James Joyce Restaurant
Steve is a human bloodhound. His first comment on any person, room, or restaurant is it’s smell. On that basis he immediately liked James Joyce. We stopped in for drinks with our friend Carrie, and before we left I too noticed the aroma of old wood and expensive cigars, a pleasant lingering smell that somehow has no relation to the noxious fumes of a burning stogie.
James Joyce is fake old, but a beautiful fake old. The design of the bar is perfect for groups of three or four to cluster amongst themselves and talk. The wooden partitions, however, make it a tough place for larger groups to feel together.
There are a few TV’s, but not enough to ruin the feel, and on them play suitable sports for an Irish bar, like soccer and rugby.
I wonder if James Joyce is trying too hard to feel like an ex-pat spot for recent Irish immigrants. I know when I was there on Thursday night most of the crowd seemed like older Americans from the Marriot around the corner. Not exactly fresh-off-the-boat, nor interested in the soccer or pounding a shot of any one of the eight or ten Irish whiskies available.
But I don’t need authentic Irish people to enjoy James Joyce. The drinks were excellent (as are the wings. Not intuitive, but true), the company was good, and the place smells very nice.
Hours: 11am – 2am, 7 days a week.
Location: 616 S. President Street, by the new Marriot Waterfront.
Very sweet webpage: http://thejamesjoycepub.com/default.html
