Ted, a friend of Jim, who is a great friend of mine that I often dine with, suggested lunch at The Bowman Restaurant on Friday. Jim asked me if I wanted to attend. I asked Jim if it was the Bowman on Harford Road just north of I-695. He replied that it was indeed. I told Jim that I did not realize that the establishment still existed. My last memories of The Bowman were when I was an underage teenager, sneaking past the doorman with a fake ID, with all my friends, to party downstairs while drinking and dancing all night.
Before going to lunch on Friday, I read the reviews for The Bowman Restaurant on Yelp. First, I noticed the overall three-and-a-half-star rating and then I began to read the limited reviews. There were two reviews from 2018 and the remaining reviews dated all the way back to 2009. Most of the review star ratings were weak at best, and the comments were underwhelming. I went to lunch anyway because I wanted to meet Ted, see Jim, and out of nostalgia.
I ordered a Cîroc Martini, up, with three olives. The server returned and told me they did not have whatever I was ordering. Then she asked me if it was vodka. I told her that it was, then she told me she would go to the bar to ask what type of vodkas they carried. She returned and named two specialty vodkas that I never heard of which I suspect victuals to a younger crowd. I told her to forget it and that I would like a Grey Goose Martini $9, up, with three olives. She returned with a half-filled Martini glass with three small pimento-stuffed olives.
Jim ordered a cup of the Maryland Crab soup $4.50 as an appetizer. I ordered a bowl of the Oyster Stew $12 (Plump Oysters in a Buttery Heavy Cream Broth). Ted and Jim ordered the Bowman Crab Cakes - Single $17 (Our Famous Crab Cake (5 oz.) All Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, Broiled), with two side items as their entrees. I ordered the Blackened Ahi Tuna $14 (Seared RARE; Served Sliced with Pickled Ginger, Seaweed Salad & Wasabi-Soy Sauce) as my entree even though it is an appetizer. The server asked if we wanted dinner rolls with our meals. Jim and Ted indicated that they wanted some.
About 15-minutes later, the server returned with the appetizers. I looked at Jim's cup of Maryland Crab soup and immediately noticed that it did not have the distinct red or orange hue of traditional Maryland Crab soup. The broth's color was translucent brown. I asked Jim to describe the soup to me. He said that it was good. I asked him how the seasoning tasted, and he replied that it needed more seasoning. My bowl of Oyster Stew was huge. I saw about six medium-sized oysters bobbing around in the white broth that had a few spots of yellow. I scooped-up an oyster onto my spoon and realized that the broth was extremely thin; a watery consistency. I ate the oyster which was mostly absent of flavor as is most oysters eaten raw without any condiments; however, the broth had no flavor whatsoever; no seasoning, no salt, no cream, no garlic, no black pepper, no oyster juice. It was apparent that the chef used something to make the broth white in color, perhaps milk, but absolutely not heavy cream, as described on the menu, or Half-and-Half. I ate the oysters and then pushed the bowl of white-colored liquid away from me.
After another 20-minutes, our entrees arrived at the table with two dinner rolls. Ted and Jim were served their Bowman Crab Cake, coleslaw, and a baked potato for Ted. Jim's two-colored squash arrived when he was halfway through eating his meal. I asked Ted to describe the small crab cake to me. He said that it was mostly crab meat with minimal filling and tasted good. I asked him if it had Old Bay Seasoning in it or another blend and if he could tell the difference. He replied that he did not think there was any seasoning in it at all. Jim agreed.
The server placed a small square plate in front of me containing my appetizer, the Blackened Ahi Tuna. I frequently order Ahi Tuna as an appetizer when dining. The Bowman's representation of the appetizer was a complete failure. The seven small, rectangular slices of tuna were poorly blackened and seared. Again, and at no surprise, the tuna was not crusted with sesame seeds, spices, or marinaded to enhance the flavor. The Seaweed Salad is a misnomer. Its name should be a few strands of Seaweed. The parsimonious serving of pickled ginger made for a congruous dish. That is not a compliment by any means. Each item occupied its own section of the plate akin to an old-fashioned TV dinner.
The Bowman Restaurant's decor requires a severe facelift, review of the menu, the portion sizes and pricing, and a chef who understands the subtleties of flavors and spices. Perhaps The Bowman Restaurant has outlived its time and is just hanging on by increasing their prices. Regardless, I would not recommend the restaurant for drinks, lunches, or dinners. read more