It’s St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday but our friends at Raglan Road at Disney Springs are starting the party Friday. Dubbed “The Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival,” it’s three days of rip-roaring rollicking. Part of what sets it apart from other St. P day celebrations is the entertainment. There’s great entertainment from Irish musicians and dancers at RR all year long, but for the Mighty Festival they bring in some extra talent. I especially enjoy watching the dancers and I’ve always wondered how many people wind up in emergency rooms because they attempted to do some of the moves. Seriously, don’t try this at home. But do try the food and especially the drink. Most people go straight to the Guinness, but consider trying the cocktail called The Pride of the Peninsula. It’s made with Dingle Irish Gin — gin has become as popular as whiskey in Ireland over the last few years — elderflower tonic, fresh lime juice, mint and cucumber. I winced when I saw the cucumber but it helped make it a really refreshing cocktail. Check out the Raglan Road website for the entertainment schedule. You can make reservations for Friday and Saturday but Sunday is first come, first seated.
- Tonight (March 15) is the first of what will be a monthly event at East End Market called Evening Exchange, or EvEx for hip people. (Do hip people still call hip people hip people?) It’s from 6 to 10 p.m. and includes workshops, demonstrations, specialty cocktail bars and food specials.
- I don’t think anyone has used John Rivers and jerk in the same sentence, and I hate to be the first, but there you go. Actually, it’s only to tell you that 4 Rivers Smokehouse has added a line of jerky to its already popular barbecue. It’s available in beef, red pepper beef, pork & beef, venison & pork and turkey. I think that last one is there just because it rhymes with jerky. Available at all Smokehouse, the Coop and the 4R Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck.
- Enzo’s Hideaway Smuggler’s Series is a monthly gathering of beer, wine and cocktail aficionados. This month it’s a Ron Abuelo Rum Pairing Experience on Saturday, March 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $75 per person and tickets can be purchased here.
- Bruno Zacchini, the Bruno of Pizza Bruno, is going to try his hand at making bagels. So naturally it will be called Bagel Bruno. (Bagel Zacchini just doesn’t have the right twang.) Bagel Bruno will be part of a Foxtail Coffee shot that is slated to open in the former Hubbly Bubbly space on Edgewater Drive in College Park. Spring, they say.
