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[title]Bridge Bar Food and drink specials will be on offer here after the dyeing of the river, as well as musician Anthony Calderisi, who will perform his takes on classic hits by U2 and Van Morrison. Starting at noon, party-goers can enjoy green draft beer ($2), Jameson Jell-O shots ($4) and bangers and mash ($5).
Butch McGuire's 20,000 green and white lights will be strung around this tavern during its 50th St. Patrick's Day celebration. The ritualistic pre-drinking breakfast buffet will include French toast and homemade bread pudding. After morning munchies, expect green beer and other drink specials to wash down corned beef sandwiches.
Chicago Q For those on their way to parades and parties around the city, chef Lee Ann Whippen offers cash-and-carry pulled-pork sandwiches ($8) at 10am. Other holiday weekend specials include a Kobe corned beef with fingerling potatoes ($15.75 for lunch and $20.75 for dinner).
Cityscape Bar Those at Cityscape will see the dyeing of the Chicago river from a prime location, and they'll enjoy complimentary appetizers and an Irish dance performance by the Sheila Tully Dancers ($7) to boot. Drink specials include a Dublin green apple martini and a Skyy shamrock smoothie.
Division Ale House Opening three hours early to host a "Kegs and Eggs" brunch for $20, Division Ale House will fill your belly with green eggs and ham, hash browns and green Miller Lite drafts. The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band starts their performance at 6pm while DJ Ivan will spin tunes from 4pm to midnight.
Elate This St. Patrick's Day, you can go green in more ways than one at Elate's "eco-green" brunch, dinner and late-night snacking. The all-day St Pat's festivities will feature DJ Lego, optional organic bottle service and specials such as the cabbage-purée reuben and the "Paddy Wagon" cocktail, a drink made with Square One cucumber vodka and green pepper juice.
E.leaven Food Company Whether at the restaurant or in their food truck, e.leaven Food Company is rolling out St. Patrick’s Day fare that they hope will help you handle all that beer and whiskey you’re going to eat. Dishes include their Irish burger with caramelized onions, Irish cheddar and a Guinness-glazed potato cake ($9.50), a traditional corned beef hash ($9.25) and a Bailey’s Irish cream brownies ($2.50).
Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar Frasca's Guinness pizza ($13)—a once-a-year pie featuring a Guinness stout crust, roasted onions, fingerling potatoes, bacon, three types of cheese and an egg—makes a much-anticipated return on March 17th.
The Gage Executive chef Dirk Flanigan moves beyond corned beef and cabbage to offer lesser-known Irish fare from March 15 through March 18. Highlights of the specialty Irish menu include curried goat loin ($14), house rabbit sausage ($21) and a baked apple with crispy oats and buttermilk ice cream ($9).
Jake Melnick's Jake's fourth annual "Pre-Soak" breakfast ($5) runs from 8am til noon with favorites such as Guinness pancakes, corned beef brisket hash and pesto portobello omelettes with Irish cheddar. Green 16oz Schlitz brews ($5) will be served alongside a wide selection of Irish beers.
L. Woods Tap and Pine Lodge The lodge offers a menu of Irish classics (available March 14–March 17) and an offer of complimentary corned beef and cabbage to people with a passport stamp from Ireland. March 15th brings live music, and, for the big day, cheap Guinness on tap ($2) and Limerick Lemonade ($5).
Lockdown Bar and Grill Executive chef Jason Slimak swears he has created a burger that will "shamrock" your world. The 10oz burger is covered with aged Irish white cheddar, topped with housemade corned beef and piled high with Guinness bacon sauerkraut and mustard aioli.
Pierrot Gourmet The Peninsula Chicago's St. Paddy's Day celebration extends to Pierrot Gourmet, with a corned beef and cabbage specialty menu for $18 per person starting with soda bread and ending with a Bailey's shamrock cupcake for dessert.
Pizza Persona While a green pizza might usually be a sign of bad kitchen practices, this Irish holiday weekend it is a cause of jubilation. Full of green veggies, green pesto, mozzarella cheese and green crust, the St. Paddy's Day pizza will go great with that light-up shamrock you're wearing.
Quartino Ristorante 100 percent of the proceeds of the St. Pat's benefit at Quartino go toward the children and adults of Misericordia Home. "Guest of Honor" and the Grand Marshall of the 2012 St. Patrick's Day Downtown Parade, Father Jack Clair and Father Clete Kiley, respectively, will be present. Tickets ($40 per person and $30 in advance) include live entertainment and food and drink specials.
Sweetwater Tavern and Grille For their third annual St. Patrick's Day event, Sweetwater's beer garden will open at 10am for eager viewers of the dyeing of the river who would like their beer to match. Between noon and 4pm, traditional bag-pipe performances occur at the top of each hour.
Tavern on Rush The week leading up to St. Patrick's Day will be filled with Irish food specials such as a corned-beef plate with red potatoes and rye bread ($14) and Guinness beer-battered haddock and chips ($14). On the big day, look for $9 Green Irish Champagne (champagne and Midori).
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