I’ve driven by Bowman’s Bear Creek Lodge more times than I can count, and finally was recently able to visit the property and experience its charm for myself. Friends who are marrying this summer rented out the entire resort, composed of shared bathrooms and showers, a large fire pit, tiny wooden bridges crossing burbling ropes of creek, a large pond dotted with paddle boats and canoes, and numerous cozy log cabins with bucolic interiors detailed by quilt throws and rustic furniture.
At its heart is a small restaurant with a small dining room and outdoor patio seating that overlooks the pond. The owners do one five-course dinner service a night at 7 p.m., open to the public by reservation, for a set price.
Each dinner began with a cheese course showcasing the house-made pepper jelly, followed by a salad course and either a soup or pasta, then a choice of entree, and finally a desert. The first few courses were simple but absolutely delicious. The pesto pasta with smoked salmon and the seared romaine salad (above, pictured) were most memorable, and the baked brie in the pepper jelly was scrape-the-plate worthy. Entrees were inventive and pleasing; night one offered a choice between cod and pork, while the second night featured prawns or duck (below).
Dinner service was languid, yet without dead time or delays. The food was absolutely wonderful. Beer and wine is available for purchase, too. I’ll definitely make it a point to go to Bowman’s in the future. It’s a surprising and exciting culinary break from camp stove food and roadhouse fare.