahead. And my Skylands gardener, Wendy Norling, is here to lend a helping hand.
While here, Wendy is helping to groom all the indoor plants in my main greenhouse. She is also tending all the young seedlings that were started over the last few weeks. She is going through each tray, thinning out those that are weak, pricking out those that are growing too big, and then transplanting them into larger pots.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here at my farm, many of the seedlings start off on heated pads in the greenhouse, where they can be monitored carefully and maintained.
Some of the newly started seeds are also placed in our commercial-sized Urban Cultivator, an automated system that provides a self-contained growing environment with everything the plants need to thrive.
And still more seedlings are here on shelves under proper growing lights. We start so many flowers and vegetables from seed – every possible bit of space is used to nurture them before they are planted outdoors.
Every winter my Skylands gardener, Wendy Norling, comes down to help at the farm. She comes just in time to transplant hundreds of growing flower seedlings. It’s a great way to learn about my farm and how its growing season differs from the one up in Maine.
Wendy fills slightly larger pots that fit in trays for the growing seedlings to be transplanted. Experiment with pots to see which ones work best for what plants. And always choose containers or trays that have proper drainage holes at the bottom.
I use Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. A good quality organic mix designed for seedlings will be fast draining and light. These mixes are formulated to encourage strong, healthy growth in new plants.
Wendy fills the pots with mix and then levels off the soil to the rim.
It’s important not to overfill, so soil does not spill out when watering.
These tools are great for transplanting seedlings. The tool on the left is an extra large tweezer. The one on the right is from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It’s called a widger, a great multipurpose tool for seed starting. It has a convex stainless steel blade that delicately separates the tiny plants and helps to lift up the root balls.
The tiny seeds we planted just a few weeks ago are already sprouting and ready to move. These seedlings are Stock, Matthiola incana. Stock flowers grow with either single or double blooms in clusters on tall, spiky stems. The colorful flowers are great for attracting pollinators to the garden, such as bees and butterflies.
When the seedlings are a couple inches tall and have reached their “true leaf” stage, which is when each seedling has sprouted a second set of leaves, it’s time for a process called selective thinning. Selective thinning prevents overcrowding, so seedlings don’t have competition for soil nutrients or room to grow. Wendy carefully loosens the soil around the seedling with the widger so it can be lifted.
In this cell, Wendy is removing a weaker seedling. She carefully inspects the seedlings and determines the strongest ones. She looks for fleshy leaves, upright stems, and center positioning in the space. The smaller, weaker, more spindly looking seedlings are removed, leaving only the stronger ones to mature. The stronger specimens will be transplanted into larger cells or pots.
Using the widger, Wendy carefully moves the seedling from the tray to its new and larger pot. The widger also helps to avoid damage to the plant’s leaves or roots.
The seedling is planted as deep as it was in its previous tray cell. Wendy gently firms up the surrounding soil, so the seedling is supported and standing straight in the center of the pot.
Wendy avoids handling the seedling by its tender stems, which can bruise easily. The stronger plant now has more room to grow before getting transplanted into the ground.
The purpose of transplanting is to provide enough room – overcrowding can stress the sprouts.
Wendy fills out the appropriate identifying plant markers, also from Johnny’s Selected Seeds – a source I have used a long time for seeds and gardening supplies.
The seedlings are then brought into the main greenhouse for a drink.
These tender young seedlings should be watered lightly ensuring the roots have access to moisture. And don’t water too frequently – only when the top inch or so of soil is dry.
Wendy places the markers identifying the seedlings in the containers – seedlings must be labeled throughout the growing process until they are planted outdoors. This allows us to know what they are, how various varieties grow, and which ones we should plant again next season.
Next, these growing seedlings will return to one of our seedling areas where they can continue to develop. It’s so nice to be able to grow vegetables and flowers from seed during these winter months. It won’t be long before they are all ready to move outdoors and get planted in the gardens.
It's often said that on St. Patrick's Day, everybody has a touch of the Irish!
Yesterday, I celebrated the occasion by making my rendition of Irish soda bread - a rich, dense, lightly sweet loaf baked with golden raisins, caraway seeds, and butter. I shared it with my staff at the farm during a performance from young bagpiper Will McCormack, a charming 16-year old musician who has been playing with the Police Officer Stephen Driscoll Pipe Band since 2024.
Enjoy these photos.
Fresh out of the oven – two beautiful Irish Soda bread loaves. I made them earlier in the day.
I used my recipe for Rich Irish Soda Bread. It’s a tender raisin-filled loaf that’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any day the craving hits.
Before baking anything I always prepare all my ingredients. This bread is easy to make and because it requires no rising time, it can also be done pretty quickly. Here are some of my dry ingredients.
Here I am buttering the top of this loaf before it goes into the oven. I used a serrated knife to make the “x” about an inch deep into the top of each loaf. Legend has it that, in some areas of Ireland, a cross was cut on the top of the Irish soda bread with a knife to ward off the devil and protect the household.
I also like to sprinkle a little flour on top, so it gets that dusted look when it’s done.
And then the loaves go into the oven preheated to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.
After a little more than an hour, the loaves are all done. This looks perfect.
I served it later in the afternoon with Vermont Creamery butter. I also served delicious warm tea – it was a cold and windy day.
This is a member of my security team, Bill McCormack, along with his wife, Diana, and his son, Will.
Here’s Will setting up his bagpipes. Traditionally, bagpipes were made from the skin of animals. The hide would be turned inside out to create the bag, while the pipes were made from hollow reeds or wood. Today, many bagpipes are constructed using synthetic materials.
Will also selected three different songs to play for me and my staff.
Adan, Pete, and Fernando enjoyed the bread and the warm tea.
My dear friend Muffin Dowdle also stopped by to celebrate with us.
I asked Will to play on my terrace parterre. While spring officially begins in less than a week, it’s been chilly, so my boxwood hedges and shrubs are still covered in protected burlap.
Will has been a bagpiper with the Police Officer Stephen Driscoll Pipe Band since 2024. The band was named in honor of New York City Emergency Police Officer Stephen P. Driscoll, who was killed on September 11, 2001. The band proudly wears the New York City Tartan, which was designed by Lochcarron of Scotland, and presented to New York City in April, 2002. The colors of the tartan represent New York with gray for the streets and buildings of the City, green for Central Park, and blue for the Hudson and East Rivers which surround Manhattan. The two black lines which are designed in a cross offer a sign of condolence in memory of those who died in the Twin Towers tragedy.
Here’s Will playing his bagpipes – the wild birds loved all the music and began chirping along with him.
He hasn’t been playing long, but Will did a fantastic job.
Thanks so much for sharing your bagpiping talents with us, Will. It was great to have you at the farm.
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