2 days ago
Inside Martha Stewart's disastrous trip Down Under where the American TV star raged about Sydney
Martha Stewart didn't have the best experience at Sydney 's Vivid Festival last month, according to reports.
The controversial 83-year-old American celebrity was Down Under to present a talk entitled In Conversation with Martha Stewart as part of the event.
And according to insiders, the cookbook author was none too impressed with her venue - the famed ICC theatre, which has hosted stars such as Elton John and Cher.
Sources reported to Confidential on Tuesday that Martha was unhappy that she had to use a hand held mic throughout her 90-minute talk.
However, insiders told the publication that Martha had refused to use a headset for fear of messing up her hairdo.
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She also rejected the option of using a lapel mic, reportedly because she was concerned it might cause damage to her jacket.
Meanwhile, the publication also reported that Stewart disapproved of the vehicle that had been arranged for her use because the window tinting was not dark enough.
Stewart also shared a gripe about Sydney airport, reported insiders, with the entrepreneur complaining that the terminal was 'too big' and that she had to walk 'too far'.
Stewart did find something to her liking during her trip.
The culinary guru skipped over to the eastern suburbs for a nibble and shopping and elected to dine at Totti's, a mecca for local and international celebrities, reportedly after a friend's recommendation.
The Merivale-owned restaurant, known for its famous bread and small plates, as well as its signature rich pasta dishes, is beloved by the eastern suburbs in-crowd.
Given its reputation as one of Sydney's best restaurants, we asked around what America's kitchen queen thought of her dining experience.
And, after a bit of wild goose chase, we were able to find a diner who had been at the restaurant at the time and just so happened to overhear Martha's musings.
'She was impressed. She had a great time and ate everything,' they said, adding that she 'was really lovely', 'super friendly' and asked the staff 'lots of questions'.
The cookbook author 'enjoyed a large selection of antipasti' accompanied by the signature wood-fired bread, but our spy didn't stay long enough to see if she sampled any of the mains.
She had 'Sanpellegrino sparkling water' while she ate, said our source, and 'seemed very interested in the produce, asking the waiters lots of questions.'
Totti's fast made a name for itself as the place to be among Sydney's elites after it first opened its doors at The Royal Bondi in December 2018.
The highly regarded menu, created by executive chef Mike Eggert, features an array of Italian dishes from pasta, antipasti and its famous 'puffy' wood-fired bread.
Totti's interior was inspired by an Italian taverna, featuring old timber chairs, paired-back walls and huge olive trees filling out the lavish courtyard.
Just hours before Martha made a surprise appearance at Totti's, she was seen arriving at Sydney airport in the early hours of the morning.
She flew in from the US ahead of her Vivid Sydney In Conversation event, and was greeted by airport staff holding a sign which bore her surname Stewart.
The home-cooking icon was all smiles as she stopped to meet fans outside her terminal, toting a personalised 'MARTHA' travel bag.
