Treasure on Bowling Green island
A hard day's journalising left Mystery Diner with a need for something substantial, something hunger-busting – something downright dirty.
We chose to search for treasure on the island of Lichfield's Bowling Green pub, standing proud in a sea of roads.
Inside, we wasted no time in ordering our food at the bar along with a drink.
The comprehensive menu was exactly what you'd expect, with plenty of classic, well-priced pub dishes and even a separate burger menu.
My partner's rumbling stomach took over and ordered the nachos to start.
A huge bowl of crunchy corn tortilla chips came out, topped with lashings of melted vintage mature cheddar, salsa and sour cream with chives and jalapeno slices.
The jalapeno packed a punch and the toppings all combined to be a flavoursome companion to the tasty tortillas.
I selected the lamb kofte to start, which was marked 'new' on the menu.
Compared to the vast nachos – which was really a starter to share – my first course was a struggling size zero.
It was small but, admittedly, perfectly formed.
The three lamb kofte meatballs were each an absolute delight, although what a shame it was they weren't twice as big and twice as many.
They came in a delicious spicy kashmiri sauce, with some rather strange, thin slices of nan bread. 'To dip', apparently.
Dip I indeed did, but most of the sauce had been consumed in a few minutes.
My partner chose the stuffed butternut squash for a vegetarian main course.
Half a roasted squash appeared, filled with rich peperonata and a Mediterranean vegetable sauce.
It was finished with grated goat's cheese and served with a side salad; healthy maybe, but my partner pronounced it just a tad on the 'worthy' side.
In all honesty it could have done with potatoes or at least some kind of carbohydrate but it was nevertheless a square meal.
I plumped for the mixed grill, a serious piece of food by anyone's standards.
We're talking about an 8oz rump steak, cajun seasoned chicken breast, gammon steak, Cumberland sausage, chips, sliced flat mushroom, onion rings, peas and a whole grilled tomato.
You feel full just reading the list.
But after all that cooking, you'd think the aim would be to get it out quickly.
The meal was nice, the chicken was great – just not as hot as I'd have hoped.
It wasn't cold enough to send back, but on the other hand the edge-most items such as the chips and the mushrooms were definitely lukewarm.
Yet the flavours were all there, the sausage was simply ace and I was full to bursting in no time.
If only it had been piping hot.
For a dessert – hands-up, we are gluttons – my partner selected a real lemon sponge.
The light, moist lemon sponge was topped with deliciously smooth and tangy lemon sauce and came with hot custard.
It was exactly as promised and proved a sharp, succulent end to the meal.
I chose panettone bread and butter pudding, topped with orange and lemon marmalade glaze in custard.
The pudding was soft and flavoured well will juicy currants; it was a terrific, tasty twist on a traditional dessert.
It may not have been the most memorable meal in the world.
Yet throw our waistlines to the wind we did, and we were rewarded with a glutinous gale of generous grub.
Cost of meal, excluding drinks: £27.14.
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