From Farm and Water to Table: The Heart of Sugar Water's Eastern Shore Flavor
- Willie
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
If you've spent any time on Maryland's Eastern Shore, you already know: food hits different here. Maybe it's the fresh air. Maybe it's the rich soil that grows the sweetest tomatoes you'll ever taste. Or maybe it's the people -- watermen, farmers, bakers, gardeners -- who pour their whole hearts into the ingredients we get to cook with every day.
At Sugar Water Restaurant inside the historic Washington Hotel, farm-and-water-to-table isn't a trend. It's our culture. Our heritage. Our everyday rhythm. And honestly? It's the best part of what we do.
Often times people precieve farm to table to be expensive, but our owner, Dana, has worked hard to eliminate the “middle man” to keep the cost down and food even fresher. Our eggs come straight from the farm, our oysters do not pass through trucks and shipping facilities and Katie brings our fish straight from the boat. While the perception is you spend more for the freshness, we actually spend less by not paying for all the transport of extra people needed and are able to pass that savings on to our guests.
Welcome to a behind-the-scenes look at the flavors, traditions, and stories that shape every plate we serve.
A Region Built by Water and Soil
The Eastern Shore isn't just "near" farms and waterways -- it is farms and waterways. Fields stretch wide toward the horizon, creeks snake through marshland, and the Chesapeake Bay keeps the tide (and life) moving.
For generations, people here have lived in step with the land and water. That rhythm shows in everything we cook at Sugar Water:
Oysters from the waters Chef James family works.
Seasonal vegetables grown a few miles down the road including owners Dana and David’s farm.
Tomatoes that taste better than ever before.
Duck and chicken eggs from our farm as well.
Herbs snipped fresh from our own garden beds at Sugar Water Manor.
We're proud to be part of a region where "local" means people we know. Neighbors we care about. Families who have dedicated decades to their craft.
Meet the Hands Behind the Flavors
One of the joys of cooking here is knowing exactly where our ingredients come from -- and who pulled them from the soil or water that morning.
Our Watermen and Women: The Soul of Our Seafood
The Eastern Shore's seafood culture is built on the hard work and heart of the people who know these waters best. We're proud to source from a network of incredible watermen and women whose daily dedication keeps our menu rich with authentic coastal flavor. That includes Katie the Lobsta Lady, who brings us lobsters hauled straight from local water -- often caught the very same morning they hit our kitchen. We also work closely Tom’s Cove Aquafarm who grows our Chincoteague oysters and clams whose generations-deep expertise produces the beautifully briny oysters featured in our dishes. And for the rest of our seafood -- fish, crab, seasonal special catches -- we rely on local waterworkers whose connection to the tides, seasons, and heritage ensures that what we serve is as fresh, clean, and flavorful as the Shore itself.
Local Farmers and Growers: Fresh Flavor From the Fields
Our produce comes from nearby farms growing everything from hearty winter squash to bright, crisp greens -- and some of our favorite seasonal gems come from Vessey Orchards, right here in Somerset County. Their peaches, summer produce, and fall harvest staples make their way into our salads, desserts, cocktails, and specials throughout the year. We love working with farmers who care deeply about their land and their crops -- because when you know your growers, you know the story, the soil, and the heart behind every ingredient.
Sugar Water Manor: Eggs, Herbs and Seasonal Goodness
Just down the road, Sugar Water Manor supplies us with more than the gorgeous, golden-yolk eggs you see on our breakfast plates. Their gardens provide fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, mint, and thyme, along with seasonal produce that occasionally makes its way into our salads, cocktails, and daily specials. It's a small but meaningful connection that keeps our ingredients truly local and lets us bring a little bit of the farm's charm straight to your table.
When we say farm-and-water-to-table, this is exactly what we mean: Real ingredients. Real people. Real Eastern Shore pride.
Why Fresh Matters (Beyond Just Tasting Better)
Sure, local ingredients taste incredible -- but there's so much more to the story.
1. Seasonal Food = Flavorful Food
Tomatoes are sweetest in summer. Oysters peak in colder months. Corn tastes best when the fields nearby are buzzing with heat. We honor these rhythms, which means every dish shines with ingredients at their best.
2. Supporting Local Means Supporting the Shore
Every time we buy from a waterman or local farmer, we're helping sustain the small-town, close-knit, Eastern Shore way of life we all love. Keeping traditions alive matters to us.
3. Fresh Food Feels Good
There's something amazing about eating food that wasn't trucked across the country. It's nourishing in a deeper way -- comforting, grounding, honest.
How Farm and Water Shape Our Menu
While our menu changes with the season, the spirit stays the same: fresh, thoughtful, delicious, and rooted in local heritage.
You'll find it in:
Delicious soups featuring seasonal favorites.
Plates featuring locally grown herbs, squash, microgreens, and root vegetables.
Seasonal cocktails infused with ingredients from nearby farms.
Winter specials that highlight hearty, comforting flavors.
Summer dishes bursting with brightness and crisp, garden-fresh ingredients.
Every bite tells a story about where we live -- the marshlands, the fields, the creeks, the Bay.
A Taste of Home. A Taste of the Eastern Shore.
At Sugar Water, we want every guest to feel like they're getting a true slice of Eastern Shore hospitality. That's why we keep things welcoming, approachable, and infused with that small-town charm that makes Princess Anne special. Whether you're joining us for breakfast, dinner, or a weekend getaway at the Washington Hotel, you're stepping into a space where food is made with intention -- and where the ingredients are as local as the stories behind them.
So next time you sit down at Sugar Water, know that your plate has traveled through fields, across waters, and into the hands of people who take immense pride in their craft.
And we're honored to bring those flavors to your table -- fresh, heartfelt, and unmistakably Eastern Shore.