Saturday, March 17, 2007
Happy St. Paddy's Day!
Wow - it's party time here in Hogtown. It's St. Patrick's Day but not just any ol' St. Patrick's Day, mind you -- it's St. Patrick's Weekend! Whoohoo!
The Night Before SPD (St. Patrick's Day) was a Friday this year and you can bet all those Irish and those who wish they are (me included) were partying it up all night. Call it an early start or a warm-up for the main event. That's right, ladies and gentlement, this year SPD is on a Saturday and, boy, it will be crazy.
I was at the LCBO Summerhill outlet this afternoon (Sat) and there was a steady stream of people going in and coming out with bags full of booze, all in anticipation of the party to come tonight. The LCBO also hosted an Irish whiskey tasting at this location, featuring the Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey. I tried some of this whiskey and can attest: it's very potent stuff!
I also had the opportunity to check out that stretch of Yonge Street between Roxborough Street and St. Clair Avenue, an area to which I had never been. There are quite a few quaint, original shops and restaurants in the area. While a busy stretch of Yonge, parts of it also had a nice, neighbourly feel to it.
But back to SPD.
As a good finance guy, I did my due diligence and can report that many an Irish pub had major lineups of eager drinkers of green beer, some lineups going around the corner. Notable establishments where I noticed this unsurprising phenomenon included the Irish Embassy in the Financial District, P.J. O'Brien's in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood just east of the Financial District, Fionn MacCool's on the Esplanade, the BierMarkt on the Esplanade, and Scotland Yard on the Esplanade (hmmm, there seems to be a trend here. You don't suppose the party's down on the Esplanade, do you? :)
However, how Irish can a place be if it's named after a police force in London, UK? But I digress ... besides, everyone's considered Irish on SPD! Wear something green, drink green beer or a Guinness, and get the party started!
The Night Before SPD (St. Patrick's Day) was a Friday this year and you can bet all those Irish and those who wish they are (me included) were partying it up all night. Call it an early start or a warm-up for the main event. That's right, ladies and gentlement, this year SPD is on a Saturday and, boy, it will be crazy.
I was at the LCBO Summerhill outlet this afternoon (Sat) and there was a steady stream of people going in and coming out with bags full of booze, all in anticipation of the party to come tonight. The LCBO also hosted an Irish whiskey tasting at this location, featuring the Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey. I tried some of this whiskey and can attest: it's very potent stuff!
I also had the opportunity to check out that stretch of Yonge Street between Roxborough Street and St. Clair Avenue, an area to which I had never been. There are quite a few quaint, original shops and restaurants in the area. While a busy stretch of Yonge, parts of it also had a nice, neighbourly feel to it.
But back to SPD.
As a good finance guy, I did my due diligence and can report that many an Irish pub had major lineups of eager drinkers of green beer, some lineups going around the corner. Notable establishments where I noticed this unsurprising phenomenon included the Irish Embassy in the Financial District, P.J. O'Brien's in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood just east of the Financial District, Fionn MacCool's on the Esplanade, the BierMarkt on the Esplanade, and Scotland Yard on the Esplanade (hmmm, there seems to be a trend here. You don't suppose the party's down on the Esplanade, do you? :)
However, how Irish can a place be if it's named after a police force in London, UK? But I digress ... besides, everyone's considered Irish on SPD! Wear something green, drink green beer or a Guinness, and get the party started!
