Restaurant Review – The Best St. Patrick’s Day (Irish) and St. Joseph Day (Italian) Restaurants in Chicago
Patron Saints’ Days take center stage in Chicago in mid-March in Irish and Italian households.
While the big parades and celebrations were held last weekend, St. Patrick’s Day—the patron saint of Ireland, is still celebrated on March 17 (Thursday) and the somewhat quieter St. Joseph Day, (also celebrated as Father’s Day in Italy and Southern Europe) the Patron Saint of Italy, is celebrated on March 19 (Saturday).
Just recently, Eat This, Not That ranked the best Irish pubs in the nation. In Illinois, they chose River North’s The Kerryman.
Why? Their one-paragraph take: “This sprawling space,” (formerly a punk club…and a notorious gangster hangout, re: editor), they say, “Serves elevated takes on Irish favorites like Irish breakfast and beef and Guinness pie.”
To celebrate the holiday on Thursday, March 17, wear green. Then, try their Claddagh Wings, which pairs boneless wings with hot tangy sauce, bleu & ranch dressings. Or, you can upgrade to an Irish whiskey glaze for an even tangier take. Entrees include Shepherds Pie, with ground beef, vegetables, beef gravy, mashed potato, and cheddar, served with house Irish cheddar soda bread. The Irish Breakfast, a classic, combines sausage, bacon, black & white pudding, potato, tomato, eggs, beans, and toast. Or, Beef & Guinness Pie pairs a braised short rib with root vegetables, rich Guinness gravy, and puff pastry.
The Kerryman’s half-pound Angus burgers are house-ground and served with your choice of steak fries, house salad, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes, cup of soup, or shoestring fries. For an upcharge, you can also choose sweet potato or truffle fries, curried chips, a bowl of soup, or mac n’ gouda cheese. The Irish Cheddar burger also has Irish bacon and marie rose on a golden bun. The “Moloney” has fried jalapeno, Sriracha aioli, pepper jack cheese and avocado served on a golden bun. Earning raves from customers, the Bacon ]am Burger combines smoked gouda, bacon jam and roasted garlic aioli on a pretzel bun.
The Kerryman is located at 661 N. Clark Street. They are open Monday-Thursday, 12pm–2am, Friday & Sunday, 11am–2am, and Saturday, 11am–3am. The kitchen closes nightly at 10pm. For reservations, click here.
Wear your best red threads to any St. Joseph Day celebration. And if The Kerryman is the best Irish restaurant, the best-reviewed Italian restaurant on Google in Chicago is Ciccio Mio (translation: my dear) in River North, with more than 200 reviews scoring 4.8 out of a possible five stars.
This cozy space is billed modestly by its management as a “nice Italian restaurant” on its website.
NICE?
That’s like saying Michelangelo just painted pictures on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
“Fantastic dinner experience with excellent Italian dishes” said one recent Google reviewer. “We enjoyed the Buburrata (goes really well with the bread), lasagna, bugcatini, and (vodka) rigatoni. The vesuvio potatoes are excellent as sides. Highly recommend.”
“The most stunning and delicious Italian restaurant in all of Chicago! If you’re lucky to land a reservation inside you have to gooo. The burrata and the complimentary bread table was incredible and we ordered the orecchiette. My friends got the black truffle and lamb gnocchi and loved it as well! Our waitress even gave us a free dessert ❤️ coming back here again very soon!”
“Honestly the best pasta I’ve ever had in my life. No wonder it takes months to get a reservation. 100% worth the wait!!”
Other treats mentioned include the 700-day aged prosciutto ham, the creamy Polenta, and the aforementioned free fennel bread.
Ciccio Mio is located at 236 W. Kinzie Street, and is open daily for dinner from 4pm-10:15pm. Reservations at the 10-table spot are highly recommended. For reservations, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
