There’s a new restaurant in town – Bodden Town that is. The Grapetree Café at Lorna’s Texaco, owned by Osborne ‘Ozzie’ Bodden and his wife Nancy, is right on the beach. It is open daily for lunch and on weekends for dinner. The specialty here is fresh fried fish.
 
This fish lover’s taste buds are witness to a tasty dish of fried yellowtail snapper. It was well seasoned and lightly coated in flour before being dropped into a hot skillet until it turned a golden brown, then topped with warm grilled onions and peppers, fried plantain and fritters.
 
You can have your meal to go or dine in the ‘restaurant,’ which is one of the outdoor picnic tables set up along the beach. The trade winds act as a natural air conditioner and the powdery white sand is the carpet. Sodas, water or juices are available at the convenient store located next to the liquor store where you can get a cold brew if you prefer.
 
Ozzie had been toying with the idea of a fish fry for a long time. However the plans were put on hold by Hurricane Ivan, which was followed by Ozzie’s reign as a member of parliament. With those two events out of the way, Ozzie finally found time to become a restaurateur.
 
“It’s certainly less stress than the life of a politician,” he says, smiling.
 
The fried snapper and mahi-mahi are the main courses, along with chicharron, a Central American specialty served with cassava, green plantain and breadfruit and country style fried chicken and fries.
 
Prices on all the above vary from $6 to $12 per portion depending on size.
 
You can make it a family outing, with the convenience of the seaside location. The kids can swim or build sandcastles while you gorge on some of the best fried fish in the outer districts.   WH