The corned beef and cabbage pizza at Porto Fino in Huntington.
There are so many places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Long Island. It all depends on what type of celebration you are looking for.
Here are five unique places I discovered:
1. Carney’s Irish Pub, Amityville: Enjoy whiskey wings made with Jameson Irish whiskey barbecue sauce; an Irish egg roll hand rolled and filled with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing; mussels simmered in Guinness; Irish beef stew; shepherd’s pie and of course, corned beef and cabbage, all while listening to the beautiful live music of Irish songster Ed Ryan. Carney’s Irish Pub is family friendly.
2. Finn MacCool’s, Port Washington: Looking for some great entertainment? Finn MacCool’s, which is named after a giant semi-mythical character from an ancient Gaelic legend, is definitely the place to be. Starting at 1 p.m., and running throughout the day and evening, there will be Irish step dancers, bagpipes and a guitar/violin duo playing Irish songs. This elegant restaurant will have a set menu for St. Patrick’s Day, which will include corned beef and cabbage, Irish lamb stew, pan roasted salmon, shepherd’s pie, traditional fish and chips and pan roasted salmon just to name a few.
3. Porto Fino Restaurant, Huntington: So your kids are not big fans of corned beef and cabbage? Make a compromise and head over to Porto Fino for their famous deep dish corned beef and cabbage pizza. For the past four years, every March Porto Fino features this pizza, which has really developed a following. They have been known to sell 50 of them during Huntington’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. The pizza starts with a layer of mozzarella, then shredded corned beef and cabbage is placed on top, and then more mozzarella cheese is added. It is served with spicy brown mustard on the side.
4. Jewel, Melville: Chef Tom Schaudel is getting in on the St. Patrick’s Day festivities by offering a menu where customers will be “celebrating in style ” with a $35 fixed price dinner. Appetizers include your choice of potato leek soup, corned beef hash with a poached egg and a green salad. For an entrée there will be a choice of traditional corned beef and cabbage with local potatoes in a mustard-whiskey glaze; bangers and mash, with duck sausage, roasted onions and colcannon; shepherd’s pie featuring lamb, vegetables from Satur Farms and cheesy potatoes. For dessert, green velvet cupcakes with Irish cream icing will be served, along with a $5 Irish coffee special. Beer and Irish whiskey specials will also be available. Reservations are required.
5. Lily Flanagan’s Pub, Babylon: If you are looking for real pub atmosphere, Lily Flanagan’s is where it’s at. For the past two years, they have earned the title of Best Irish Pub and Best Night Club by Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s Best of Long Island. This well known establishment in the heart of Babylon Village has been open since 1987. They serve traditional pub-style food along with traditional Irish fare including corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and fish and chips. On St. Patrick’s Day during breakfast and lunch, one can order a traditional Irish breakfast, which features grilled Irish bacon, Irish sausage, black and white pudding, and two fried eggs served with beans and fries. During the day, there will be live performances by Irish step dancers and bag pipers, and a DJ will entertain during late night hours.
Have fun celebrating and have a great St. Patrick’s Day!
This story was originally published in March 2016.
