St. Pat's Parade and a Caps Shoutout for Ledecky's 16th

Bethesda's teen Olympic gold medalist celebrated her birthday in style this weekend.

She swam to a stunning gold medal victory in the women's 800 meter freestyle last summer during the London Olympics -- finishing in eight minutes and 14.63 seconds, breaking a 23-year-old American record and missing a world record by a shave. That's a lot to accomplish before your 16th birthday. Bethesda's hometown swimming phenom Katie Ledecky celebrated her birthday in style this weekend, first as a division marshal in the St. Pat's parade, and then with a special honor from the Washington Capitals. Ledecky rode a classic car through the streets of Washington, DC during the 42nd annual St. Patrick's Day parade Sunday afternoon. Later, during a Washington Capitals game, NHL Hall of Famer and Capitals legend Rod Langway presented Ledecky …

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Ledecky To Celebrate St. Pat's, And 16th Birthday, As Parade Division Marshal

Bethesda's own Olympic gold medalist will be getting her green on with St. Patrick's Day revelers this weekend.

Ledecky to Celebrate St. Pat's, and 16th Birthday, as Parade Division Marshal

Bethesda's own Olympic gold medalist will be getting her green on with St. Patrick's Day revelers this weekend.

If you're stopping by Sunday's St. Patrick's Day Parade, you may spot a familiar face celebrating the luck of the Irish on the streets of Washington, DC. Katie Ledecky, the Bethesda swimming phenom who took gold in a stunning Olympic victory in the women's 800 meter freestyle last summer in London, will be a division marshal in the 42nd annual parade, according to an update via Facebook. Ledecky also will be celebrating her 16th birthday, according to the post. How many of us can say we've taken home Olympic gold before the age of 16? The parade is set for noon Sunday, March 17, and will follow Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW. This year's theme is "Celebrating Service to the Stars and Stripes." Ledecky's birthday …

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Ledecky To Celebrate St. Pat's, And 16th Birthday, As Parade Division Marshal

Bethesda's own Olympic gold medalist will be getting her green on with St. Patrick's Day revelers this weekend.

If you're stopping by Sunday's St. Patrick's Day Parade, you may spot a familiar face celebrating the luck of the Irish on the streets of Washington, DC. Katie Ledecky, the Bethesda swimming phenom who took gold in a stunning Olympic victory in the women's 800m freestyle last summer in London, will be a division marshal in the 42nd annual parade, according to an update via Facebook. Ledecky will also be celebrating her 16th birthday, according to the post. How many of us can say we've taken home Olympic gold before the age of 16? The parade is set for noon Sunday, March 17, and will follow Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, N.W. This year's theme is "Celebrating Service to the Stars and Stripes." Ledecky's birthday celebrations …

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Chevy Chase Native Featured in New Irish Cookbook

Two of Evin Bail O'Keeffe's recipes—and 12 of her photos—are featured in "A Modern Irish Cookbook," published by Goodall's of Ireland.

Despite its English-sounding name, there's a little bit of Chevy Chase in County Cork, Ireland. Chevy Chase native Evin Bail O'Keeffe attended North Chevy Chase Elementary School and Blessed Sacrament on Chevy Chase Circle—she was married there.  Now, she lives in County Cork, and she recently played a key role in the creation of Ireland's first-ever bloggers' cookbook—A Modern Irish Cookbook, consisting of recipes from the country’s food-blogging community. The cookbook—launched by Goodall’s of Ireland, purveyor (since 1933) of high-quality herbs, spices, flavorings, seasonings and other pantry items—"is the culmination of a nationwide search by Goodall’s for recipes that represent what modern Irish home cooking looks like today," …

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Montgomery County Readers' Choice Winners: St. Patrick's Day Picks

Where do Patch readers in the area go to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

We asked Patch readers across the region to tell us about their favorite places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Here’s a look at some of the winners: In the poll that ran on Bethesda, Chevy Chase, North Potomac-Darnestown and Potomac Patches, a corner cupcake shop in Friendship Heights, Chevy Chase, beat out the bars as readers' favorite place to honor the holiday. The spring green-frosted, shamrock-topped cupcakes at Frosting, A Cupcakery, received 37 percent of the vote. Ri Ra Irish Pub in Bethesda came in second, with 22 percent of the vote. For readers in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Wheaton and Kensington, the Royal Mile Pub was far-and-away the most popular choice, as it received 75 percent of the votes in the poll. In Rockville, …

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Readers' Choice for St. Pat's Day: Frosting, A Cupcakery

Patch readers chose the Friendship Heights cupcake shop as their favorite place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Bars and beers aren't the only way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the area. One can have a beer anytime, but a shamrock-topped, spring-green-frosted cupcake? Only in March, at Frosting, A Cupcakery. The Friendship Heights cupcake and coffee shop received 37 percent of the vote in the Readers' Choice poll for favorite places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac and North Potomac-Darnestown area, while Ri Ra Irish Pub in Bethesda came in second, with 22 percent of the vote. Flanagans Harp and Fiddle, also in Bethesda, and the Irish Inn at Glen Echo each received 14 percent of the vote. Frosting, which is only two years old, has quickly become a coffee-and-baked-goods staple in Friendship Heights. "Best. …

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Get Home Safely on St. Paddy's Day With a Free Ride

Don't risk drinking and driving if you've had too much Jameson on St. Patrick's Day.

Let's face it, St. Patrick's Day is a drinking holiday for most people. Guinness and Jameson flow like water. That doesn't mean you should drink and drive though. Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) SoberRide initiative is hoping you taking them up on a free ride home Mar. 17. The St. Patrick's Day SoberRide program will be offered Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning. Anyone over the age of 21 can receive a free cab ride, up to a $30 value, by calling 800-200-8294 and referring to the SoberRide program. All calls must originate in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties; the Cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt and Takoma Park; the District of Columbia; Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and …

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Food, Drink Specials on St. Patrick's Day

Maybe it's just Irish luck, but there is no shortage of places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day around Bethesda.

There may be plenty of green to go around on St. Patrick's Day, but odds are you'd like to keep some of it in your pocket. Here's a roundup of local specials. Also, don't forget: Patch sites in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac and North Potomac-Darnestown are teaming up to find the best local place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in our third Readers' Choice contest. Vote here for your favorite.  LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS Flanagan’s Harp and Fiddle     •    Bethesda's oldest Irish pub, located on Cordell Avenue, opens at 8 a.m. with a traditional Irish breakfast. The day will also feature live music, Irish dancers and bagpipers, a leprechaun contest and prizes and giveaways. Green beer will be provided in the form of $6 imports and $4.75 …

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Cooking In Real Time: Corned Beef and Irish Coffee

Two Irish specialties for St. Patrick's Day.

This unusual combination certainly got your attention, didn’t it? For St. Patrick’s Day, we have a mix of traditional and fun. The corned beef is prepared in the slow cooker; the pudding shooters take just a few minutes. Slow-cooker Corned Beef 3 to 4 lb. corned beef and included spice packet 12 oz. Guinness or dark ale such as 1554 2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard 1 to 2 Tbsp. brown sugar ½ to 1 lb. fresh carrots ½ to 1 lb. fresh potatoes ½ lb. fresh onions 1 small cabbage, cut into narrow wedges (optional) While you’re preparing the veggies, place the beef in a large bowl of water, enough to cover the meat. This will make the corned beef less salty. Scrub your carrots and cut off the root and tip ends. No need to peel. If you’re using Russet …

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