22 Bowen's Wine Bar and Grille was my family's favorite restaurant on our short getaway to Newport, Rhode Island.
While this tourist destination is known for its seafood, my family wasn't in the mood to eat fish for lunch. We came upon a restaurant, 22 Bowen's, after walking around Bowen's Wharf and exploring downtown Newport.
Having been starving and wanting food that hit the spot, this restaurant did exactly that and everything was tasty. We ordered several dishes, but my favorite were the Shaved Steak Sandwich and Cavatelli. The Clam Chowder (not pictured) was also delicious, probably the best I've ever had.
After the first bite of my steak sandwich, I was in love with the food. There was so much flavor, moisture, and the meat was perfectly tender. As listed on the menu, the sandwich was a flat bread filled with onion, red pepper, mushrooms, lettuce, pepper-jack cheese, chipotle sauce, and shaved steak. As I am not a mushroom fan and was sharing the meal with my father, we got them on the side.
The sandwich came with French fries and pickles for only $16: what a steal?!
The other dish we shared was the cavatelli appetizer: cavatelli with summer squashes, corn, tomato, arugula pistou and parmiggiano reggiano. Arugula pistou is basically an arugula pesto (we asked our waitress.)
I was excited for the dish, and again, it far exceeded my expectations. The pistou tasted so fresh and had many textures that were satisfying.
If you're ever in Newport, check out this gem (or try to recreate these dishes at home!)