Despite the snow that fell Saturday in New York City, the crowds came out to see the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Here are some highlights.

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St. Patrick’s Day may be known for green-colored beer and shamrocks, but it’s also an opportunity to indulge in some authentic Irish cuisine. We asked chef Clodagh McKenna — dubbed “Ireland’s answer to Rachael Ray” — what we should cook up this Sunday. Her pick? “Definitely a stew,” she says, like her bacon and cabbage recipe (“something to warm your cockles”) or her Guinness and beef stew (see below) from her new book, “Clodagh’s Kitchen Diaries.”

Guinness and beef stew
“The longer and the lower temperature that you cook this stew, the better the flavor,” McKenna says.
(Serves eight)
INGREDIENTS
2     tablespoons butter
14     bacon slices, chopped
10½ oz. shallots, left whole
2 ¼     lb. stewing beef, cubed
14     oz. mixed wild mushrooms
1     quart Guinness
1     bouquet garni
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1 Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

2 Put the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the bacon, followed by the shallots. Cook until golden brown and transfer to a large baking dish.

3 Add the beef to the frying pan. Season it with salt and pepper, then cook until it’s browned all over. Transfer to the baking dish.
4 Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for two minutes. Season to taste and transfer to the baking dish.

5 Return the frying pan to the stove over medium heat and use a whisk to scrape off all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (this is where the flavor is). Pour in the Guinness and continue to whisk for another minute to deglaze the pan. Pour the Guinness and pan juices over the beef and vegetables in the baking dish. Add the bouquet garni, cover the baking dish and cook in the oven for two hours.

6 Check the seasoning, remove the bouquet garni and serve with roasted potatoes.

Irish fusion
McKenna mixes authentic Irish flavors with other global tastes to create her signature fusion dishes.
“I grew up in Cork, in the south of Ireland. I used to spend my summers in France, and then I left to New York when I was 19. After that, I came back to Ireland and trained as a chef and then moved to the north of Italy for three and a half years. In the book, there’s quite a lot of cuisines: There’s British cuisine, there’s Irish [and] there’s French and Italian. I see recipes and I try to make them my own. The book is like a little companion of foods that I want to eat throughout the year.”

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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these green cocktails.

Here’s what to say:

Use this toast from Colum Egan, Master Distiller of Bushmills Irish Whiskey: “There are tall ships There are long ships There are ships that sail the sea But the best ships are friendships And may they always be.”

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The Breslin

Credit: Melissa Hom

Even though it’s on a Sunday this year, we know you won’t be staying home. Here’s where to go:

TO DRINK

St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl www.pubcrawls.com
Hit Lucky Cheng’s, Traffic, Village Pourhouse, Woody HcHale’s, Leprechaun Quarters, Bar 13, Playwright Tavern and many others, and take advantage of $2 & $3 beers, $3 & $4 mixed drinks and $4 Irish whiskeys. Tickets start at $5 for each day and $10 for an all-access pass.

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  Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these cocktails

Paddy Drinks at Tavern 29
Tavern 29, 47 E. 29th St., 212-685-4422
Indulge in some Irish beer,
or one of the specialty Irish-inspired whiskey cocktails. Pair your favorite with an Irish snack at this 19th century townhouse-turned-tavern.

Pattycakes and Cocktails
Pounds and Ounces, 160 8th Ave., 646-449-8150
Grab some friends to help guzzle down a pitcher of any green specialty drink all weekend, and enjoy green pancakes if you stop by for brunch.

St. Patrick’s Day Dancing at Sunset
5:30 p.m., PH-D at Dream Downtown, 355 W. 16th St., 212-229-2511
Keep your brunch buzz going by hitting an early evening dance party at PH-D at the Dream Downtown. Take in the rooftop views, and dance alongside a DJ and special guest leprechaun.

Holiday Drinks
Bill’s Food & Drink, 54 E. 57th St., 212-518-2727
Starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Bill’s will be serving up sample plates of Guinness and Irish whiskey. Satisfy your appetite by enjoying them with a corned beef Reuben or shamrock-inspired ice cream.
TO EAT

St. Patrick’s Day, Latin Style
Palo Santo, 652 Union St., Brooklyn, 718-636-6311
Skip the Irish stuff for live music and a pan-Latin prix fixe dinner as part of Dine In Brooklyn.

Comfy Irish Staples
Miranda Restaurant, 80 Barry St., Brooklyn, 718-387-0711
Pair old standbys like corned beef and cabbage with an Irish beer you haven’t tried. Co-owner Mauricio Miranda draws upon the standard fare of his childhood growing up with an Irish mother.

Green Eggs and Ham
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ, Multiple locations, www.brotherjimmys.com
Brother Jimmy’s is ringing in St. Pat’s a day early. Starting at 10 a.m., visitors can enjoy a festive specialty dish inspired by Dr. Seuss. If you start before noon, beer and well drinks are half off.

Reuben 2.0
Pennsylvania 6, 132 W. 31st St., 212-727-3666
Enjoy chef Humberto Leon’s St. Patrick’s Day take on the classic Reuben, made with dry aged brisket and truffled Thousand Island on rye. Chase it with a $5 shot of Jameson.

Irish Breakfast and Supper
The Breslin, 16 W. 29th St., 212-679-1939
Saturday through Monday, The Breslin will offer prix-fixe Irish breakfast and dinner options. Feast on traditional corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, blood sausage and more.

AND TO ENJOY CUPCAKES!

Festive Green Sweets
Magnolia Bakery, multiple locations, 855-622-5379
Opt for a pistachio cupcake or chocolate mint whoopie cookie.

Irish Chocolate Cupcakes
Sprinkles Cupcakes, 780 Lexington Ave., 212-207-8375
Pop in through St. Patrick’s Day to try the limited edition Irish chocolate cupcake, a Belgian chocolate cake slathered in Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting.

The post Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

How do you follow an intricate concept album? If you’re the Dropkick Murphys you go back to basics. And the result, with the January-released “Signed and Sealed in Blood,” is a rip-roaring Boston Celtic punk classic.

“The previous record being a concept album was very much mental gymnastics,” says Dropkicks co-founder Ken Casey. “It was a great songwriting exercise. But this time we felt like kids in a candy store ready to write a good, old-fashioned punk-rock record. It never would have happened or sounded like this if the other one hadn’t been like it was — or come as quick.”

Right from the foot-stomping opener “The Boys Are Back,” the seven-man band wear their pent-up punk-rock energy on their tattooed sleeves.

“It’s difficult writing a song, but when you’re trying to tie all the songs into a larger story, it steers you into directions you might not want to go in,” adds Casey. “This one is a simpler record.”
Simpler doesn’t mean dumb, though. The folky “Rose Tattoo” finds the Dropkicks collaborating with Mumford and Sons banjo player Winston Marshall, where the pace gears down.

“Even though this album doesn’t have a true ballad, we slow it down,” he says, “but without pulling the rug from under the record.”

A return for a ‘Hero’

Among the hundreds of songs the Dropkick Murphys have under their belt, “Barroom Hero” is a clear fan favorite.

“We’d taken it out of the set,” Casey says. “Then people stared saying, ‘What the hell are you doing not playing that song?’ So, we started putting it back in. It was the first song we ever wrote, even before we started the band. It’s one of those songs that’s always been a staple. You play a song every time for 17 years, they’re either going to love it or hate it.”

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The victim has been identified as a 31-year-old man from Arlington, Va. Two different videos posted online show the event unfold. The man, who appears intoxicated, can be seen standing near a wall as revelers dance around him. Another man grabs something out of his pocket. The victim tries to follow him to retrieve it, and the pickpocket punches him in the face, knocking the victim to the ground.

The second video shows a group of men stripping the victim of his clothes — even his underwear— and taking what is in his pockets, before leaving him naked and alone in the street. No one tries to stop the attack. The people shooting the video and those nearby can be heard laughing and mocking the victim.

The videos have sparked shock and outrage among the public, as illustrated by comments posted on YouTube. Many Internet users insist this was a hate crime, as the victim is white and all of his attackers are black. The clip has incited a slew of counter-racist comments.

“Idiots. ANIMALS. Nothing to be proud of, and everyone of them should be caught, prosecuted to the FULLEST extent of the law…,” one user said.

Some users have drawn a connection to Trayvon Martin’s death on Feb. 26 from the video.

“That was for Trayvon….. [expletive] the crackas!” another user posted.  

According to CNN, Baltimore police have identified one suspect, but have yet to make an arrest.

“Not only did they rob him, but they attempted to strip him of his dignity. They tore his clothes off; they mocked him. That behavior just will not be tolerated,” said Detective Nicole Monroe.

The post VIDEO: Race debate stirred as man beaten, stripped at Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day appeared first on Metro.us.

President Seamus Boyle of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, the country’s largest Irish-American association, has written an angry letter and web post demanding that much of the store’s stock of Saint Patrick’s Day wares be removed and encouraging members to send a letter to Urban Outfitters president Richard Hayne demanding an apology and threatening a boycott.

The offending items include a trucker hat with a stick figure on all fours vomiting shamrocks that reads “Irish Yoga,” pint glasses stamped with a Venn diagram depicting leprechauns as the product of “Ireland” and “Alcohol,” a growler labeled “Leprechaun Piss,” and t-shirts emblazoned with shamrocks accompanied by logos such as, “Irish Drunk,” and “I’m a Drinker, Not a Fighter.”

“We need to
get this defamation stopped immediately. Please call, email or
demonstrate in front of their stores,” Boyle wrote on the Hibernians’ website. “Here is all the information I have. Please distribute it and use it so we can get what I asked for in my letter: Remove all the offending material from all stores and issue a
public apology to the Irish people.”

He then posted Hayne’s business contact information, as well as the address of the company’s Navy Yard headquarters and a copy of the letter he sent to Hayne. It reads, in part:

“… it is with great displeasure
that I must write to you and ask that you immediately remove the
disgusting products you have for sale in your stores depicting the Irish
as drunks and defaming the Irish Nation and the Patron Saint of
Ireland, St Patrick.

“…There are those few who use
this day as an excuse to over celebrate but that does not give you or
anyone else the right to defame and debase a whole race of people by
selling the garbage that you display in your stores.

“…If this is the way you must make your money by
debasing a whole race of people I can assure you that with over 40
million people in this country claiming Irish ancestry they will not be
your customers after this display of arrogance and disrespect to a whole
nation.

“I ask, would you have the same type
of garbage depicting the African American, Jewish or Muslim Nations
emblazoned on your product? I think not. …”

Urban Outfitters has a fairly extensive history of similar controversies: the company removed the word “Navajo” from over 20 product descriptions – including a flask and panties – in Oct. 2011 after an outcry from the Navajo Nation that the label was culturally insensitive and illegal, as the government authority has trademarked the term.

Urban discontinued a t-shirt reading “Everyone Loves a Jewish Girl,” surrounded by dollar signs in 2003 after pressure from the Anti-Defamation League and stopped manufacturing glittery handgun-shaped Christmas tree ornaments in 2007 following the fatal shooting of Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy.

The company issued an apology in 2007 for marketing keffiyehs as “antiwar” scarves and did the same in 2008 after discontinuing a t-shirt with a Palestinian youth holding a machine gun over the word “Victimized.” In 2010, Urban Outfitters pulled a shirt reading “Eat Less” from their website after an outcry from eating disorder advocates.

The post PHOTOS: Urban Outfitters offends Irish Americans before St Patrick’s Day appeared first on Metro.us.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter at @EmilyAtMetro.

The post New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade: Leprechauns unleashed appeared first on Metro.us.

Metro takes stock:

Green felt top hats: The top hat was first adopted amongst Europe’s dandies in the 1790s; aprocryphally, hatmaker John Hetherington introduced them to London in 1800. There’s nothing to suggest that the Irish didn’t wear them, but there’s also nothing to suggest that they were particular fans. NOT IRISH.

Fake red beards: Fake beards are believed to have originated with Egyptian pharaohs. However, the Irish do have among the highest percentage of redheads in Europe. HALF-CREDIT.

Irish flag: The Irish tricolor was adopted as the official flag of Irish independence in 1919. The green represents the island’s Gaelic population, the orange represents the Protestant planters (who supported William of Orange) and the white purportedly represents the peace and harmony between them — hey, they couldn’t predict the future. IRISH.

Guinness: Arthur Guinness, original brewer of the stout, was born in County Kildare and operated out of Dublin. IRISH.

Coors Light: The Coors brewing company was founded by a German immigrant in Colorado in the 1870s. Sorry, high-schoolers! NOT IRISH.

Shamrock stickers, worn on cheeks: The shamrock has been a symbol of Ireland for centuries — though reports that Saint Patrick used them to illustrate the Holy Trinity are probably specious. It has traditionally been worn on the lapel (or, in the case of Irish Guards, in their headdresses), and never on one’s face. IRISH, BUT TACKY

"Kiss Me, I’m Irish" shirts: WikiAnswers suggests that this is a reference to the Blarney Stone and if you can’t believe them, who can you believe? "Grope Me, I’m Irish" though, is just gross. HALF-CREDIT, IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE IT

The post Where your St. Patrick’s Day regalia actually comes from appeared first on Metro.us.

Understandably so, but let’s not forgot about Long Island’s proud tradition of Irish debauchery. There’s a long list of Irish pubs on the Island that will be hosting Guinness-fueled merriment this evening.

Consider a stop in the shamrockin’ town of Bay Shore, where three great Irish pubs, each with its own unique feel, are a quick stumble away from one another on Main Street.

The Half Penny, for example, will be offering free corned beef and cabbage. Bartender Katie Niles describes the atmosphere as “very happy and festive.” Throw in two bona fide Irish bartenders and you’ve got yourself a genuine hooley (party).

Beer snobs might consider strolling over to TJ Finley’s after their corned beef and cabbage for, well, some more free corned beef, and to have a look at their 27 taps and cask.

Once you’ve had your fill of fancy froth, saunter a few doors down to the party at the Nutty Irishman, where you’re bound to find some enthusiastic revelers adorned in all things green.

If a Bay Shore pub crawl isn’t your bag o’ potatoes, give the Irish Coffee Pub a call. They still have a few seats available for Irish lunch — which includes, of course, corned beef and cabbage as well as Gaelic chicken topped with whiskey brown sauce, mushrooms and onions — but reservations are suggested. Later in the evening they’ll be hosting dinner and a show, featuring Irish step-dancers, pipers and the Celtic stylings of the Gabe Hickey Band. You’ll need $48 and reservations to get in, as space is limited.

“We get just about everybody,” says catering manager Jason O’Neill. “They come out full-force.”

The post St. Paddy’s Day in da pub appeared first on Metro.us.

Val Garris moved from Ireland to Woodside back in ’83 and says the Irish pride observed in New York opened his eyes.

“It’s great,” said Garris during a recent visit to Saints & Sinners Pub on Roosevelt Avenue. “It’s the center, Woodside here.”

On the big day, make sure to stop by the Irish pub, which is typically teeming with Emerald Isle expatriates. The bar features many “green” amenities, including a horseshoe bar and a customary “snug” — a small alcove where females and policemen could, historically, enjoy a pint free from scrutiny.

The Irish, however, will be the first to admit that the true authorities on St. Patrick’s Day revelry are the Irish-Americans, and it seems that they’re all down the street at Donovan’s Pub.
Donovan’s, established in 1966, goes through 20 kegs of Guinness and 1,000 pounds of corned beef on St. Paddy’s Day, according to maitre d’ Dave Dillane.

Kenny Keegan, a Woodside resident, agrees. His first experience at Donovan’s was as an altar boy from nearby St. Sebastian’s Church, hunting down a missing groom.

“The priest leans over to me, he goes, ‘Run over to Donovan’s and get the groom,’” says Keegan. “That’s just Donovan’s.”

If you go

» Saints & Sinners Pub
59-21 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside, 718-396-3268
» Donovan’s Pub
57-24 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside, 718-429-9339

The post Celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day in Woodside appeared first on Metro.us.

There’s the saying “Everyone’s Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day.” From Dublin to Dubai and Moscow to Mumbai, countless fun-seekers don green top hats, eat potatoes and cabbage while guzzling down hearty pints of Guinness — all in the celebration of Ireland.

But in truth all the talk of shamrocks, sheep and leprechauns — not to mention drink-
fueled donnybrooks — makes folks back in Ireland cringe just a little; the country’s national day sounds like a gaudy global event, rather than an authentic local festival.

So, in an effort to get ‘Paddy’s Day’ back to its roots on home turf, here’s a glimpse at how Ireland celebrates the much-loved holiday:

Saint Patrick:?Many forget that March 17 is a Catholic holiday celebrating the mythic figure who brought Christianity to the island.

The real St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish; he was born in Britain. At age 16, he was kidnapped and sent to Ireland where he endured years of hardship tending sheep. But one day, as folklore says, a voice told him to become a priest and preach Christianity to the people. Today, it is customary for Irish people to attend mass on the 17th and thank the Lord for all Patrick did.

Parades: Every town across the country hosts their very own street parade — and the evening news on Irish national TV does a round-up of all of them. Many of them are just an excuse for charities to proudly march down Main Street, but the ones in the big cities do show off colorful artistic floats and marching bands. Most young Irish twentysomethings would never dare be seen wearing a bright green leprechaun hat and waving a miniature Irish flag at a parade — it’s more the reserve for kids, their parents and tourists.

Drink: The “real” Irish would of course enjoy a tipple on St. Patrick’s Day — after all, it’s not a working day! Friends generally meet up and go on a daylong “session” (i.e. binge drinking), with anything Irish, be it Guinness beer or Jameson whiskey.

Naturally, there are more Gardai (Ireland’s police force) out on the street than any other day, to quell any drunken buffoonery. But the real truth is that they are out and about, rounding up groups of naive 12- and 13-year-olds with a whiff of alcohol on them.

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages. Opposing viewpoints are welcome. Please send 300-word submissions to letters@metro.us.

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