At a pub, the most important condiment is conversation. At The Frog and Toad in Fort Lauderdale, not only does the conversation flow, but the beer-battered fish is ethereal, the chips greaseless and the tartar sauce fresh and tangy.
At a pub, the most important condiment is conversation. At The Frog and Toad in Fort Lauderdale, not only does the conversation flow, but the beer-battered fish is ethereal, the chips greaseless and the tartar sauce fresh and tangy.
To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, chef Monica Churchill will be serving beef braised in Guinness and Harp lager with cabbage and parsley potatoes all day Friday.
An Irish American from Boston, Monica owns the cozy Tudor-style pub with her British husband, Martin. They worked in the cruise industry for 15 years, she in a casino concession and he as a photographer. They bought what was then a rundown Scottish sports bar four years ago. The couple has breathed new life into the place, adding theme nights (karaoke, quizzes, darts league) and gathering a following for the fresh food, cooked to order.
The Frog and Toad has become a watering hole for British expats, but on Friday it will take on a decidedly Irish character. Anyone who is Irish or Irish for a day is welcome to drop by for a pint or two of Killian Red or Strongbow Cider and some slagging (playful winding up).
In many cultures, frogs symbolize renewal and good luck, and the expression ''frog and toad'' is Cockney slang for ''one for the road.'' Cabinets, shelves and a fake London phone booth at the pub are crammed with over 2,000 frogs, including frog-shaped pitchers and teapots, ornaments, candlesticks, rocks and thimbles plus stuffed frogs, glass frogs and a miniature frog orchestra.
Monica is a self-taught cook who grew up on Irish stew. She has added eccentric accents to standard British-Irish fare, and is especially proud of her London-style curries in silky tomato bases.
Lunch starts with Little Leaps (appetizers) including Scotch eggs (hard-cooked and encased in ground pork sausage, breaded and fried), pints of shrimp with cocktail sauce and Prince Edward mussels in creamy tarragon sauce or Thai curry cream.
Sarnies, as anything between bread is called in England, range from BLT club and bangers in a bun to Irish bacon rashers in a buttered Kaiser roll. Froggie Fish Salad brings cod fried in a crisp, tempura-like batter and served atop iceberg with house vinaigrette. Big planks of battered cod and shrimp are also popular with chips.
Other house favorites are steak and mushroom pie; sausages, fried eggs and chips; full English breakfast (sausage, bacon, beans, eggs, grilled mushrooms and tomato and toast); shepherd's pie (ground sirloin topped with mashed spuds) and grilled chicken and apple sausage made by a local Irishman, John Murphy, plated with caramelized onions, peas and mashed potatoes.
Dinner adds curries served over rice with fried pita; seared salmon, broiled cod, Cajun-spiced shrimp and roasted corn chowder. On Sundays, Monica makes roasts -- a choice of two each week -- from a roster that includes beef with Yorkshire pudding, leg of lamb, lamb shank, pork loin with apples and turkey with stuffing. Call ahead to reserve; the roasts sell out fast.
