Table Hopping with Morris Gut: Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy’s Day
The leprechauns are coming! St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17, will be celebrated with all its local color. Throughout Westchester, towns and villages are hanging shamrocks on storefronts and homes giving the Hudson Valley its sparkling moment in the Emerald Isle. If you want to partake in the traditional foods, spirits, and reveling sprinkled with a good dose of blarney, here are some suggestions. Be sure to check ahead for special events, and larger groups are advised to make advanced reservations. Erin Go Bragh!
Jack’s Bar & Restaurant, 219 Main St., Eastchester. Owner Shane Clifford and his friendly crew have all the good cheer, TVs, and finger foods you want. Generous specialties coming out of Chef Brendan Donohoe’s kitchen include traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage; Double-Stacked Smash Burger; Shepherd’s Pie; decadent Short Rib Mac N’ Cheese; Jack’s Meatballs; Seared Scallops; Chicken Curry; Shroom Pizza out of their woodfired oven; Berkshire Pork Chop; and Grilled Lamb Sliders. 914-652-7650 www.jackseastchester.com
McShane’s Public House, 123 N. Main St., Port Chester. Partners Edmund Cleary and Vincent Furey offer a taste of the Emerald Isle in Port Chester and the crowds follow. Popular traditional specialties include Colcannon Croquettes, Bangers & Mashed, Corned Beef Reuben, and Lamb Sliders. 914-937-7800 www.mcshanesportchester.com
Dunne’s Restaurant & Pub, 15 Shapham Place, White Plains. A neighborhood treasure, an authentic Irish tavern with all the traditional Gaelic accoutrements intact. Owner Declan Farrell keeps it a friendly, home-style place with a good kitchen to boot, dishing out generous servings of traditional Irish-style fare. Try their fabulous Corned Beef & Cabbage, Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich, Beer Battered Fish & Chips, or Salmon Crisp, grilled salmon on sautéed spinach topped with baked mashed potatoes. 914-421-1451. www.dunnespub.com
Rory Dolan’s, 890 McLean Ave., Yonkers. To many in the greater Westchester Irish community, this is the motherload. There will be traditional feasting galore all day and evening. Try to get there off-peak, if possible. There is a parking lot. Visit Rory’s newest spot in White Plains: Archie Grand. 914-776-2946 www.rorydolans.com
Duck Inn, 128 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck. Proprietor Paul Collins has been at the helm here for 20 years, but the place has been operating in one form or another for 100. You must have noticed it across from Harbor Island Park. The place is strewn with ducks. Friendly barkeeps make sharing a brew most congenial. This is a true pub where spirited conversation takes center stage. Complimentary Irish Buffet on St. Paddy’s Day. It is just around the corner from the Emelin Theater and Mamaroneck Library. 914-835-8791 https://wefind.bizsite.link/duck-inn-bar-grill
IRISH COOKING AT HOME?
If you are planning to cook up some Gaelic favorites at home, check out these specialty food markets for authentic Irish ingredients: Butcher’s Fancy, 961 McLean Ave., Yonkers. www.butchersfancy.com; Prime Cut Irish Butchers (Riverdale) 4338 Katonah Ave., Bronx 718-324-9262; and Food Ireland, they have a Mount Vernon outlet, www.foodireland.com
(Morris Gut is a restaurant marketing consultant and former restaurant trade magazine editor. He has been tracking and writing about the food and dining scene in greater Westchester for 30 years. He may be reached at 914-235-6591. E-mail: gutreactions@optonline.net)