A St. Patrick's Day Soiree

Arguably one of the greatest celebrations of the year is upon us. This year, I know many friends near and far  are looking to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a touch 'o class. How is this possible for the number one day of drinking shenanigans? Well, I'll tell you (with some major help).

The request: Ann, from Pierce Whole Nutrition, throws an annual St. Patrick's Day party. In years past, this event has turned into the kind of party we would all expect of your typical St. Paddy's bash. This year, though, Ann is looking to kick it up a notch and host more of a pre-celebration/cocktail party to kick off the festivities. Simply, let's move away from college a bit so our husbands don't pass out in the yard in a puddle of green beer.

I couldn't take on this request alone, so I called in Megan from Life in Love with Lady O. From the looks of Megan's blog posts I know she can whip together an amazing spread AND she's a South Sider who holds annual St. Patrick's Day parties. An expert. Perfect.

Megan suggests that for a more sophisticated cocktail party, it's best to sidestep the traditional bulk corned beef and cabbage for food that's more personal and easy to eat while standing...

 

1} Basil Parmesean Dip (noted by Megan: this isn't Irish, but it's green)
2} Mini Corned Beef Sandwiches (also try these)
3} Truffled french fries in paper cones: I've been seeing a big trend with food in cones. Be careful to use a sturdy paper, because of the grease. What if you lined them with wax paper? Try linked directions for display but you could also use a cardboard box with holes in the top to stand the cones in.
4} I love cabbage - so I would want to include it in some way. I think most people have a hard time eating cooked cabbage - so I'd suggest going the route of a salad or coleslaw. While neither really is "cocktail" food, I have two favorite recipes that are great standbys: Napa Cabbage Salad and Blue Cheese Cole Slaw.
5} And what's a St. Patrick's Day party without Guiness - which is a fantastic ingredient for a rich and tasty dessert. Guinness Stout Ginger Cake or Guinness Brownies.

It is really hard to find St Patricks Day decorations that aren't bright green foil shamrocks - Megan says to skip Party City and head straight to Ebay....

I've found some fantastic vintage St. Patrick Day postcards - put some of those in photo holders around the buffet table. I'm also a big fan of fabric for a tablecloth - most Irish-themed fabric may be a bit cartoonish, so a nice tartan plaid would work well. Also, it might be pretty to bring some fresh greens - possibly some Irish moss, and place in terra cotta pots, or cream or white ceramic pots.
And, most importantly:

As far as avoiding a drunken bash, I think the most obvious is no keg & and keeping the food plentiful.

Megan, thank you so much! Keep us posted about the party, Ann - and, good luck!