WASHINGTON, NC – Restaurants Parley’s Sip & Steam and Blu Farm to Table, both located in Washington, will be hosting visits from America’s Best Restaurants in mid-May 2023. 

America’s Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on local, independently-owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to the restaurants on May 17th and 18th. Popular dishes will be highlighted, along with an extensive on-camera interview with the owners of each establishment.

Parley’s Sip & Steam is owned by Paige Horne, her mother Beth Glisson, and Mike Gooding.

The restaurant space started as an art studio, but once a wine bar was added, it became apparent that a community need was being filled.

“It took off like crazy, so we closed the art studio and made the whole place a wine bar,” says Horne, adding that the menu at that time was simply wine, beer and charcuterie. As the town grew they realized that they needed to expand their offerings, and as there was no real seafood restaurant in the area, they decided to change the menu and broaden the offerings.

“The most rewarding part, and what I’m the most passionate about since I’ve been here so long, is facilitating friendships between long-term and newer diners,” says Horne. The restaurant quickly became a “community hangout” and gathering place. Several times a year the restaurant, which faces the Pamlico River,  hosts a fundraiser block party which is very popular.

Popular menu items that may be featured on the episode include seafood specialties such as the Black Jack Tuna appetizer or the scallop-stuffed grouper that comes with a crab cake on top. “People rave about it,” says Horne. 

And then there’s the Mexican oysters, recently mentioned in a Forbes magazine article about those delectable mollusks and best places to eat them. Parley’s are served raw and topped with red onion, cilantro, lime juice, green Tabasco sauce, and tequila, which makes them available only to the over-21 crowd. 

Future plans for Parley’s include adding a sports bar and arcade, art gallery, outdoor seating, and coffee/tea/spice shop. The name will change to Parlé. 

Blu Farm To Table, owned by Vickie Desourdy, has a menu that changes weekly depending on what is available, in season, and looks the best from her local farmers and purveyors. The menu is inspired by her years of travel while in the military. Although she had no restaurant experience prior to opening Blu Farm To Table, she comes from a large family of excellent cooks and has sampled cuisine around the world which influences what she chooses for the menu.

“Almost everything we do is an inspiration from somewhere that I’ve been, and then I put a spin on it and make it our own,” Desourdy says, adding that she likes the menu to be healthy, accommodating to those with dietary restrictions, and always in flux. 

The restaurant has its own olive oil/vinegar bar with forty types of all-natural oils and vinegars which are used in recipes and cocktails. Desourdy is a big game hunter, and at times such unusual fare as venison ravioli, wild boar, elk, and buffalo have made appearances on the menu. The southern classic spread pimento cheese, available traditional or spicy and with homemade saltine crackers, proved so popular that taking it off the menu spurred a customer revolt and many requests for its return. All baked goods are made from scratch, and Desourdy makes pickled vegetables as aperitifs for all tables. 

America’s Best Restaurants will be filming at Parley’s Sip & Steam on Wednesday, May 17th from 3 pm to 7 pm EST. The press is invited to attend. Parley’s finished episode premiere date will be announced on their Facebook page and will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website.

America’s Best Restaurants will be filming at Blu Farm To Table on Thursday May 18th from 9 am to noon EST. The press is invited to attend. Blu Farm To Table’s  finished episode premiere date will be announced on their Facebook page and will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website.

Restaurants featured on the ABR Roadshow are found through customer nominations or by a restaurant applying to be featured at www.americasbestrestaurants.com. 

About Parley’s Sip & Steam:  Open every day but Monday, Parley’s is located at 132 E Water St., Washington NC 27889. Telephone is (252) 833-0352. For more information visit www.parleyssipandsteam.com. 

About Blu Farm To Table: Open every day but Tuesday, Blu Farm To Table is located at 129 E Main St., Washington NC 27889. Telephone is (252) 833-0701. For more information visit www.blufarmtotable.com.