McGuire's Irish Pub is a friendly place, where the patrons indulge in fun and games--like kissing a moosehead when they miss a note in a sing-along! The place overflows with Irish hospitality and charm, just like any Irish pub--although it happens to be a 20,000-square-foot restaurant in Florida. Does such a place make real Irish food, and can it be recreated at home? Based on recipes for Soda Bread and smoky-tasting, bacon-studded Potato Soup, it is indeed possible. McGuire's also offers standard, non-Irish pub grub, like a Smoked Chicken Salad and Basil Shrimp on Fresh Noodles. There are also wilder fancies, including Chicken Timbales with Orange Tarragon Cream, which only ambitious home chefs are likely to tackle. McGuire's really excels at recipes that give a creative twist to traditional Irish fare. Witness the Bean Soup--thick with three kinds of melted cheese--and a dense black bean chili made with stout. (Alcohol appears often in this book's recipes, but what teetotaler hangs out at an Irish pub?) Written partly as a serious cookbook and partly as a souvenir for its patrons, McGuire's Irish Pub Cookbook is a bright and cheery book, packed with photos and illustrations to help bring the taste of Ireland into your very own kitchen. --Dana Jacobi