All the authentic Irish food and drink you can indulge in, and even jello shots (and read down in this list for even more St. Patrick’s Day options):
— Lots of places do Irish food. But few, except for Paddy Ryan’s in the town of Hudson, feature it also for breakfast, as they are doing on St. Patrick’s Day.
From 8-10 a.m., they offer a specialty often known only to the Irish, corned beef hash and breakfast boxtys (two potato cakes with egg, sausage, bacon between them, covered with their own cream gravy and served in a bowl). You also might consider a boxty made of two Bailey’s Irish Creme pancakes, Irish sausage, bacon, egg and cheese, and again, all in that wonderful gravy.
On St. Pat’s Day, Paddy Ryan’s will also be doing traditional corned beef and cabbage dinners with the added flavor of beer braised cabbage, and carrots, boiled potatoes, and thick slices of corned beef.
— The St. Patrick’s celebration at the Green Mill lasts a full week, from March 12-18. Their list of Irish drinks includes leprechaun jello shots, phrased as vodka + jello = yum! And that’s not the only equation at The Mill.
There is also the Irish Flag, made of Green Crème De Menthe, Baileys Irish Creme and Grand Marnier. Erin Go Bragh, they note. Add the Irish Gold, concocted from Jameson Irish Whiskey, Ginger Ale, Peach Schnapps and a splash of orange juice, the new twist of the Shamrock-Tini, served in a chocolate rimmed martini glass, and Jameson Shooter shots.
As far as food, there are all the traditional choices, plus Mulligan Stew, and corned beef with the novel base of flatbread, which includes two kinds of cheese.
— This one is just right for all ages of lads and lasses, leprechaun on up. The West Wind Supper Club in River Falls is having not only inexpensive-per-ounce beer specials of all items green, (Guinness, green beer and girl scout-cookie-themed shots), as is befitting St. Patrick’s Day, but free kids cookie decorating from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Going on for quadruple that time frame, and lasting until there’s the chance to tip a few of those beers as well, is the all-day corned beef and cabbage special. And unlike the vast majority of places, it is served buffet style, so again, you get your money’s worth.
— What sets the Village Inn in North Hudson apart from the rest of the venues, other than their Irish food — which their servers say has been conveyed by patrons as the best they’ve had — for St. Patrick’s Day, is the addition of a rockin’ band. They start a wee bit early, at 9 p.m,, but offer all your favorite classic hits in a manner as, is befitting of their name, goes “atomic.” As the name game goes, the group’s title is the Atomic Playboys, and not the ones by that name from other than the Midwest, in case you go online to find them. But the local variety does offer all the classics from several decades, as they are veteran, seasoned musicians who are sure to entertain.
— Many places about now have the standard Irish fare, but few are this brash, like an Irishman, to make this claim seen on a sign at Not Justa Cafe in Bayport: “Best corned beef in The Valley.”
— At the Winzer Stube GERMAN restaurant, they weren’t sure yet if there would be anything special, as far as being Irish, going on for St. Patrick’s Day, but added that it wasn’t that likely, since they are in the midst of their Schnitzel Fest and it would be hard to incorporate the two into one. Odd bedfellows anyway. But both like beer.