Stubborn Seed, the Michelin-starred modern American restaurant conceived by Top Chef Season 13 winner Chef Jeremy Ford, has successfully expanded its unique, vegetable-forward fine dining concept from its original location in Miami Beach to a second home at Resorts World Las Vegas. The restaurant’s philosophy—a commitment to impeccable ingredients and a relentless drive for flavor—is reflected in its evocative name.
A Dual Meaning in Miami’s Roots
Chef Ford explained that the name reflects both the difficulty of sourcing the best ingredients and his own team’s passionate determination. “When we were looking, when we’re talking about like who we are and what we believe in, we love vegetables, and it’s throughout the menu we have vegetables,” he noted. The idea connects to agriculture itself. “Sometimes the hardest seeds to propagate end up being the best fruit.”
The concept is a core belief for the chef. “I think the name kind of has a dual meaning. For us, we’re very stubborn about what we do. And we care a lot about the product we have,” Chef Ford stated. He acknowledges that maintaining his ingredient standard required creative sourcing when expanding beyond Miami. In South Beach, the restaurant benefits from Ford’s Farm, an organic, five-acre property. “In Miami, we literally are packing up our vegetables and taking them straight to the restaurant. It’s almost impossible to get that.” For the Las Vegas outpost, they rely on expertise elsewhere. “We source a lot of stuff from Girl and Her Dog Farm out on the West Coast, and they have an overnight shipping to us. So we’re getting nearly the same quality.” He conceded the challenge of comparison: “It’s difficult because having a farm in your backyard taken to the restaurant, that’s hard to compete with. I think the West Coast will always have better produce. They have better soil.”
Adapting the Tasting Menu for the Strip
The Resorts World location of Stubborn Seed maintains the refined atmosphere and elevated cuisine of its Michelin-starred counterpart but features key operational differences tailored to the Las Vegas clientele.
“In Miami, we don’t have much of an à la carte menu. It’s more tasting menu forward,” Chef Ford said. The pace of the Strip required flexibility. “When we came here, we realized people may only have 45 minutes or an hour, they have a show to get to.” To accommodate this, the Las Vegas menu was significantly expanded. “We wanted to expand that all-apart menu to give them more options that we have in Miami. So there’s probably five times as many items on the all-apart menu here as there.” He summarized the change: “So we created pretty much the whole à la carte menu for here.”
Despite the culinary complexities typically associated with fine dining, Chef Ford focuses on simplicity for the tasting menu. He believes his food has become more approachable over time. “I think the older I get, the less fussy I get. It’s funny how that works.” His goal is clear: “I think the older I get, the more I just want the dish to be delicious.” He points to a prime example of this philosophy in action. “Currently, our barramundi dish is roasted barramundi with green curry and leeks, and that’s it. It was amazing. And I feel like it’s one of the most talked-about dishes. I think it’s simply about managing your own mind. You have to stop yourself.”
