February 4, 2019 By Kathryn Romeyn Architectural Digest
“It’s fun to be able to take something you created in the beginning and then blow it up—that’s one of the beauties of Vegas; it’s all such fantasy,” says Ken Fulk, the prolific interior designer who conceived the grand iteration of SoHo’s deli destination Sadelle’s that now graces Las Vegas’s iconic Bellagio. “Everything can be an extreme version of itself in a dreamer’s way.”
Fulk first got a taste of this over-the-top approach with Major Food Group—the New York–based restaurant and hospitality company behind Dirty French, Parm, and Carbone, among others—when he reimagined the latter, originally a Goodfellas–y concept in the West Village, as a dramatic operatic setting for ARIA in Sin City, in 2015. “What’s happening in Las Vegas’s culinary scene is exactly what MFG stands for: elevated quality and elevated experiences,” says Jeff Zalaznick, MFG cofounder and managing partner. “It’s the pivot from ‘dinner and a show’ to ‘dinner is the show.’ We are lucky to be watching Vegas become an even more dynamic city every day.”
For its energetic new home, “a natural fit,” according to Zalaznick, Fulk zhuzhed things up, shifting the “charming storefront, a pretty bagel emporium, to this Belle Époque brasserie–inspired space with pastry and Bloody Mary carts rolling by. I keep hearing, ‘Be my guest, be my guest!’” says the designer. “It’s definitely a space you feel dancing waiters could appear at any moment.” Still, he adds, “I think there’s such a craving for some authenticity in Vegas, which is funny to say, but so much feels make-believe, so there’s a question of how do you juggle that with something that has a soul and a core to it.”
To create some semblance of intimacy within almost 10,000 square feet, Fulk zoned spaces in the former institution Cafe Bellagio—which did not undergo significant renovation, transforming quickly into its new incarnation merely through layers of what is essentially frosting—to create multiple experiences. “Vegas is designed so you get intentionally lost in spaces, and never leave the casino,” says Fulk, laughing. However, at Sadelle’s there is a clear flow, helped by herringbone floors. One moves from coffee at the relaxed cafe tables, with French enamel tops and classic bistro chairs looking out to gardens, to a bustling see-and-be-seen bar and lounge sitting atop graphic marble floors of jade and pink onyx. “Then, suddenly, it’s like you’ve arrived,” says Fulk of what he refers to as a Hello Dolly entrance that then carries guests to the grand dining space—perfect for a boozy brunch or caviar and cocktails—or a drop-dead private dining room.
The palette developed for the original—ocean blue, toasted sesame, buttery yellow that evokes cream cheese, and blush pink for the smoked salmon—carries through in vast, coffered ceilings that make reference to confectionery colors, cheery candy-stripe banquettes, and a toile used on uniforms and French fry wrappers, all custom. There are graphic marble floors of jade and pink onyx, and deliciously plush velvet sofas in emerald green, paired with clamshell chairs. What Fulk has created is almost a time warp: It could exist, and endure, in any era.
There are a lot of expectations in taking a beloved concept—and a seriously tough brunch reservation—to a place like Las Vegas. But Fulk was confident he has the DNA to take it to new heights. “It’s just quietly opened its doors and it’s already an insane success,” he says. Zalaznick and Fulk both expect it to quickly become the Bellagio’s new anchor, a destination drawing people from around the world for a dose of magic and indulgence. Says Fulk, “I’m always sort of mildly dressed like a maître ‘d anyway, there’s a real showman in me, so I like playing that role and doing restaurants like this, especially in Vegas. It’s theatrical stagecraft and it’s just plain fun.” bellagio.com