AN UP-SCALE, BLACK-OWNED ADDITION TO THE BOWIE COMMUNITY

Restauranteurs, Chef Neville Nugent and Chef Ed Reynoso, have expanded their Black-owned empire with their recent addition, BLVCK Cow, located in Bowie, MD.

Staying close to their island-inspired roots, the menu consists of elevated dishes that blend American Cuisine with Chef Nugent’s Jamaican background.

Chef Reynoso named their Chilean sea bass entree as his personal favorite, but he believes the fan favorite to be the ribeye. “Not everybody’s a fish lover,” he said. “We have different ingredients and proteins to where you’re able to pick and choose. That’s one of the great things with our menu.”

Straying from the casual dining of Mad Cow Grill, their first two establishments, the chefs strived to create an elevated dining experience they describe as “Urban Elegance”.

Article by MeKayla Pierre

Reynoso spoke explained what exactly that term means to him. “I think our culture is beautiful. I think there’s a different side to our culture and I wanted to make sure that we found a way to enhance that. To have a meeting place where people can get together and enjoy the differences that we have amongst other cultures,” he said. They often use their restaurants to support other Black-owned businesses as well. “Being able to share a lot of what we do music-wise, Black-owned tequila, Black-owned house wine, Black-owned coffee. We tried to do a lot of that showcasing for people to see.”

The owners decided to go against the grain by opening their new restaurant in stages. “If you do it in small doses, you’re able to get the dinner menu right, then the happy hour menu right,” he explained. “Then you add the brunch aspect to it and the entertainment part of it.

All those are different areas that need to be managed. Why not get it right?”

Their motivation to “get it right” extends beyond just wanting to have another successful business, instead, the chefs pride themselves on contributing to their community.

“Me and my partner, we’re both from the community. When we opened up Mad Cow, I lived in Laurel. We opened up BLVCK Cow and I live here in Bowie now. I always want to make my community better by being able to build, being able to employ people, and make sure that more of our people have jobs.”

Reynoso also spoke on the realities of being Black entrepreneurs. “There’s a lot of stereotypes with Black-owned restaurants and I want to move away from the stereotype. It’s not just people coming to eat at my restaurant because we’re Black-owned, but also because we are a good restaurant, you know. The quality of food is there.”

Exhale Bar & Lounge is located inside PartyHQ at the Bowie Town Center. Exhale is a place where you can come to enjoy an atmosphere that is fun and professional, with like-minded people. A place where you can enjoy a delicious meal, cocktails, live jazz, old school R&B music and comedy shows in a safe environment, with free parking.

Our 2400 Sq. Ft. venue is perfect for hosting special events like Birthday Parties, Corporate Events, Team Buildings and Holiday Parties.

Every week our Executive Chef, Cavin Allen, creates a new and exciting menu for the Exhale Bar & Lounge.

Come visit and enjoy a fun filled time with family or friends, or a romantic evening with that special someone or just sip on one of our smokey cocktails.

Exhale is the perfect complement to PartyHQ. After you have had the chance to dine, dance and mingle, you can grab a game of Bowling or Virtual Reality inside PartyHQ.

Here, there is something for the entire Family.

Follow our website or social media pages to see all our events and live music performances. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and our website @GoPartyHQ. You can also make reservations on OpenTable.com, EventBrite or email us at sales@gopartyHQ.com.

Arguably one of the greatest cornerstones of any cultural identity is its art. Not many cities can boast about having its very own black-owned art gallery, but Bowie is certainly one of them. With almost 20 years in business Overdue Recognition Art Gallery is Bowie’s first and only African American Art Gallery, and is a Mecca for African American fine art right in our backyard.

The gallery represents over 40 African American artists, with some newer, some being mid-career as well as various master artists. Along with this, they have art consultants, curators, and gallery staff to to assist with anything patrons may need. Gallerist and co-owner Jacqueline Thompson opened the doors to Overdue Recognition with her husband Derek Thompson in 2004, with them moving to their current location five years ago.

The Thompsons turned their mutual love of art into a business that that aims to both give underlooked artists their deserved exposure as well as bringing art to their community. “When I surveyed the DMV area, I couldn’t find any African American art. So I saw the need and decided that I wanted to give these artists some more exposure in this area,” Thompson said. It’s right in the name - Overdue Recognition aims to recognize art that is often overlooked. What makes this gallery even more of an important cultural center is the fact that it is black-owned. Finding African American art in mainstream galleries can be few and far between, but Overdue Recognition recognizes the need for this representation in the arts. “We need African American curators in our museums. So it’s up to these

African American art galleries to help these artists and help them get their works out there” Thompson said. The African diaspora is home to a multitude diverse eras of art, and it only makes sense that these pieces of art are properly represented where they can be appreciated by the community. Not only does Overdue Recognition showcase art, but they also pride themselves on serving their community. They hold lectures, events, and workshops to create educational opportunities for those interested in learning about various topics relating to the art. In addition, they hold events specifically catered to children to teach them about art. What sets them apart is their commitment to creating knowledge about art as well as representation, with both aspects being taken very seriously.

Purchasing art is also an option at Overdue Recognition, and each piece purchased come with their very own certificate of authenticity. With this, they offer a free guide on collecting African American art, as well as custom and conservation framing services. What keeps them going is “knowing that I’m helping the community build art collection as an investment”, Thompson said.

They are located in Bowie Town Center and anyone curious about the business is encouraged to drop by during their open hours. They can be reached at their website, https://www. overduerecognition.com/, as well as their Instagram account @OverdueRecognitionGallery. Stay connected to see what events and exhibitions they have coming up.