A Green Twist on Ways to Experience St. Patrick’s Day

Corned beef and cabbage, beer crawls, and parades may be the usual name of the game for St. Patty’s Day, but this year we decided to celebrate in a different way. Our “green brigade” will keep you in the spirit all month with some of our favorite greens and where to find them in NYC.

Pickles: These aren't just a favorite of Jersey Shore's Snooki; they’re a true NYC staple. Gus’s Pickles was a Lower East Side landmark for 85 years, a notable inclusion in the film Crossing Delancey.  In recent years, however, the pickles headquarters moved to neighboring Brooklyn and was renamed Ess-A-Pickle.  (1470 39th St; Brooklyn, NY; 917-701-4000) Today, it’s The Pickle Guys who are the game changers, located appropriately on the Lower East Side. The full sours are pure pickled perfection, but there are also half and 3/4 sour options for the more timid pickle lover. (49 Essex St; 212-656-9739; https://www.pickleguys.com/)






Green tea ice cream: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is the place to get your hands on some authentic, hand-crafted green tea ice cream. You can add even more green to your order with the ice cream parlor’s daring wasabi flavor.  This Chinatown favorite is open every day from 1am until 10pm (or 11pm depending on the day). (65 Bayard Street; 212-608-4170; http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com)

Bowling Green Park: This park may not be not be lush and sprawling like its uptown counterpart, but it is definitely the central park of the Financial District. Bowling Green Park, built in 1733, is actually the oldest public park in New York City and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Today it’s better known for the Charging Bull statue, a favorite of tourists from around the world and a symbol of Wall Street, good or bad. (Broadway and Whitehall Street)

Guacamole: If you’re jonesing for some green guacamole, you can find it at any of the city’s numerous Chipotle outlets. The chain's fresh guac pairs perfectly with their zesty lime chips. (For locations: www.chipotle.com) For more of an authentic Mexican experience, dine at any of the three city Rosa Mexicano locations for a guacamole en molcajete tableside preparation experience. (For locations: http://www.rosamexicano.com)

Union Square Greenmarket: Farmers markets and sustainability are all the rage, and the Union Square Greenmarket is certainly a winner when it comes to keeping up with the trends. The greenmarket sources from many local farmers, fishers and bakers. Pick up your seasonal selections on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8am-6pm. From jams to wines to artisan breads, the market has something for everyone, even those who don’t care about the locavore movement. (Union Square Park- 17th Street at Broadway; 212-788-7476; http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket)

Green beans: French fries are often the side of choice, but one visit to Red Cat will leave you a convert to their tempura green beans. Green no matter what the season, these crispy bites of perfection have been named on the "100 Best Things to Eat and Drink" list in Time Out New York. (227 10th Avenue; 212-242-1122; http://www.theredcat.com/redcat.php)

This entry was posted on Monday, March 5th, 2012 at 11:24 pm and is filed under Stuff to Do. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.