Great weather, St. Patty’s and college hoops call for outdoor bars and patio restaurants
Well, it’s St. Patrick’s Day in North Carolina. It’s also 70 degrees and cloudless. That sounds to us like a darn good reason to take the afternoon off. And since it’s Thursday, you might as well call in sick tomorrow as well, because weather-wise, it’s going to be more of the same.
If you’re looking for a place to celebrate the Irish in you, look no further than Napper Tandy’s in Downtown Raleigh, which is holding a two-day St. Patty’s ripper starting tonight at 7:00.
Hibernian Pub, with locations in Raleigh and Cary, is also holding an all-day celebration that started before lunch today and goes until close. Actually, we’re willing to bet it may extend beyond close. Both locations are great, but the Cary store has a more equipped kitchen and better food service. You will need to check your preconceived notions about Irish pub food at the bar because this is one seriously good, and authentic, restaurant. But don’t take our word for it. Hurry, your Guinness is getting cold …
Even if you’re not out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Raleigh, the weather is so darn nice that it just begs for at least a couple of hours to be spent at an outdoor eatery. Opentable.com, an online restaurant reservations service, has a list of places in the Triangle with outdoor seating options. In Cary, we recommend an, (“an” means “to dine” in Vietnamese) which is located at the intersection of Weston and Harrison. In Raleigh, it has to be Mellow Mushroom on Peace and Glenwood. 
The weekend looks as if it holds a lot in store for anyone who moved to North Carolina at least in part because of the great weather. Remember, Wrightsville Beach is only 2.5 hours down I-40. The water may be cold, but the beach should be perfect.