652553 Tue Sep 15 11:31:12 -0700 2009 2 24 Canada 0 5031808 With the cold weather and the Season of Brown Food approaching, and so many "authentic" pubs opening in Halifax, I thought it might be useful to start a thread on the topic. Krisie recently posted about Elephant & Castle: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/650875 I tried Durty Nelly's, a new "Irish-style" pub on Argyle recently. The owners have put a lot of effort into the decor, which apparently was inspired by a Pub in a village in Clare, but it is big room and though it is well thought-out, it still has a "pub kit" vibe. Note that the menu items painted on the facade are purely decorative. There is no shepherd's pie on the menu. I had Irish stew. The serving was very large. It wasn't richly flavoured, but it was appropriately simple (lots of carrot, a some potato, I may have noticed a bit of turnip) and pretty good. It came topped with dumplings which were called "gnocchi" in the menu. They were good dumplings (light, soft in texture, nicely bland), but not very good gnocchi, so let's call them dumplings instead. My companion had the Kilkenny battered haddock sandwich, which he declared a bit greasy but otherwise tasty. He liked the fries, which were made from frozen and wedge-shaped, with skins. Neither of us liked the house ale, which we found a bit over-carbonated and lacking in character. Tue Sep 15 11:31:12 -0700 2009 240802 starlings 1 5040418 My favourite for atmosphere and food is the Henry House. It has a nice vibe, conducive to conversation, and a pretty decent/edible menu. Fri Sep 18 13:26:02 -0700 2009 5031808 165589 angelicola 1 5057607 I had the "man salad" at Durty Nelly's and found it overwhelmingly oily, next time I'd ask for dressing on the side and that might solve the problem. My favourite is also the Henry House; the oatmeal stout is fantastic and the food is all pretty solid, if not spectacular. Fri Sep 25 08:18:57 -0700 2009 5031808 1097465 fishydish