Our Supermegagiant St. Patrick's Day Roundup of All Your Opportunities to Drink and Eat Green
The Lucky Charm, at C-View.Photo: courtesy C-View
Faith hill begorrah, erin go brockovich... why, twinkle me blarneystones if it ain't St. Patrick's on Saturday. We've got a whole pot o' golden press releases to summarize for ye, broken into two categories, mostly about Drink and mostly about Food. If'n ye don't already have your St. Paddy's day drinkin' planned, check out our list and find something to do on it.
DRINK
• Want a fantastic view of the annual dyeing of the Chicago river to bright green from its customary... not as bright green? The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago invites you to rent one of its skyboxes with a river view (holds about 40 of your closest homies). Meanwhile, Rebar downstairs offers two themed Irish cocktails at $17 each— the Shamrockatini, crafted with Jameson Irish Whiskey, Godiva White, and Crème de Menthe, and the Leprechaun Elixir, a classic Irish coffee with a kick.
• Another view: C-View way up on the 29th floor of the Affinia Hotel has three Irish drink specials for $10 now through Saturday: the Lucky Charm (Death's Door White whiskey, Canton ginger cognac, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg whites, mint bitters and a sprig of mint), the Danny Boy, served hot or cold (Danny Boy whiskey, Kahlua coffee liqueur, Baileys Irish whiskey, simple syrup and milk), and the Green Machine (Death's Door White whiskey, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and cucumber slices).
• Wicker Park's The Fifty/50 will have a host of specials on Saturday including $3 corned beef and cabbage sliders, $4 Mickey’s Hand Grenades, $6 16oz Guinness cans, $7 Jameson shots, $9 Irish Car Bombs— and the $14 “Irish Threesome” (one Irish Car Bomb, one Mickey’s Hand Grenade, and one corned beef & cabbage slider).
• Roots Handmade Pizza, High Dive, and Cleo’s in West Town have teamed up to ensure that you can pub crawl from one to the next without anything changing (except you can get pizza at Roots): $4 select whiskey shots, official St. Patrick's Day celebrations, March Madness games and Bulls vs. 76ers shown on flatscreens.
• Ireland must have rivers, or they wouldn't have Riverdance, though we don't actually remember seeing them. Chicago definitely has a river, and restaurants overlooking it, which is why Sweetwater Tavern and Grille is having its third annual St. Patrick's Day on the Water. Starting at 10 a.m., guests will enjoy $4 green Miller Lite drafts under three large tents on Sweetwater’s patio while DJ Jim Romano spins tunes. Irish inspired beads, hats and other swag will be handed out to all green beer lovers and there will be bagpipe performances on the hour starting at noon.
FOOD
• Speaking of bagpipes, the Shannon Rovers— a Chicago-based bagpipe band which stretches back more than 75 years— will play them at Lawry's The Prime Rib during dinner, which is $30 and includes the Spinning Bowl “Green” Salad, Corned Beef & Cabbage, Horseradish Sauce, and Boiled Potatoes. There will also be a lunch special for $17, including Corned Beef & Cabbage, Horseradish Sauce, and Boiled Potatoes.
• Markethouse is positioning itself as an escape from Michigan Ave. pub madness on Saturday— from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, they'll offer small bite sandwich specials of fish po’boy, hot pastrami and Slagel Farms corned beef, along with Irish drink specials.
• Party like it's Savannah, Georgia, says The Southern. There's a Louisiana-style crawfish boil and lots of Irish drink specials: $4 Jameson Shots, $5 Guinness, $7 Irish Car Bombs, plus $3 Tecate bottles and $3 shots of Heaven Hill Bourbon.
• Through Sunday, The Gage will feature live Irish music as well as featured dishes like Curried Goat Loin Rutabaga Hash, Sultanas, Chutney ($14); The Gage Colcannon Leeks, Kale and Whiskey Braised Gunthorp Farms Pork Shoulder ($12); “Coddle” House Rabbit Sausage Roasted Gunthorp Pork Belly, Potato, Mustard, Cabbage ($21); “Pepper and Salt Corned” Irish Salmon Brown Bread Salad, Horseradish, Leek, Guinness Vinaigrette ($26); and Baked Apple Crispy Oats, Buttermilk Ice Cream, Fennel ($9); among others. Enjoy a toast over a Gage Fizz ($11), Jameson Irish Whiskey, ginger syrup, fresh ginger, lemon and soda water.
• Guinness Pizza. What does that do? Does that blow your mind? Frasca's special wood-fired pie, $13, is made with a Guinness stout crust and topped with béchamel sauce, roasted onions, fingerling potatoes, bacon, three cheeses and an egg. That just happened. Yes, we are quoting Talladega Nights for no discernible reason.
• Magnolia Bakery has lots of St. Patrick's Day themed desserts and baked goods in store— look for cupcakes, shortbread cookies, chocolate mint whoopie cookies, miniature meringues and more.
