The Bedford Social Club
Founded by Fate & A Passion for Food

Written by Mark Hurley
Photography by Doug Miller

An unexpected but exciting meeting of the minds occurred recently between Dan Plattus and Mike Siehien, owners of the new Bedford Social Club restaurant in Bedford.

Plattus and Siehien resided at opposite ends of the country, had dissimilar careers, interests, and backgrounds before they met in 2003. Plattus, a Los Angeles native, attended the University of Arizona where he majored in molecular and cellular biology; he then earned his living as a computer program designer in Chicago and Los Angeles .

Siehien attended CW Post in Manhasset , New York , and worked in the restaurant business most of his life. At 24, he was the youngest executive chef for Playboy Clubs International. He later moved to Florida where he owned several successful restaurants, and eventually relocated to Los Angeles to become executive chef of the Mirabelle Restaurant on Sunset Strip. Siehien took a hiatus from the restaurant business to work in the film industry as an editor and special effects/graphic artist.

Still running in separate circles in Los Angeles , Siehien and Plattus met their future wives: Lauren and Wendy. But the frenzied lifestyle of the big city prompted both families to relocate to Bedford within a month of each other. Not until spring 2005, however, did the Siehien and Plattus families meet and begin plans to open a restaurant.

Plattus was frustrated because most of the good restaurants were in Lynchburg or Roanoke . He joked with wife Wendy, a Bedford native, that “either we would open up a restaurant nearby that serves good food or we were moving back to Los Angeles .” Meanwhile, Siehien decided that he wanted to start cooking again and open his own place.

Through the Bedford grapevine, Plattus heard that another proprietor had similar ideas. Skeptical that Bedford could support two new eateries, Plattus proposed a partnership with Siehien.

It was during an initial get-together over a pot of Siehien’s chicken noodle soup that the families discovered their synchronistic paths. Not only had Plattus and Lauren Siehien grown up near one another, they attended the same high school. In fact, while both families were living in Los Angeles , Lauren and Wendy used the same doctor to deliver their babies.

Plattus and Siehien began construction of the Bedford Social Club at 124 South Bridge Street and renovated it themselves, constructing an attractive tile bar and a 650-square foot kitchen on the upper level. They refinished the hardwood floors and painted the walls a tranquil beige. The dining room décor is highlighted by an eclectic array of paintings that include pieces by Siehien.

The partners continue using their synergistic talents to run the restaurant. “Mike does the cooking and I do the talking,” says Plattus. The menu features an adventurous line of appetizers like the Texarkana Smoked Bacon Wrapped Barbeque Shrimp stuffed with fresh basil and parmesan cheese and fresh Maryland crab cakes. There are also delicious homemade soups and salads. Entrees range from seafood plates like the swordfish monterey —fire-grilled and finished with olive oil, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives—to beef wellington and the chicken cabo, a boneless breast of chicken baked with baby spinach, black beans, onions, and Monterey jack cheese in a white wine and butter sauce. For the vegetarian patron, the Bedford Social Club offers exquisite pasta choices.

The restaurant also features a full-service bar with a robust selection of wine and beer.

A casual dining destination with an upscale feel, the Bedford Social Club is an excellent place to celebrate an anniversary, a birthday, or a fortuitous meeting of friends. If you are from Roanoke or Lynchburg , it is worth the 45-minute trip to enjoy this awesome dining experience. 

The Bedford Social Club is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 pm–10 pm. You can visit their website at www.bedfordsocialclub.com. Reservations are recommended by calling 540.586.9454.

Posted: November 1st, 2006 under Taste of the City.
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~Mark Hurley’s passion for food was sparked early in life. Born in Mexico City, he grew up with authentic Mexican cuisine and after moving to New Jersey, was privy to some of the finest restaurants in and around New York City. Mark is a Roanoke College graduate who began his fifteen-year restaurant career working and managing at Corned Beef & Co. He later opened and ran the popular neighborhood restaurant, Hurley’s Restaurant, on Grandin Road between 1994-2000. Mark resides in Roanoke with his wife Joan. He can be contacted in care of City Magazine at 540.345.6300 or contact@citymagazineonline.com.