With Saint Patrick’s Day just days away, South Florida gets ready to do it all over again—

the green clothes, the music, the dancing, the Guinness, the Jameson, the craic. You know, a real celebration, Irish style. St Patrick’s Day started in Boston in 1737 so we Americans, Irish Americans, diaspora and expats know how to throw this party. We invented it. It’s our tradition. It’s 2013 and lots has changed but some things never go out of style.

We’ve been singing the same old songs since The Irish Rover was written. Few things evoke a sense of heritage and Irish pride like a few pints at the pub while singing The Fields of Athenry. As this new century moves into it’s second decade, this Celtic holiday and celebration of everything Irish embraces a new generation of music. The soundtrack of what it is to be Irish evolves with Floggin Molly calling their fellow Irish-Americans to have pride in their Irish heritage—aggressively. The rebel songs that filled the Irish pubs in the last century would most certainly lose in a fight against The Dropkick Murphy’s with their punk rock blaring bagpipe fusion. But hey, at least it’s Irish—apart from the bagpipes, they’re Scottish. But at least it celebrates our shared immigrant heritage. Besides Guinness, the rock band U2 are Ireland’s biggest export and what more could you ask from these international ambassadors of love and peace? So who cares then if something is as Irish as Patty O’Furniture once it unites us as countrymen and women?

One citizen of The City of Hollywood did. Last week he wrote to the organizers of the Hollywood St Patrick’s Day & Festival, the mayor of Hollywood and The Hibernians of South Florida;

“U2 may seem appropriate to the uninformed for an Irish event and indeed provide rousing entertainment (perhaps more appropriately at an evening affair) for the young adults and plastic paddys in the beer lines, it is NOT an experience which promulgates Irish culture, which is the basis for this American Holiday” argued Mr Peter Taylor. He was asking them to reconsider their decision to have U2 cover band UV perform following the parade rather than something a little more, well, traditional. And what a response he got.
The Grand Marshall of the parade and other key organizers all listened with open ears. Maybe we shouldn’t throw out centuries of tradition with the arrival of a new one.

Letters from Mr Taylor

LETTER TO THE MAYOR OF HOLLYWOOD

the Honorable Peter Bober;
Mayor Of City Of Hollywood, Florida

2/25/2013

Mr Mayor;

As a life long resident of our fine city, my children (and now my children's 
children), and I have always enjoyed the Hollywood Paddy's Day Parade and took a 
certain pride that our heritage could be shared with whimsical delight to people 
of all ethnicities. Moreover, the root of the tradition in the urban fire and 
police institutions allows us to extend tribute to our civic institutions and 
showcase our churches and cultural legacy. Indeed Step dancing in Young Circle 
and my own youthful participation in a city sponsored production of "Fenian's 
Rainbow" at the Band Shell are amongst my fondest childhood memories.

However, I am deeply distressed that the scheduling of 2013 events have excluded 
the performance of a local band, Celtic Bridge, to accommodate UV, an U2 cover 
band.

While heavy metal covers of U2 may seem appropriate to the uninformed for an 
Irish event and indeed provide rousing entertainment (perhaps more appropriately 
at an evening affair) for the young adults and plastic paddys in the beer lines, 
it is NOT an experience which promulgates Irish culture, which is the basis for 
this American Holiday. 

To be clear, this is not an objection to the performance by UV, they put on a 
fine show. It is simply as incomprehensible as it would be were Bruce 
Springsteen to displace a local cantor at High Holy Day Services. Sure, it would 
be more eclectic and have broader appeal and increase the draw, but it would 
undermine the fundamental reason for the event.

Celtic Bridge is an uniquely authentic treasure trove of traditional celtic 
music, as well as the Irish and Irish American ballad traditions from which the 
Paddy's Day celebrations emerged (and eventually found ther way back to the Auld 
Sod to accompany the religious origin of the holiday). The talents of these 
world acclaimed musicians (three of whom are Hollywood residents) are the 
epitome of Irish performance art and should be central to events such as this.

We should afford our children exposure to the real deal. Certainly there are 
year round opportunities at a multitude of venues for a heavy metal experience 
for an appropriate audience, while the "Trad Music" is generally relegated to 
the Pub Scene, from which our children are generally excluded.

While I realize there are practical limitations on event scheduling, crowd 
retention issues and technical requirements for equipment and myriad other 
mundane factors involved, I would ask that you prevail upon the bureaucracy 
which makes such decisions to be more sensitive to the real essence of the 
celebration, rather than the ther own predispositions, and honor the intent of 
the tradition.

I thank you for your consideration, most sincerely,

Peter M. Taylor

The Field Irish Pub & Eatery read this letter as it pertained to one of it’s most popular acts, Celtic Bridge who had performed live at the festival in Hollywood many times before.
Phone calls were made and with the help of a fantastic Irish-American couple from Davie and Prestige Property Management, Celtic Bridge performed 
on a float, in the parade! Mickey Byrnes and The Field hosted them afterwards while UV’s cover of “Where the streets have no name”  reverberated down Hollywood Boulevard. As the sun set in Bono’s glasses, everyone was happy.

And when the sun rises on St Patrick’s Day I know we’ll all be happy. At The Field we’ll surely have lots of the old with a healthy dose of the new. So when you wake that morning, ask yourself a question—
What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

Check out our pics of the Fort Lauderdale Irish Festival and Downtown Hollywood St Patrick’s Parade.

Join us at The Field this St Patrick’s weekend
2 DAY FESTIVAL — SAT 16 & SUN 17 MARCH, 2013

The Field is hosting our 11th Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 22nd. After all those years we think we have one of the best value (and quality) options in South Florida or at least, Fort Lauderdale.
We are taking three seatings of reservations from 12-5pm. Please call us to reserve a table at 954 964 5979.
Live music with Celtic Bridge from 3-6pm. Check out our special menu with Traditional Roast Turkey Dinner from just $18 and a kids portion just $8.50
View Our Special Menu Here

http://www.facebook.com/events/503989132947537/

It’s been six months since your last St Patrick’s Day. We’ve reached that low point in the year when the memories of last St Paddy’s Day are fading but the next one is just too far away to get excited about. We have the solution;

The Field’s Halfway to St Patrick’s Day Party 2012

Join Ian Millar from The Irish Rovers, Celtic Bridge, The Celtic Dreams Bagpipers and The Drake Irish Dancers as they celebrate the second best day of the year. Live music starts at 7pm.

20oz Guinness pints just $5. Jameson Irish whiskey shots just $5 and Corned Beef & Cabbage just $10 all night.

No reservations. Large groups may call ahead 30 minutes before arrival.

Check out the event on Facebook

If you were to ask anybody in the US to name a traditional dish that they would expect to see in an Irish pub, most would say Fish & Chips. It’s the staple classic we have come to expect and if it were not on the menu many would immediately doubt the authenticity of the establishment. So, it’s not too surprising that out of all the dishes found at The Field Irish Pub & Eatery, Fish and Chips sells considerably more than any other dish on the menu. So where did Fish and Chips come from and how did it become so synonymous with Irish pub fare? After all, isn’t it traditionally an English dish?

Fish and Chips originated in England in the mid 1800s with the arrival of ‘pommes frites’ from France (chips in England or french fries in the US) and rapid development of trawl fishing in the North Sea. This made it an affordable meal for the working class. The first Fish and Chip shop is said to have opened in Lancaster, England in 1863, they quickly began popping up all over England and Scotland reaching an astonishing 35,000 by the 1930′s. These shops helped feed the masses during the First World War and were one of the few foods not rationed in Scotland.

Though the number of fish and chip shops in the UK has leveled out to around 10,500 more than 227 million portions of Fish and Chips are sold annually and the market is now worth in excess of £1.2 billion (almost $2 billion). Now more commonly referred to as ‘The Chippy’ or ‘The Chipper’, one in six UK adults will frequent one of these establishment once or twice a week. The fish of choice by far in the UK is cod, counting for 60% of consumption with haddock coming in second at 25%. Cod are infamously lazy and swim as little as possible. This makes them white and tasty. Since, we believe in doing it the traditional way, The Field Irish Pub uses twin cod loins in our Fish and Chips.

It was however an Italian immigrant Guiseppe Cervi who brought Fish and Chips to Ireland in the 1880s. He was on a boat bound for the US which had a stopover in Cobh, County Cork. Thinking he had arrived at his destination, he and his wife disembarked and were left behind. He walked the long rocky road to Dublin and worked as a laborer to earn the money to buy a coal-fired cooker and handcart to go into the business of selling roasted chestnuts. The story goes that one day he mistakenly roasted a potato instead of a chestnut but the Irish loved it and he quickly realized that the potato business might work out a lot better than the chestnut business. He began selling them outside pubs from his handcart before finding a permanent spot on what is now known as Pearse Street. There, he opened Ireland’s first Fish and Chip shop and we’ve been hooked ever since.

How did this beer battered goodness become an Irish pub tradition? Oddly, within Ireland it didn’t. We still enjoy our fish and chips from small shops and mobile fish and chip vans like the one that inspired Roddy Doyle’s famous movie ‘The Van’. It is much more of a takeout than a sit down affair. In fact if you don’t take them home with you, you are more likely to consume your fish and chips sitting on a park bench or on the walk home from the pub. In most other countries, like the US, while there are no shortages of Irish pubs there is a distinct lack of fish and chip shops. This makes the Irish pub is the perfect venue for your next fried fix. Just don’t forget the malt vinegar!

Authentic Fish and Chips Recipe

The Field’s Famous Beer batter:

• 1.5 lbs flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp old bay seasoning
• 1 eggs
• 1 pint (16 oz) of beer
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

For the most authentic fish and chips, it’s best to prepare your chips the day before you make them. This is a secret of the best ‘chippers’ in Ireland and the UK. This is done so the chips can soak in water overnight removing a lot of the starch so when cooked, they don’t get too crispy. In fact, you really want your chips to be soft on the outside. Although this is not the actual process we use at The Field (we’re cooking for Americans), I would recommend trying this for the most authentic results.

Chip preparation:

Peel some big potatoes (Idaho’s work great) and cut into uniform steak fries. Soak in a large container of water overnight in the fridge to remove excessive starch. Heat your oil (vegetable oil or similar) to low heat (200F). Dry your chips leaving no water on them and blanch them for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oil and let them cool for about 10 minutes. This is the key to making them soft, like real chip shop ships. Return them to the oil for about 15 more minutes or until done. Sprinkle liberally with malt (or white) vinegar and some sea salt, serve and enjoy.

Fish preparation:

Dredge your white fish of choice (cod or haddock work best or try halibut for the five-star version). Dip into beer batter and slowly and carefully lower into your oil. The low temperature oil for the chips will work fine, although you could even turn it up to 300-350F for faster cooking. (Note: If the oil is too hot, your batter will brown and crisp before the fish is done). Cook fish until golden brown and serve immediately so it’s crisp. Add this to your chips and your dreamy, fried fantasy is complete!

Seventeen years prior to the US Declaration of Independence, Arthur Guinness signed a lease on St James’s Gate Brewery in the center of Dublin City, Ireland for £45 per year (roughly $73). He was certainly a great man with a vision and must have been confident that he was on to a winner as the term of that lease was a staggering 9000 years!

In that time St James’s Gate became the largest brewery in Ireland and also the world. Although now surpassed as the largest brewery in the world, Guinness continues to be the world’s largest selling stout. The history of Guinness is a long and impressive story, one which if you ever get the opportunity is best told by visiting the Guinness Storehouse which is a permanent exhibition in the old Guinness warehouse, where the grain was stored for the nearby brewery.

Baring all of this in mind I can’t say I was shocked when founder Arthur Guinness was finally given a day of his own celebrating his greatest achievement. I think it’s safe to say if he were here today he would be very proud indeed.

Arthur’s Day was first organized in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Guinness. Music events were organized all over the world in the cities of Dublin, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos and New York on 24 September 2009. “An Post” – The Irish Post Office even released a commemorative stamp to honor the milestone anniversary. So a new tradition began and the third annual Arthur’s Day will be celebrated this year on Thursday, September 22, 2011. Arthur’s Day kicks off in Ireland with a toast to the man himself at 17:59 GMT in honor of the company’s founding in 1759. At this time all Guinness drinkers around the world are expected to raise a glass together in memory of Arthur.

Nostalgia however is not the only driving force of day, it has to be said that this is quite possibly one of the best marketing concepts ever devised and only entering it’s third anniversary the event is quickly becoming a national institution. The head of Guinness marketing, Tanya Clarke credits her entire team but above all the consumer for whole-heartedly embracing the idea and with sales soaring 25% in the UK alone on that day in 2009 to a whopping 1 million pints, it’s no wonder Tanya and her team are happy!

Again this year there are a series of intimate gigs by international and Irish music stars in select venues and pubs across Ireland. Though we can not be there to join in the festivities, we do pour a great pint and we will be raising a glass of the black stuff at The Field Irish Pub & Eatery at the slightly later time of 17:59 local time as I’m sure swilling pints of Guinness at lunchtime would not please your boss!

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