Hollister
– If you like corned beef and cabbage, this is your day.
Hollister – If you like corned beef and cabbage, this is your day.
That’s because today is St. Patrick’s Day, the holiday that honors the patron saint of Ireland. Locals can celebrate in ways ranging from a quiet day fishing to an evening carousing at local bars. And for those of you hankering for corned beef and cabbage – a traditional Irish staple – the owners of a number of local restaurants said they’ll be serving up plenty for dinner.
People who see green and immediately think of the great outdoors may want to head out to the San Justo Reservoir, where the bait shop will be offering green worms to the first 10 paying customers wearing green, starting at 6:30am.
Sharon Walter, who works at the bait shop, said this is the first year the store is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but she said other holiday tie-ins like the annual Easter egg hunt have become popular events with their customers.
The green worms – “green neon nitros” – are supposed to be particularly tempting to catfish and trout, Walter said. She admitted that she doesn’t know why the worms are green, but that doesn’t stop her from offering customers an explanation.
“When we get them they’re already green,” Walter said. “I tell people the leprechauns did it.”
But what about the corned beef? Rochelle Flosi, an administrative assistant at Hollister United Methodist Church, said about 200 people show up for the church’s annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner, which will be served this year from 5 to 8pm. Attendees will be able to devour an Irish dinner cooked by church volunteers, watch performers from the Barnes Academy of Irish Dance and support the church. And nonreligious diners are welcome, Flosi said.
“If you come early in the day, it smells great,” Flosi said.
Of course, doing a good deed is all well and good, but for many, St. Patrick’s Day is about revelry. There will be plenty of that on offer too.
Tim Baker, who co-owns the recently opened Cantina Grill in Tres Pinos, said this will be the Mexican restaurant’s first big party. The grill be serving corned beef and cabbage in the dining room, green beer on the patio and hosting local band Soul Kiss, which will begin performing at 9pm.
“It’s our very first band,” Baker said. “We’re hoping it will be a real nice night.”
Meanwhile, Johnny’s Bar and Grill will be throwing its annual St. Patrick’s Day party, featuring – you guessed it – a corned beef lunch special and free corned beef and cabbage in the evening.
“I see people I haven’t seen all year long,” bar owner Charisse Tyson said.
The bar will also offer a discounts on Guinness and other draft beers. As an Irish beer, Guinness is always a big hit on St. Patrick’s Day, Tyson said.
“It’s about the only time of year it’s popular,” she said.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
ah*@fr***********.com
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