Celebratory Bodean's

Photo from Eyedropper - one of the brilliant bloggers behind The Great British Food Map on Channel 4.

"Bodean's, Bodean's, Bodean's", sang Edwin as we switched from light blue to black at Stockwell. With a glazed look and gyroscopic approach to balancing we somehow emerged at Clapham Common "in the mood for food". I had just spent the last 9 hours whizzing back from a meeting in South West France, whilst Edwin, Anna and Cowie had been busy guzzling champagne to celebrate them all brilliantly passing their surveying exam - the dreaded APC.

Given that none of us had eaten anything you could describe as lunch, we were all famished. Bodean's couldn't have fitted the bill any better. Margaritas ticked all the boxes, reminding me of the scene in Bottom where Eddie and Richie create a cocktail called the "Esther Rantzen" because "it pulls the gums back over your teeth"... (the ingredients are Pernod, Ouzo (a wee drop), marmalade (one glob to taste), salt (around the rim of the *glass*))

We feasted on sinful pulled pork quesadillas, nachos with gallons of guacamole and crab cakes for starters... all great and just what we wanted. Having said that it really wasn't a very sensible choice of starters - or as Bodean's calls them - teasers.

Already quite full, we ordered almost the entire menu! My combo of smoked BBQ'd chicken, smoked sausage and pulled pork was an epic display of meat. It tasted divine, even if the chicken breast was a bit dry. I was surrounded by sensational BBQ beans, massively exciting baby back ribs that were disappointingly tough in comparison to Edwin's astonishingly good spare ribs, tepid onion rings and metres of kitchen roll to help us keep the grease levels to a minimum!

Cowie's rib-eye steak was apparently very good - underscored by the fact that she didn't give anyone else a taste! Somehow Cowie also snuck a salad and some vegetables into the mix when none of us were watching. But again, no-one got a look in here! Here's what Cowie had to say for herself...

"A salad and greens are clearly a must in an American meat diner.... well, an essential for a Cowie at least.

The mixed roast veg platter was satisfactory with a good array of peppers and courgettes. The green salad was a green salad, and probably totally unnecessary.

But I liked them both though and shared them with no-one... I am selfish with my rabbit food!"

Anna did a great job of summing up the atmosphere...

"... it certainly had a Greece-Dallas hybrid charm and quite simply booths are under used in London restaurants- yes, it is like eating in a train carriage but there is a place for that. In all honesty, a restaurant that laminates their menus to double up as plate meats is right up my street - all of which was perfectly punctuated by a high school gym team waitress. All in all an excellent atmosphere that was as hearty as the food!"

I love Bodean's. It's one of my favourite place in London. The only downside is that it's not great for your waist-line or sex life! My top tip, try to get the sexy times in before dinner! It would be great for S&BJ day - March 14th.