Nellie's Southern Kitchen, a restaurant from the family of pop music act the Jonas Brothers, recently opened at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Helmed by Denise and Kevin Jonas Sr. — parents of Kevin II, Joe and Nick (the Jonas Brothers) and Franklin (the Bonus Jonas) – in partnership with Bedrock LLC, Nellie's welcomes guests to a seat at the Jonas family table with nightly live music, generous hospitality and timeless Southern comfort food.
"Our family's connection to Las Vegas has always been strong as we've performed here many times over the years," explains Joe Jonas "it feels very special to now have a permanent piece of our family history in the city for everyone to enjoy."
MGM Grand is the second restaurant location for Nellie's Southern Kitchen, which began in Belmont, North Carolina. Nellie's is a celebration of Nellie, Kevin Sr.'s grandmother, who lived in Belmont working in the cotton mills by day and cooking delicious meals for her loved ones by night. Nellie combined music and food into nightly rituals around the table, forging tight-knit traditions the Jonas family continues to this day. Nellie's welcomes guests to a seat at the Jonas family table to enjoy recipes passed down from Grandma Nellie, and reimagined favorites from Executive Chef Mario Nichols, who was raised in North Carolina and began cooking soul food with his family at a young age.
The folkloric aesthetic of Nellie's, designed by OLY Studio's Kate McIntyre, transports visitors to Kevin Sr.'s upbringing in Belmont. The charm of small-town North Carolina is recreated through weathered barnwood, white shiplap cottage walls, and unique handmade furnishings and artwork inspired by the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
Guests enter through a sculptural hallway inspired by the quilts Grandma Nellie collected and are welcomed with her towering portrait, which celebrates Nellie's simple-yet-remarkable life. Amongst other references, cotton from the mill is transformed to diamonds in her hair. A banjo and spoons at the front of her dress represent Nellie's lifelong love of gathering friends and family around music and her home cooking.
Private dining space, The Front Porch invites diners to a bright space reminiscent of Grandma Nellie's front porch, punctuated with birdhouses and hanging flowerpot-inspired chandeliers overhead. Table legs take on the form of tree trunks, signifying the beauty of the Belmont region beyond the cotton mills.
Nellie's bar area features playfully designed tables that sit atop horse legs as if guests just pulled up to the stable. Kevin's uncle always joked if he ever opened a restaurant, he would need a reserved table for knocking back a couple of beers after work — so Kevin and Kate fashioned tables that could give him a ride home, too.
Private dining rooms evoke Belmont's blissful meadows. Memories of running through freshly laundered sheets blowing in the wind inspire a wavy, cloud-like roof. Walls are adorned with merry paintings of blue skies, billowy clouds and green landscapes that complement the blues and greens in the rooms' lush furniture.
Featuring live music nightly, Nellie's moody back room is built around a state-of-the-art performance stage and A/V system designed by the same companies who oversee the Jonas Brothers' concert experience. A captivating full moon light fixture juxtaposed with chandeliers emulating dew drops on blades of grass defines the seated section, which is watched over by large owl portraits. Cozy couches with colors and textures inspired by nature offer a comfortable lounge vibe for both dining and enjoying music.
Images courtesy of Nellie's Southern Kitchen
