St. Patrick’s Day is an easy holiday— step 1, find Irish named bar (which could take all of four blocks in most of this town), step 2, drink. But here are some places that are trying a little harder than that for the greenest, drunkest of holidays. Let’s start four whole days early: City Tavern kicks it off Wednesday, March 13 with a beer dinner featuring Moylan’s beers from California. The three course dinner plus reception is $45 and includes Moylan’s Tipperary Pale Ale, Danny’s Irish Style Red Ale, Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale, and Dragoons Dry Irish Stout. Call 312-663-1278 to reserve a spot. Now onward to many many more.
• The Barrelhouse Flat opens early (11 a.m.) for the first time on Saturday, with a special Irish menu and drink specials.
• The Gage, owned by an actual Irish person, says “Slainte!” with a special Irish a la carte menu Friday through Sunday of Irish Farmhouse soup, woodfired Irish salmon, braised lamb shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, or a corned beef sandwich, plus two themed cocktails by mixologist Thomas Mooneyham.
• Brasserie by LM (the one on South Michigan) will be open for brunch for paradegoers Saturday as well as on Sunday, with a full array of menu choices and specialty drinks for $7 like The Creamy Shamrock with Baileys, vodka and Creme de Menthe Dark, The Irish Ginger with Jameson and Ginger Ale, and The Nutty Irishman with Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur and Bailey’s Irish Cream.
• Hash House A Go Go will have… come on, you can guess it… right, corned beef hash as well as other Irishy specials throughout their all-day service.
• Poag Mahone’s has the best price on a breakfast buffet: $4.95. They may be hoping to make it up on liquor, we’re just guessing. The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe band will turn up at 1 p.m., 3 and 5.
• Bridge Bar offers you a view right onto the green Chicago River for their “Dye One On” event Saturday, March 16, featuring a ticketed breakfast buffet and drink specials.
• EPIC will have a pre-parade party Saturday on its rooftop lounge, featuring a special Irish menu and drink specials on Guinness and Jameson Black Barrel; it’s from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Nothing goes with sushi like green beer, at least that’s what RA Sushi would like you to think, so they’re serving green Bud Light, Guinness and Jameson specials alongside Pineapple Cheese Wontons and other things that make Sushi even more Irish than it already is. 11 a.m. to close.
• Can’t wait for baseball drinkingness? Captain Morgan Club at Wrigley Field will open Saturday at 9 a.m. for food and drink specials, live entertainment and giveaways.
• Jake Melnick’s Tap will have its fifth annual “Pre-Soak” Breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m., featuring Guinness Pancakes with Irish whiskey syrup and whipped maple butter, Corned Beef Brisket Hash, and “Green” Pesto Portobello Omelets with Irish Cheddar.
• Looking for music? Hoyt’s will also have the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band for their breakfast starting at 9 a.m. The buffet, both days, is $18 per person.
• Logan Square’s Suite 25 will have drink specials all weekend long, plus this save-your-money-for-drinking special— Corned Beef Sandwich and chips, $8.
• The most elaborate series of celebrations has to be Timothy O’Toole’s four-day bender, which we can’t even describe; go here to see how your St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have to end, ever.
• Let’s get serious here… there’s a serious brunch for Sunday morning at Allium, featuring a Full Irish breakfast option of Fried Egg, Bangers, Rashers, Black & White Pudding, Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Tomato & Toasted Irish Brown Bread as well as sides such as Oysters and Guinness Mignonette and Smoked Wild Irish Salmon. It’s $24 just for that, or the full buffet including that is $58.
