Next weekend, New York will dress up in green once again to usher another St. Patrick’s Day. For some, that means marching down Fifth Avenue in full Irish regalia on Saturday (the holiday falls on Sunday), while for almost all it means raising a glass of cheer and tucking onto a plate of homey grub.
How tall and homey the glass and grub are, respectively, depends on where you go. Choose the nearest Shamrock or Blarney Stone, and the glass is apt to be filled with Guinness, the grub peanuts. But for serious foodies, options abound.
At Jones Wood Foundry, on the Upper East Side, corned beef and cabbage takes a turn for the elegant. This homiest of dishes will be transformed into Corned Beef & Cabbage pie — encased in chef/owner Jason Hicks’s rich, savory suet pastry and topped with buttery mashed potatoes. The singular dish will be on hand from from 11 a.m. until closing for $19 on Saturday, March 16. Jones Wood Foundry, 401 E. 76th Street, bet First and York Aves, 212-249-2700.
Also on the Upper East Side, The Penrose will offer some departures from the norm to renew your capacity to imbibe. (Think General Tso’s wings.) If this St. Paddy’s Day proves to be a bit nippy or raw, restore the blush to your cheek with a lobster grilled cheese sandwich served up with thick and creamy lobster bisque. The Penrose, 1590 Second Avenue, 212-203-2751.
Those from the old sod who feel homesick on Saturday can find refuge at The Late Late on the Lower East Side. The house features a dish rarely seen outside Ireland: the “tayto crisp sambo,” a sandwich of cheese-and-onion potato chips on a chive brioche bun that has been spread with house-made malt mayo. The Late Late, 159 E. Houston Street, 212-633-2000.
“It’s our favorite holiday of the year! Come join us for a pint of the black stuff and some traditional Irish Food.” So reads the invitation on the website of St. Patrick’s Pub, where you can start the day with a full Irish breakfast (Irish sausages, Irish bacon, black and white pudding, grilled tomato, baked beans, home fries, and mushrooms) and end it with traditional bangers and mash. By the way, if you don’t know what “a pint of the black stuff” means, consider yourself uninvited. St. Patrick’s Pub, 22 W. 46th Street, 212-391-1111.
