Martha StewartYvonne Tnt/BFA.com

Martha Stewart cut the ribbon on her latest restaurant with a giant pair of scissors—and a fabulous blowout. Sure, The Bedford, may be tucked inside Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, but step through the doors and you could just as easily be in Paris, or a stylish aunt’s living room, or Stewart’s own farmhouse in upstate New York—which the eatery is named for. With soft green walls, cornicing, and an elegant dining and bar experience, it’s easy to fleetingly think: ‘Why am I on the ground floor of a casino?’ But after one strong Marthatini, you forget entirely why you asked.

The Bedford is Stewart’s second restaurant (her other outpost is in Las Vegas), and the venture joins a portfolio that spans best-selling cookbooks, a skincare line, and a home intelligence app called Hint. Few people in history have perfected, let alone pioneered, the art of at-home hosting quite like Stewart, and this unveiling was no exception.

Upon arrival, guests were immediately served ice cold lemon-laced cocktails from chrome platters, along with trays of spring salads and casino baked oysters, before settling in for a masterclass in whipping up the perfect martini as instructed by Stewart herself. The takeaway? After a few minutes, she abandoned the rules and simply began free pouring. A quintessential approach for the perennial host with the most.

Later in the day, a crowd that included 50 Cent, Christie Brinkley, Candace Bushnell, and Sunny Hostin swanned in for the evening celebrations, enjoying a pierogi-making demonstration, seafood display, and a caviar cart. Dishes like pasta limone, mini crab cakes, and “Big Martha’s pierogies” were passed around abundantly, all with a twist on the doyenne’s most cherished and time-honored dishes.

“Two of my housekeepers are coming soon—I can’t wait to see how they feel,” Stewart told the room, referring to the fact that her latest venture so closely resembles her own farmhouse. When asked by Vogue where she’s setting her sights for her next restaurant, she responded without a beat. “New York,” she said, to ecstatic cheers and rapturous applause.