22 Bowen's is a special treat

By GAIL CIAMPA
Journal Food Editor

• See the menu.

NEWPORT -- 22 Bowen's Wine Bar & Grille offered a welcome change that weekend after Thanksgiving. It would be the first meal in days not starring turkey.

Steak's the headliner at the three-year-old restaurant that stands on a lovely wharf overlooking Newport Harbor.

As we sat in front of glass doors that no doubt open in summer to bring in breezes, we saw a tree dotted with holiday lights nearby. A docked boat boasted a "For Sale" sign. Tourist season is over -- these signs made it undeniable.

But inside the airy two-story restaurant with its dark wood appointments, long bar and open kitchen, a steady crowd came and went, disproving the notion of off-season.

This day they came for weekend lunch. A variety of plates included luncheon salads with seared tuna and grilled shrimp, soups, sandwiches including burgers, seafood entrees and specials.

Tempting though they might have been, I was there for beef.

The menu offered the chance to order from the Classic 22 meat menu. These selections include a 24-ounce porterhouse, filet mignon and New York sirloin, as well as veal rib chops and lamb chops.

Bowen's buys aged prime beef from the venerable Allen Brothers in Chicago, supplier to many of the nation's fine steakhouses. Less than 1 percent of all beef in America is rated USDA prime, so enjoying a prime steak is an opportunity not to be missed.

I couldn't resist the 20-ounce Delmonico. This bone-in rib-eye steak, naked save for salt and pepper, was grilled perfectly medium rare. By leaving the bone in, you get even more juicy flavor from all that meat marbled with just enough fat to give it flavor. It was big enough for the heartiest of appetites.

The steaks are all served with choices of housemade butters, sauces and mustards. But neither of the two we tried needed one. Especially the Six Peppercorn Sirloin Steak Au Poivre, which came with a delectable peppery crust around the seared meat. We ordered it in the smaller 12-ounce size. It's also offered in 16 ounces, which would seem like overkill. A pepper lover's dream, the meat started out a tad tough on the ends but became more succulent working into the middle.

Superb slaw

At lunch, the steaks are accompanied by a wonderful vegetable slaw. This is anything but your mother's cole slaw. It features a variety of vegetables, all cut thin, including cabbage, carrots, red peppers and jalapenos. The mix included corn kernels and was served with the lightest of vinaigrettes, not a hint of mayo. It was a cool complement to the juicy steak.

Our waiter, Bruce, perfectly attentive and accomodating with no hint of annoyance, offered that the kitchen could do a side of asparagus to go with the French fries. As at most steakhouses, the dinner menu at 22 Bowen's offers a la carte choices of baked potato, mashed, Lyonnaise or steak fries, as well as a vegetable choice of roasted wild mushrooms or the grilled asparagus. The kitchen did indeed whip up a dish of the asparagus for me. But I enjoyed the slaw more.

A French onion soup featured a wonderfully strong beef stock with buttery richness. The onions were thinly sliced and in proper proportions for the broth. Soft, housemade country-bread garlic croutons were topped with a mild blend of baked cheese, mozzarella and Swiss, baked on perfectly.

And in fact, that was the theme of this meal: one perfect dish after another from the kitchen headed by executive chefs Gary Jefferds and Chris Ferris.

We didn't order the thick-cut Cajun fried onion rings, but were awed by them as they were delivered to the next table. The rings are piled high on a plate from the largest at the bottom to the smallest at the top. It looked like a foodie version of those stacking rings, plastic baby toy.

We did try a crispy calamari appetizer. The lightly battered calamari were tossed with three peppers -- red, yellow and green. The calamari were as tender as could be and lightly fried with no greasy taste, the rings thinly sliced to slip in among the fish.

A simple baby green salad came with the house raspberry vinaigrette. It was a delicate dressing, pairing sweet and tart in nice proportions. It also left pretty pink splashes on the white salad plate.

Dessert exceeded expectations. Stunning was a huge slice of Key lime pie, the top packed with salty, crushed pistachios. The pie was of the denser variety, not light at all. But it was perfect, with a custardy sweetness measured against the tanginess of the Key limes. It was also remarkably fresh.

It is one of three housemade desserts. We also tried the creme brulee, another of them. The triple-layer chocolate ganache cake is also housemade.

The creme brulee, the ultimate ending to a steak dinner, was served in a good-size yet shallow ramekin. This allowed every bite to include a piece of the crispy sugar topping with the rich vanilla custard classic.

Choose among 35 wines

Ordering wine by the glass, as is the reviewing policy, is easy here. There are 35 wines offered.

Distracted by the setting and the beef menu before me, I quickly settled on Sterling Chardonnay, a full-bodied wine with spicy aromas and apple and pear notes.

But when I sat back and looked again at the list, I regretted not enjoying a $27 glass of Opus One, the Bordeaux-style blend that is a the result of a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Mouton-Rothschild of France. Most of us can't touch a bottle of the wine, which usually exceeds $100. But for a special meal, a glass seems more readily attainable.

There are featured wines of the month to spotlight new finds. Want to try wines outside the norm, such as the white Gruner Veltliner from Austria? You can do it by the glass here.

A new wine cave that stores up to 750 bottles will soon be installed on the second floor to further expand the wine list.

The wine list is constantly being tweaked by beverage guru Len Panaggio. He also makes the wine selections at the Mooring and the Inn at Castle Hill, all part of the Newport Harbor Corporation hospitality company, which owns 22 Bowen's.

A lovely glass of wine to accompany the perfect cut of steak, topped with an outrageous dessert. That's what I'll remember about Thanksgiving weekend in Newport.

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Details, Details

22 Bowen's Wine Bar and Grille, 22 Bowen's Wharf, Newport. (401) 841-8884, www.22bowens.com. Casually upscale. Open Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. MC, V, D, AE. Lunch menu $8.95 to $15.95; appetizers cost $7.95 to $79.95 (caviar); entrees $23.95 to $34.95; Classic 22 steak menu $31.95 to $43.95; and desserts, $4.95 to $6.95. Wine list: 35 selections by the glass $5.75-$27; half-bottles $17 to $105; and 400 bottles starting at $26.24. Wheelchair accessible. Private rooms available. High chairs and boosters. No smoking. Reservations accepted. Pay lot available on Bowen's Wharf but no parking validation. Off season validated parking at the Mooring lot on Sayer's Wharf.

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If you like XO Steakhouse, Hemenway's and Capital Grille, all in Providence, you'll like 22 Bowen's.

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Bill of Fare

The bill for two at 22 Bowen's Wine Bar and Grille might look something like this:

Crispy calamari with three peppers.... $11.95

French onion soup.....$6.95

Delmonico steak (20 oz.)....$36.95

Six peppercorn sirloin steak au poivre (12 oz)...$37.95

Grilled asparagus ..... $7.95

House steak fries ..... $3.95

Key lime pie.....$6.95

Glass of Sterling Chardonnay....$10.00

Glass of Groth Sauvignon Blanc....$11.00

Tax: $9.36

Tip: $25.00

Total: $168.01

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22 Bowen's Wine Bar and Grille