The Field Irish Pub

Here is one of the owners Hilary Joyalle with corned beef and cabbage and a pint of Guiness beer. Photo: Joe Rimkus Jr.

 

Rochelle Koff3/10/2010

A true Irish pub, says Belfast-born Hilary Joyalle, has "an indefinable heart."  Stop by Joyalle's place, The Field Irish Pub & Eatery in Dania Beach, and you'll understand what she means. This place has “it.” The Field is about as close as you can get to an authentic Irish pub without hopping on Aer Lingus. The Field's homey menu features traditional Irish pub grub bangers and mash, shepherd's pie and fish and chips as well as burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrees like Gaelic steak (with an Irish whiskey cream sauce). mahi-mahi and "heart healthy'' specials.

Ambiance: Named for a 1990 movie starring Richard Harris, The Field looks like a rambling farmhouse plucked from the Irish countryside. Framed in dark wood, it's packed with antiques, books, barrels and knickknacks, some from its former incarnation as the country-themed Spiced Apple. While The Field can seat about 350, its six rooms make a warm and intimate setting. In the main dining room and bar area, you'll hear terrific Irish bands such as Celtic Bridge with Eamonn Dillon, one of Florida's few uilleann (Irish bagpipe) pipers, Joyalle says. There's also dining outside by a 100-year-old banyan tree, where you may see Luna the cat, who has adopted the pub as her home.

What Worked

• Uber rich potato soup topped with Cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and green bell pepper
• Sausage rolls wrapped in light, flaky pastry
• Wild oak-smoked salmon served with flatbread, chopped red onion, capers and a potato pancake
• Littleneck clams pan-seared with pancetta, a touch of garlic and a splash of white wine
• Signature corned beef and cabbage, served with buttered carrots, baby red-skinned potatoes and a light parsley sauce
• A juicy steak made with a flavorful coffee and spice rub
• Cool, but palate-pleasing, scallops and shrimp over penne
• Decadent bread pudding with a Jameson Irish whiskey sauce
• Delectable peach cobbler and strawberry rhubarb tart