St. Patrick's Day 2012: Pub Specials, Irish Recipes and Free French Fries

"May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart, and warmed by the smiles of the people you love." – An Irish Blessing

With St. Patrick's Day less than 24 hours away, the Irish, and those wish-they-were-Irish among us, may soon find themselves craving the sights, sounds and tastes of the Emerald Isle.

Be this a heaping plate of corned beef and cabbage with an ice-cold mug of green beer or a Drunkin' Leprechaun cupcake made with chocolate Guinness batter and topped with Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream frosting, Macomb Township residents won't have to travel too far to get their fill of Irish-inspired cuisine this St. Paddy's.

5 Places to Get Your Irish On

• : Corned beef and cabbage dinner, corned beef sandwich and green beer. Open at 11 a.m.
• Open at 8 p.m. Saturday. Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. 
• : Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage and $3 pitchers of green beer. Open at 11 a.m.
• (aka Tavern at Tina's): Corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, green beer. Open 11 a.m. DJ Jason starts at 9 p.m.
• Dooley's Tavern: Irish food, green beer, $2.50 Irish drink specials. Shuttle to and from all three Metro Detroit locations. Entertainment includes Irish bands, bagpipers and Bernie the Leprechaun. Open at 7 a.m.

Snacks and Sweets to Make Erin Go Bragh

• locations will offer to customers this Saturday and Sunday.
• will offer its minty Shamrock Shake – topped with whipped cream and a cherry – until March 25.
• Blizzard of the Month is mint Oreo.
• cupcake of the month is the Drunkin' Leprechaun! It's a chocolate Guinness cupcake with an Irish Whiskey chocolate ganache filling that's topped with Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream frosting.

Where is the Best Place to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

We're still waiting to hear from you on that one. You have until 5 p.m. today to to celebrate St. Patrick's Day around town. Based on your recommendations, there are four venues currently vying for that honor: Green Street Tavern, Rosie O’Grady’s, Shamrock Irish Pub and . and let one of them enjoy blarney bragging rights for the year.

Tastes of the Emerald Isle to Try at Home

If you're not planning to head to the pub, here are a few recipes that promise to bring the taste of Ireland to your own table.

For those who don't know, traditional Irish soda bread includes only four basic ingredients, and gets its name from its leavening agent – baking soda.

The bread is quick and east to make, and is a fantastic complement to either Irish stew or your corned beef and cabbage.

To make this recipe you'll need the following:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir together. Add the buttermilk and mix everything together with a large spoon (or with your hands) until the dough comes together. The dough should be moist, but not so sticky that it is hard to handle. Shape the dough into a round and place it on your parchment covered baking sheet.

Cut an "X" into the top of the dough round with a sharp knife and bake for about 45 minutes, or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing. This bread is best served soon after baking and can be served with jam, or used to mop up the juices from your stews.

To make this recipe, you need the following:

• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 lbs. stew beef
• 2 tbsp. lard
• 2 onions sliced
• 4 carrots sliced
• 2/3 cup Guinness
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 lb. fingerling potatoes
• 2 tbsp. butter

Find play-by-play photo instructions on how to make this dish .

Word to the wise, this recipe is super easy, but it needs to cook for 5-10 hours.

Don't Drink and Drive

If you are planning to head out for St. Patrick's Day, schedule a pick up, or save the number of one of the companies below to make sure you and your friends get home safely.

• 4 My Ride, 586-698-2301
• Suburban Cab, 800-410-8294
• Shamrock Cab Co., 877-775-8294
• Last Call Services, Inc., 586-552-8989

An Irish Toast!

Here's to the land of the shamrock so green,
Here's to each lad and his darlin colleen,
Here's to the ones we love dearest and most.
May God bless old Ireland, that's this Irishman's toast!

Have a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day!