Six days of corned beef have officially begun at a Youngstown delicatessen, with Friday's festivities starting it all with an Old Dublin Fish Fry.

Kravitz's Deli, located on 3135 Belmont Avenue, served a fish dinner Friday evening, with live music from the Chardon Polka Band duo, Bellows & Backbeat.

With the festival surrounding the holiday, Owner Matthew Rydarowicz says that many people have their eyes and stomachs set on St. Patrick's Day.

"Monday starts off our St. Patrick's day, we'll have the same menu (as Tuesday), but it's kind of a light start for what's going to happen on Tuesday," Rydarowicz said. "Tuesday we sell a lot of Reubens, a lot of Reubens, I think last year we sold, I think it was around 1,000 Reubens, something like that."

Saturday is set for an Emerald Isle Brunch, a family-friendly event featuring Reubens, Irish mini brownies, kids' activities and a visit from the Leprechaun. 

The Corned Beef Fest also includes:

  • Sunday  – Bottomless Omelets & Parade Day Brunch
  • Monday – St. Practice Day
  • Tuesday – St. Patrick's Day
  • Wednesday – St. Recovery Day

"Usually our big holidays, Tuesday, we will sell everything. Our bakery will be completely empty by the end of the day, our bagels will be gone, our rye bread will be gone," Rydarowicz said.

Rydarowicz said that they stocked the deli with 240 loaves of rye bread leading up to the festival.

In a news release, the deli stated that they sold more than 40,000 pounds of corned beef last year, and nearly 10% of that total was sold during the Corned Beef Fest.

"That's what we're known for, our corned beef," Rydarowicz said.

A full list of details for the Corned Beef Fest, and all the St. Patrick's Day events in the Valley, can be found by clicking here.

 

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