(Above) Crowds, unfathomable during a pandemic, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day near the Chicago River on March 14, 2015.
14-Mar-21 – Saint Patrick’s Day is officially March 17 and you can bet your last shamrock that many of Chicago’s Irish pubs are serving traditional Irish fare.
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Emerald Loop Bar & Grill has been gearing up for St. Paddy’s Day since St. Valentine’s Day. Dishes include corned beef and cabbage (left), Irish Stew, and Shepherd’s Pie.
“It’s exciting for our staff to sell the Irish fare and drinks to show customers how we feature delicious Irish options and the tradition behind these items,” said Lisa Marie Benton, Marketing & Event Manager at Chicago-based Vaughan Hospitality Group, owner of Emerald Loop. “Some of our Irish fare items are a twist that we created, and recipes for many items have been worked on for years and years to always improve flavor.”
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Many Chicagoans associate the day with corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and of course, green beer to match the Chicago River. But corned beef and cabbage appears to be an American invention, not a traditional Irish dish.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious feast, and according to Smithsonian Magazine, pork (bacon) and lamb were more traditional fare. It wasn’t until Irish immigrants came to the United States that corned beef was associated with St. Patrick’s Day.
(Right) Guinness beef stew.
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Bill Savage, Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University and a Chicago historian, says Irish immigrants found corned beef similar enough to lamb and inexpensive, and a great way to celebrate the special day with friends and family.
“All immigrant groups bring their food culture with them, but then adapt to what’s available and cheap in America,” he said.
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Food culture was also influenced by Irish bartenders, who along with the Germans were the primary saloon keepers in Chicago.
“The main food public culture thing that the Irish and Germans brought to America – it was not food you eat, it was the bars you drink in,” Savage said.
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Bars were places that were available to immigrants and where the bartender might serve corned beef and cabbage instead of hamburgers on St. Paddy’s Day.
It was a ritual, Savage explains.
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“At St. Patrick’s Day, you have corned beef and cabbage [but] you may not have it any other day,” said Savage (right). “That’s the thing you do to connect you to your immigrant group or say, ‘I’m Irish for a day.’ I’ll have a pint of Guinness instead of Miller Light. I’ll have corned beef and cabbage instead of hamburger and fries.”
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Michael Collins, Executive Director of Irish Community Services, recalls spending the day with family that had Irish heritage on both sides. He recalls eating more Irish stew than corned beef and cabbage. He likens it to more like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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“It is celebrated differently between people who have a strong connection to Ireland and celebrated as more of a family thing, than folks who see it as a party holiday,” says Collins (left). He points out, however, that the celebration of the holiday is changing in Ireland; now there are parades in Dublin, at least in non-pandemic times, but more rural areas still celebrate it with family.
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In Chicago, it’s become a day to be celebrated by all Chicagoans despite their backgrounds.
“Chicagoans are fond of St Patrick’s Day...whether they are Irish or not,” says Benton (right). “The Irish are a staple to this city and surrounding area and the concept of a pub is to feel comforted and like a second home. We surely pride our establishments to be that.”
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