PROMOTION
THE final half of the final series ever of Mad Men kicked off on April 9 but before you go into mourning, take a trip to All Star Lanes and send off the series with the respect it deserves.
I could have been on an illicit liaison with Draper himself
Throughout April, you can gorge yourself, Mad Men style, for just £11 with The Madhattan Burger. It's a 6oz beef burger topped with wild mushrooms sautéed with a slug of Canadian Club whiskey - Don Draper's fave tipple, Roquefort and truffle mayo to give it that sophisticated Madison Avenue edge.
I've always envied Mad Men's blow-out power lunches so I thought I'd treat myself to a spot of suave dining in retro surroundings with a game of bowling to finish off.
We were led to a dark wood booth with shiny copper edging, ox-blood leather banquettes and mirrored panels. With the pendant lighting and pot plants, it was evocative of a bygone era: I could have been on an illicit liaison with Draper himself.
I'm sure he'd have approved of our choice of rendezvous as the drinks on offer at All Star Lanes put his personal liquor stash to shame. The cocktails are a particular attraction with the classics organised by era so, if you feel the urge, you could drink your way through the history of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.
Toast the rise of Peggy Olson as she begins to tap on the glass ceiling with a Boulevardier, first created in the 60s. With its Buffalo Trace bourbon, Campari and Antica Formula, stirred together to create the bourbon brother of the Negroni, the Boulevardier sounds like something Don Draper would knock back before breakfast.
As the series moves forward into the Me Decade, go for a Godfather which was created in the 1970s and prepare to see what unfolds for the denizens of Madison Avenue you've come to know and love. The Dewar's White Label Scotch stirred with Amaretto is now an all-time classic, much like Mad Men itself.
Inspired by the excesses of the advertising industry, we started with the Popcorn Squid (£6.50) and the Pulled Salt Beef Croquettes (£6.50). The squid was crisp and had a piquant chilli hit but the chopsticks were a bit leftfield and were eschewed in favour of a finger-licking lack of table manners. The croquettes were two big meaty mouthfuls – full of flavour but not greasy at all.
The main event, however, was The Madhattan Burger. The classic slaw (£3) and the fries with smoked sea salt (£3) were great accompaniments, but the burger was undoubtedly the star of the show.
Rich and utterly delicious, I was in full-on burger bliss mode as I bit deep and the blue cheese flowed down my fingers. The back note of truffle seemed appropriately decadent. It was as messy as Don Draper's love life but it was oh so good.
The choc chip cookie ice cream sandwich (£5.50) with its heavenly chocolatey sauce was the perfect way to finish off but left me so full that my bowling prowess was seriously hampered. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Our lane was in the west wing and full of the retro stylings that make a game at All Star Lanes such an event. Kennedy For President posters beamed benignly down on me as I failed to get any strikes at all – it could have been a Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce team-building event if the Ad men of the past had gone in for such 21st century shenanigans.
I may have just beaten Rihanna's paltry score of 82 on All Star Lanes' board of fame, but given the competitive nature of Draper, Olson et al, if it had been some sort of Madison Avenue away-day, I'd surely have got a pasting.
