Reviews

Fact Box
The Buzz Magazine

Irish dancing tours offer a great opportunity for Irish pubs to boost sales. The Field in San Diego reports taking up 10-20 per cent when Riverdance was in town. At Europe's biggest Irish pub, the Guinness Island in Oberhausen, Germany, just 60 metres away from the Riverdance venue, the cast became regulars after shows. Daily takings were up between 20 and 150 per cent, with 2,500 pints of Guinness sold on the last night!

At the James Joyce in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where Riverdance toured in 1998 and 1999, owner Gerard Curran invited the cast to the pub. At special "Irish nights", customers enjoyed dinner and entertainment before and after the show, and met the cast. The pub held its own Irish dance shows during the run and included Riverdance in its own advertising. All this helped increase revenue. "An opportunity like this should never be missed in an Irish pub!" said Curran.

Go on - Snuggle in for another pint
Cinda Chavich, Business Edge

Snug. It's a short and sweet bit of a word that says warmth, comfort and shelter from whatever is raging around you.

A snug is the kind of little corner that you can settle into for hours, probably the reason why for centuries, Celts have escaped the rising damp in a snug spot at the local pub.

The James Joyce is a pub with snugs - little, dark wainscoted rooms where a table or two of friends can hole up to celebrate (or lament) the ways of the world and raise a pint.

Sure there are bar stools and big rustic tables for the more sociable types. There are spots where you can sit to get a better view of the local Celtic musicians and dancers who drop in to offer impromptu concerts. But when you just want to escape from the work and and winter, it's a snug that you want.

We stopped at the Joyce on a recent Thursday, and settled comfortably into one of the snug rooms in the front of the bar for lunch.

Not only was it just the right antidote to the stress of a busy day, the was pretty good, too.

They stick to a fairly authentic Irish pub menu at the Joyce, and at lunchtime every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday they offer their "carvery lunch" - a buffet with your choice of three different main courses and a variety of sides.

My dining partner went for the classic roast beef, lean, tender and perfectly medium rare, with side dishes like mashed potatoes, roasted rutabagas and broccoli with cheddar cheese sauce.

He could have had two other main dishes with his veggies - curried chicken with coconut milk and mangoes, or pork chops with savoury rosemary stuffing. For 11 or 12 bucks, it's fresh, fast, hearty and home-made. No surprise to see a steady stream of businesspeople queuing for their midday meal.

There are other good lunch choices on the menu, too, from a lighter Stilton and walnut salad, to a ham and cheese melt on crusty baguette, smeared with Guinness mustard. I opted for the Finnegans Fry, two massive pieces of flaky white haddock, in a slightly greasy but totally crisp Kilkenny beer batter. It came with a good pile of home-cut chips and a side of chunky cole slaw - a dream for a deep fry fan with a huge appetite and perfect with a glass of beer.

In the evening, the offerings expand to include choices like freshly shucked oysters on the half shell, fish of the day, baked chicken in a creamy ale sauce, beef and Guinness pot pie, and boxty - a big potato pancake topped with beef, chicken or lamb stew.

The James Joyce is probably as close as most Calgarians will ever get to a real Irish pub. Sanctioned by the massive Guinness company, it's owned by Gerard Curran.

Curran is an Irishman and, with his auburn-haired wife, makes the perfect host for a little Celtic camaraderie down on the Stephen Avenue Mall.

Not only has Guinness sanctioned this pub (and offered much of its history to the decor), it makes sure that its products are properly poured. This will be of interest to the fans of the inky Guinness stout which is served all three different temperatures (from the warmish Irish style to a slightly cooler European poor or a downright chilled North American-style glass of beer).

The James Joyce is like a magnet for the local Irish community or any Irish types passing through town. When Riverdance took to the local stage, it was here that they came to unwind. It's probably because the place has the feel of home, and authenticity you won't find at the plethora of pseudo-Celtic pubs sprouting up around town.

Take a look around when you're at the James Joyce and soak up that Irish warmth. The floor salvaged from the original bank building is a rare marble mosaic, there's a beautiful vintage tin ceiling and the big chandeliers are straight out of Ireland. The historic photographs evoke the birthplace of the beer in your glass. You might just feel like snuggling in for another pint.