Green Day: St. Patrick’s Day, traditional festivities in tow, arrives Sunday

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 | 8:20 a.m.

Oh, Paddy dear, and did you hear the news that's going round? They're having fun with Irish food in Good Old Las Vegas town.

There's a wee bit of Irish in all of us on St. Patrick's Day; if not by birth, then just for the sheer spirit of the well-celebrated occasion. This Irishness, or "Green Fever," as the European Press Network calls it, sweeps the country every March 17.

An ocean of green-tinted beer is consumed, along with enormous amounts of corned beef and cabbage. But there's much more, these days, to Irish cooking than corned beef and cabbage. The changes in the cooking style of Ireland are addressed in "Elegant Irish Cooking," by Noel C. Cullen (Lebhar-Friedman, $35). "Elegant Irish Cooking," is a culinary tour of some of Ireland's finest kitchens, led by a new breed of Irish chefs. These chefs have trained in France and have been inspired by California's cuisine. They bring new levels and variety to Ireland's cuisine.

Locally, a proliferation of Irish pubs has given us more than a glimpse of popular Irish cuisine:

J.C. Wooloughan's menu features traditional and contemporary Irish dishes. It also sets the record straight about who created Irish coffee. 'Tis said in America it was created at San Francisco's Buena Vista bar, but according to a J.C. Wooloughan himself, a bartender named Joe Shetidan at Ireland's Shannon Airport conceived the idea to warm up patrons when they came in shivering from the cold. And, as the legend continues, Irish coffee emigrated to the states in the '50s via American writer Stan Delaplane.

Similar to J.C. Wooloughan's, this beautiful pub was designed and manufactured in Ireland, then shipped piece by piece to the United States, where it was assembled by a team of Irish craftsman. Fado's logo three interconnecting spirals was inspired by a design found on a stone at the entrance to an ancient burial monument, Newgrange at the Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland. Newgrange tomb dates back to 3200 B.C. and predates the Egyptian pyramids and England's Stonhenge.

Fado Executive Chef James Moore says that his menus represent a cross section of the various influences he has encountered over the years. Moore's cooking style is unique to Fado, reflecting his early days on the Aran Islands, where he served up the area's abundant seafood, to the time he spent in some of Dublin's finest restaurants, and finally, the United States.

Simply put, Moore's menus reflect the changing cooking trends of today's Ireland. Irish entertainment, of course, along with daily specials -- all traditional dishes -- are offered at the restaurant. A different special is offered each day except Sunday.

Jack's Irish Pub at Palace Station is designed to look similar to an old-fashioned Irish pub, with faux brick and stone (there's a brick patio), wood paneling and many authentic decorative pieces.

Jack's offers tabletop TVs in several booths and a great Irish band, the Wild Celts. Jack's menu includes typical Irish fare and many crossover dishes. Irish nachos, anyone?

St. Patrick's Day festivities at Jack's Irish Pub begin Friday and end with an all-day Irish Festival on Sunday.

Bring your own leprechaun and blarney (the gift of gab with embellishment) -- the pubs will supply the rest.