Chicago's Best Corned Beef Specials for St. Patrick's Day
Chicago may be a far cry from Ireland, but mileage can't hinder our urge to embrace our inner Irish and celebrate St. Patrick's Day appropriately. By that I mean with Irish-inspired corned beef, of course. Here are six unique corned beef specials to check out in Chicago this month:
The Dawson: Owned by Irish-bred Billy Lawless, The Dawson has become one of Chicago’s can’t-miss destinations on St. Patrick’s Day. This year is no different, as the restaurant prepares to host a special shindig on March 12 with specials available from 10:30 a.m. until midnight. These include corned beef and cabbage melts on rye bread, fish and chips, and Irish nachos made with Guinness-braised oxtail, potato skins, cheddar, and caramelized onions. That melt will also be available on St. Patrick’s Day proper from 4:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
Michael Jordan’s Steak House: The classic corned beef and cabbage formula gets a seriously gourmet upgrade at Michael Jordan’s Steak House. Thanks to chef Craig Couper, the Irish staple takes the form of corned Wagyu beef short ribs with cabbage fondue and pickled mustard for the holiday.
Ruxbin: One of the most interesting savory specials on deck this year can be found at Ruxbin, where oysters and beef join together for an Irish-accented surf and turf. For the month of March, the West Town restaurant is serving salt beef and oysters, which features beef that has been salt-cured for 10 days, then braised with thyme and paired with lightly poached oysters, mustard vinaigrette, and white kimchi. Like we said, unique.
The Promontory: Leave it to a rustic American hearth-centric restaurant to unveil a behemoth of a drool-worthy sandwich. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, The Promontory is house-curing pastrami and heaping it onto a sandwich, courtesy of chef de cuisine Matt Swilinski. It’s all piled on pumpernickel with a Thousand Island pickle mayo, apple-bacon sauerkraut, and melted Emmenthaller.
La Sirena Clandestina: One of the most novel ways to consume corned beef this year, La Sirena Clandestina is giving the Irish tradition a South American accent in the form of empanadas. Available March 12 through March 17, corned beef empanadas will be on special along with a vegetarian version made with Colcannon, mashed potatoes, and kale.
Miss Ricky’s: A contemporary, casual diner is the perfect spot to celebrate a gluttonous holiday. Especially when it’s located within the Virgin Hotels Chicago, mere steps from the green-dyed Chicago River. On March 12, the hotel is opening a beer garden within the diner, filled with numerous specials like green waffle crispy chicken sandwiches, Guinness brownies, and Great Lakes Reubens made with smoked corned beef, sauerkraut, Polish dressing, Swiss cheese, and spicy pickles.
Farm Bar: Sandwiches and stews take the stage at Lakeview’s charming neighborhood newcomer, Farm Bar. It’s the perfect, coziest spot to celebrate this savory holiday, especially when Eric Mansavage is outfitting the specials menu with an incredible corned beef sandwich layered with cider-braised cabbage and black garlic ale mustard. Also on hand: Irish beef stew with pulled short rib, carrots and cabbage, and Irish butter mashed potatoes, roasted garlic, and stout gravy.
County Barbeque: BBQ restaurants and Irish food don’t typically mix too often, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Especially considering both cuisines have a penchant for beef. County Barbeque bridges the cultural gap deliciously this year with a special smoked corned beef sandwich available throughout St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The sandwich features smoked corned beef, pickles, and horseradish Dijon on rye bread with a side of bacon potato salad.
- Matt Kirouac