Swift Half

Actually, there's no such thing as a half-pint in Ireland, he concedes. But the Swift Half's cute 10-ounce pours are both a bargain (especially Mondays when they sell for $2) and handy for sampling multiple flavors over the course of a meal. There are usually great craft choices on the 10 rotating taps (Sixpoint Sweet Action Ale; Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout) and fine bottles, too, including large-sized options that are fun for sharing, from Saison Dupont to Brooklyn's Local 1.

Swift Half's personable servers did a surprisingly good job of guiding us through the menu and drinks. It was the follow-up service that was really lacking, with slow pacing and randomly delivered courses, and food-runners with no clue who ordered what.

The kitchen wasn't perfect, either. The muffuletta was a disaster, with totally wrong bread (a chewy olive thing, not the typically seeded flat round) and mushy olive salad topping. The vegetarian shepherd's pie was too heavy for the waning heat of summer. The mole-glazed ribs need a complete revamp, from the less-than-tender meat to a sauce that still hasn't found the right register of brightness and depth.

The desserts also need some tweaking, though their clever inspirations are already right. The daily bread puddings are appealing, from pineapple-caramel to roasted peach with rum sauce - but each needed a more thorough soaking. Kozlowski's daily "fudge board" trio is most intriguing. The white chocolate with pistachio and the chocolate almond were fine. But it was the dark chocolate and bacon fudge that caught our attention: "The power of bacon and fudge in one object!" our server cheered in a slogan worth remembering.

Let's just say this particular morsel of chocolate studded with homemade bac-o-bits is still a work in progress (not crunchy or bacony enough!) But I love the instinct to give this new venture its own signature dish. With an act like Good Dog to follow, this pub has to think big.

Next Sunday, Craig LaBan reviews Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street. Contact him at claban@phillynews.com.