Happenings

If you can believe it, it’s been a full year now since quarantine started and we’ve all been adjusting to life with COVID19. When all this started last March, unfortunately, Saint Patrick’s Day was cancelled in pubs across Maryland and America – talk about Irish luck!

While the pubs aren’t still quite at capacity and the bagpipe parades aren’t back on the city streets yet, things are a bit more festive this year and we can celebrate this green holiday a little more than last – especially if the weather is nice. Whether you celebrate with a pint of Guinness or just by wearing your favorite green shirt, here’s a local Irish pub where Irish eyes will be smiling this Saint Patrick’s Day nearby your ELM apartment in Bethesda.

Flannagan’s Harp and Fiddle – In business since 1986 here in Bethesda, Flannagan’s Harp and Fiddle has been the longstanding Irish headquarters for Saint Patrick’s Day fun. This year the bar won’t be overflowing with revelers and green beer, but you can still get in the Saint Patrick’s Day spirit on their patio. To adjust for COVID19, this bar has also started offering takeout and delivery, and as it’s only a few minutes walk from your ELM apartment, it’s a great option to get your corned beef and cabbage home while it’s still hot. Look for their specials on Saint Patrick’s Day, as well as some of their March Madness specials going on this month. If you want to plan ahead for next Saint Paddy’s Day, you can buy gift certificates through their website at a discounted rate. With a little Irish luck, buying these gift certificates now and using them later will ensure that this local bar stays in business in Bethesda for another 35 years.

Flannagan’s Harp and Fiddle

4844 Cordell Ave
Bethesda, MD 20814

Want to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day at home in your ELM apartment? Making the traditional Saint Paddy’s Day meal could not be simpler.

While not actually a food eaten in Ireland, corned beef and cabbage is THE food of Irish Americans for this green holiday. It’s also just about the easiest food in the world to make. Buy some corned beef at our local Trader Joe’s, put it in a pot of boiling water with some potatoes, cabbage and carrots and voila – a few hours later you have a meal befit for Saint Patrick himself! Here’s a recipe you can follow step by step in your ELM kitchen.

Irish soda bread is a little more challenging than corned beef, however, after all that bread you baked in your ELM kitchen during quarantine, this should be easy! Irish soda bread is more of a desert bread than a dinner roll, with a cake-like consistency and sweet raisins mixed throughout. However, toasted with a little bit of butter or with jam on top, it’s a filling meal within itself. Here’s an easy recipe you can make your own Irish Soda bread with or, if you’d rather leave your ELM kitchen shining like a pot of gold, our local bakery Breads Unlimited should have some that you can pick up.