My brother was born with bright red hair, and despite family assurances to the contrary, has grown up convinced that we’re descended from a long line of Irish Kirbys, as opposed to the more prominent version from Northern England or Scotland. He once worked in an Irish-themed pub and honeymooned in Dublin. Or it may just be that he likes the Irish meaning of our name better; “dark son” as opposed to the pedestrian English definition of pretty much any place with or by a church. Regardless of whether we’re real Irish or not, today we join millions of people the world over in being “Irish for a day.”

Here in Toronto, with our historically strong Irish roots, there are plenty of options available to celebrate the emerald isle, as a plethora of Irish pubs stock up on Guinness and all the non-Irish pubs stock up on green food dye. Surprisingly, not many places seem to be offering Irish-themed meals, but then St. Patty’s Day has never really been about eating – that would take up valuable space meant for beer.

The Arcadian Court atop The Bay at Queen Street West (401 Bay Street) offers their annual St. Patrick’s Day lunch for $17.95 from 11:30am - 3pm. Call 416-861-6611 for reservations.

James Chatto of Toronto Life reports that Starfish (100 Adelaide Street East) is offering a St. Patrick’s Day menu with an emphasis on fish (of course) but also featuring other Irish favourites such as corned beef hash, black pudding and roast lamb. Possibly running for the month of March.

Allen’s (143 Danforth Avenue) and adjacent pub Dora Keough’s serve up Irish fare on their mixed menu year round, but will be serving up corned beef specials and can expect a run of fish and chips, lamb shank and mussels tonight.

Of course, the main aspect of the holiday celebration is about the drinking, so here’s a selection of Irish-themed pubs that should fit the bill for anyone off to have a jar.

The Brazen Head Irish Pub (171 Liberty Street): with live Irish music all day long, this pub named after the famous Brazen Head pub in Dublin is a great place to head for anyone wanting to get an early start on the festivities.

The Foggy Dew (803 King Street West): Most likely bet for a rowdy crowd. (What? A rowdy crowd on St. Patrick’s Day? Surely you jest!)

Fionn MacCool’s (70 The Esplanade, and other locations): The place television crews usually end up for the obligatory shot o’ drunken revellers. Best place to go to get shown on TV wearing a silly green hat.

The Irish Embassy (49 Yonge Street): The most inspiring space in which to party tonight, lots of office types, and probably a big line up.

McVeigh’s New Windsor Tavern (124 Church Street): With a real Irish chef and a real Irish clientèle, wannabe-Irish for the day might want to consider McVeigh’s as a quieter, more authentic option. There will be no green beer here, sir!

For a more sedate evening, there’s nothing like a hearty heaping roll-up of fish and chips and a few pints at home. No green beer, no hooligans throwing up all over yer shoes, and it’s a more economical alternative as well. The LCBO has a selection of options beyond the typical Guinness:

Heritage Brewing offers a couple of great options including the John By Imperial Stout ($2.50/341 mL) and my favourite the Black Irish Porter ($2.00/341 mL). The porter is available in limited quantities only - look for the stubby bottle and the black Irish Wolfhound on the label.

Hockley Valley Stout ($2.50/473 mL) is a classic dry stout, with a mellow roastiness, a bit of wood smoke, and a faint sour edge in the finish.

McAuslan St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout ($12.25/6×341 mL) is a hearty sweetish stout with aromas of chocolate and coffee that goes down smoothly.

Mill Street Coffee Porter ($12.35/6×341 mL) adds a caffeine kick and a dark roasty aroma to a smooth, satisfying porter.