CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland St. Patrick's Day parade steps off at 2 p.m. this Sunday and folks everywhere are preparing to celebrate.
If you want to try some authentic Irish food and pastries, head west to Fairview Park. Reilly's Irish Bakery has a stand-alone shop where you can get a taste of the Emerald Isle. Owner Ronne Isabella and her family use recipes passed down through her family. She explains her very "Irish" sounding name, "I took over the business and kept the Reilly name on it. My mother-in-law is 100% Irish and my father-in-law is half Irish-half Italian, hence the name."
They are best known for their savory items like shepherds pie and baked pasties. Their signature dessert is triple chocolate Guinness cake, which is a customer favorite.
While there are hundreds of restaurants and delis serving up corned beef in all forms, there's one who may be starting a new food tradition. Way out east in Willoughby, the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard and Lost Nation Road is a food destination. It also happens to be a Sunoco gas station, but they have a stellar reputation for their food.
People drive for miles to get their hummus, but every St. Patrick's Day, the corned beef takes center stage. "I've been cooking lots and lots of corned beef for the weekend," says owner John Allan. His sandwiches are piled high with corned beef and swiss and mustard on rye bread.
I think there may be a new food pairing being born there this weekend. John says, "We could put the corned beef with the pickle hummus." Sounds weird, but trust me, it works. Follow it up with a sliver of that triple chocolate Guinness cake from Reilly's and it'll make your St. Patrick's Day weekend complete.