The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City took place in 1762, beginning a rainbow road of celebrating all things Irish that extends to New York-New York Hotel & Casino’s pot-of-gold pub Nine Fine Irishmen. There are other places in Las Vegas to go green in the days leading to March 17, but few have as much right to claim iconic status as Nine Fine Irishmen. From the warm wood and green finishes to the raucous nightly live music to the heavenly heads on pints of Guinness poured from taps designed and manufactured on the Emerald Isle, Nine Fine Irishmen is perfection in a pub.
It’s also the perfect place to head to before or after experiencing Celtic Feis, billed as “The Strip’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration.” The annual festival kicks off Friday beginning at 3 p.m. with an Irish pipe band leading a parade that begins at the Bliss Dance sculpture at The Park and proceeds to Brooklyn Bridge in front of New York-New York, where most of the action is centered. Music from acts including Nine Fine Irishmen house band Sin é Ri-Ra and menu items such as beer and cheese dip, shepherd’s pie, Irish bangers and corned beef and cabbage provide samplings of what patrons experience behind the green doors off the casino floor.
Irish fare on the Strip is fabulous, but nothing compares to enjoying it in an authentic pub atmosphere. Nine Fine Irishmen is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner until the kitchen closes at 11 p.m. Expect relative quietude in the morning when enjoying an Irish breakfast of two eggs, Irish bangers, Irish bacon corned beef hash, breakfast potatoes and country white toast. Bailey’s Irish toast adds a little extra kick to the morning meal, but the chance to indulge in an Irish Benedict with Irish rashers may be too tempting to pass up.
The Irish breakfast is still available at lunch for late sleepers. Take a seat at the bar for lunch and a stout or ale to get a close-up look at the craftsmanship that went into every design detail, from the polished bar tops to the staircase that winds to a second level. Crab cakes, steamed clams and fried dill pickles are choice nosh options, and the hot corned beef sandwich on toasted marble rye with provolone balances sauerkraut with Thousand Island dressing.
Fish and chips Photo by: Peter Harasty
Traditional menu items can be enjoyed afternoons or evenings. This means repeat visits for diners not in the habit of ordering two entrées, as it’s nearly impossible to decide between shepherd’s pie or Irish bangers if beer-battered fresh Alaskan cod and Irish chips don’t hook hungry pub-goers first. The scene becomes socially convivial at night, with Sin é Ri-Ra ripping through sets that include everything Celtic from traditional rousers to Thin Lizzy. The band kicks off St. Patrick’s Day festivities at 10 a.m. on the bridge, where Irish bangers will be available for the outdoor masses until 11 p.m., but a timeless environment brimming with Irish elan can be found any day of the year inside Nine Fine Irishmen.
New York-New York Celtic Feis, March 13-17, celebration times vary, free; Ultimate Irish Food and Drink Experience, starts at 10 a.m. March 17, $75 plus tax and gratuity (cover charge included), 21+. 866.606.7111 or 855.740.3311
