EDENTON – Cherry Ann Taylor has been named manager at The 51 House, the new waterfront restaurant in Edenton.

A Bertie County native and a 1981 graduate of Bertie High School, Taylor has nearly 20 years in the food and hospitality industry, most recently serving as Director of Events for Scotch Hall Preserve golf community in Merry Hill.

She moved back to Bertie County in 2012 to be close to her 88-year old mother Elaine Taylor of the Mt. Gould community. She has two daughters, a one-year old grandson and another grandson expected on August 20.

She says the highlight of her career was getting to work closely with Jon Taffer and the Taffer Dynamic team from the popular TV show Bar Rescue to prepare The 51 House for its opening on Saturday July 23, an event attended by more than 80 guests.

Taylor personally met two top members of Taffer’s TV team – Chef Vic Vegas and mixologist Lisa Marie – who came to Edenton last week to create the food and beverage menu and train the staff.

“They were so great to work with and so professional, but really down-to-earth,” Taylor said. “They had so much knowledge to pass on to us, but the main thing was you could tell they really wanted us to be successful.”

Taylor said Lisa Marie had done her homework about Edenton history and created several signature cocktails unique to the restaurant, including the Lady of Edenton (gin, grapefruit juice, garnished with an edible lily) and The Protest (bourbon, sugar and an orange garnish).

Restaurant owner Rose Tummarello of Edenton Ventures LLC called in the Bar Rescue team to design every aspect of the restaurant’s identity and operation – concept, design, decor, and food and beverage menus.

The result is an historic bar and restaurant that pays homage to Penelope Barker and the 51 brave women who staged the Edenton Tea Party and stood up to King George III of England.

“We’ve created a restaurant based upon their story, their time in history, their classic American cuisine and an authentic interior that reflects the time period of the late 1700s,” Taffer said in an interview.

The restaurant will be open for dinner each Tuesday to Sunday, with a signature Sunday brunch, Tummarello said.

Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling (252) 482-2400. More information is available at www.The51House.com.