Now that we have turned the page on Valentine’s Day, it’s time to start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day is one of Christopher J. Precopia’s favorite holidays, as it is a day when people come together to celebrate great food and great drinks. Chris is known amongst his family and friends for loving to travel and explore different foods. One of the biggest misconceptions about food is that Irish food is terrible. Precopia has discovered through his travels that a good Irish Pub has some of the most delicious meals imaginable. Brisket, corned beef and cabbage, Irish potato soup, Irish soda bread, the list goes on and on. Today, Chris will touch on the best places to enjoy an Irish meal and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Fortunately, no matter where you call home, you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and be confident that we are all Irish on March 17th.
The most Irish city in the country has to be Boston, Massachusetts. Traveling to Boston in March is the closest you can come to visiting Ireland without leaving the United States. Not only are there a number of fantastic Irish pubs that feature favorites of Precopia, like Bangers ‘n Mash and Corned Beef and Cabbage, but there are also endless Irish entertainment options. Locals put on music performances of classic Irish pub songs that add to the ambiance of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It’s simply a sea of green as everyone in the city gets in the mood to celebrate the holiday.
Speaking of a sea of green, Chicago paints the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day. Chicago ranks just below Boston in Irish bars and restaurants, but people may be surprised to learn that the city also offers a comparable amount of Irish cultural events. When visiting in March, Christopher J. Precopia notes that tourists should expect to run into everything from Irish dancing groups to full-on Irish bands singing folk songs that will surely bring a tear to the eye. Chicago has the designation of the city with the first Pub to have Guinness on tap, The Division Street Bar. The Division Street Bar is a top tourist spot for singles, claiming to have led to more than 10,000 marriages. Falling in love with a Guinness in hand, what could be better?
The Big Apple turns green every St. Patrick’s Day. What’s great about New York is what is great about America in that you have people who may not be even one percent Irish who support their local Irish communities and celebrate every March 17th. The St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York is an annual tradition in Manhattan with many parade walkers turning their attention to McSorley’s Pub at the end of the day. McSorley’s is the oldest Irish Pub in the city and a landmark destination every March.
It’s no surprise to fans of FX’s longest-running original comedy show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, that Philadelphia is home to a number of classic Irish pubs. While the bar that the gang from It’s Always Sunny works in is fictional, there are plenty of authentic Irish pubs to choose from. People in Philadelphia can celebrate at their own St. Patrick’s Day parade and enjoy numerous coordinated Pub crawls that take guests to a number of historic landmarks along the way. Philadelphia also hosts several live music concerts for those interested in the Irish spirit.
Finally, Christopher Precopia, Jr. has never been to the last city he will mention today. Still, it is known as having the highest Irish population per capita in the United States, Naperville, Illinois. Naperville is a Chicago suburb that goes all out every St. Patrick’s Day. There’s so much more than green beer and a parade, there’s a remarkable 5k run where you can find people in leprechaun costumes and countless classic Irish whiskeys to try at Quigley’s Irish Pub. Few places show off the amount of Irish pride that can be experienced in Naperville, so Christopher J. Precopia, Jr. looks forward to adding this location to his list.
