Kravitz Deli unveils 10-day schedule for annual Corned Beef Fest in Youngstown
There’s a deeply-rooted sense of Irish heritage within the city of Youngstown for its residents who immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland.
Cleveland.com data shows 10% of the population in Youngstown identifies as having Irish heritage.
The owners of Kravitz Deli in Youngstown want the community to celebrate the season with a festival centered around a classic Irish-American dish: corned beef.
Why corned beef?
Matthew Rydarowicz, owner of Kravitz Delicatessen in Youngstown, said corned beef is a salt-cured beef brisket.
It’s been a highlight of the Kravitz menu for more than 80 years.
“When the Irish came to this country, they had cabbage and a type of bacon called rashers. When they couldn’t get rashers in the new world, they turned to another immigrant group running Jewish delis and started eating corned beef with their cabbage,” said Rydarowicz.
He said the annual festival celebrates the rich histories of corned beef for dinner among Irish American immigrants, as well as the Jewish community. And it’s “the perfect timeframe” to bring people together for St. Patrick’s Day, according to Rydarowicz.
According to Westchester, corned beef with cabbage is a popular St. Patrick’s Day dish for families in North America.
“The dish’s popularity took shape during Irish immigration to America,” wrote Meaghan Glendon. “Corned beef and cabbage did not originate from Ireland — and the meal isn’t actually Irish at all.
Selling 40,000 pounds of food for St. Patrick’s Day
During the season of St. Patrick’s, Rydarowicz said Kravitz sells more than 40,000 pounds of food, including pickled, boiled beef briskets, sandwiches, Reubens and deli trays.
This year, Rydarowicz said he thinks during the week, they’ll be able to sell 4,000 pounds of corned beef, which is nearly 10% of the deli’s annual corned beef sales.
Schedule for 10 days of Corned Beef Fest
Here’s the full ten-day schedule of events for Corned Beef Fest, starting March 8 through March 17 at Kravitz Deli, located at 3135 Belmont Ave. in Youngstown.
The deli’s usually open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. unless special hours are posted.
- March 8 - Old Dublin Fish Fry Classic haddock dinner + entertainment by County Mayo from 5 - 8 p.m.
- March 9 - Emerald Isle Brunch Special Irish-inspired breakfast menu items all day, plus a visit from the Leprechaun! Look for some fun family favorites, including Reubens, Magical Leprechaun waffles, Green Eggs N’ Ham, corned beef hash; Irish brownies, and cookies
- March 10 - Deli closed from 1 -4 p.m. for Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day Parade
- March 11 - Do-It-Yourself Celebration make your own Reuben kit for $16 (carry-out only)
- March 12 - Leprechaun Bagel Day - Mark the season in an extra special way with the rainbow edition of our delicious bagels. Top it off with some pot’ o gold cream cheese for an extra special treat! $2/each Pre-order recommended. As long as supplies last
- March 13 - St. Reuben’s Day - Enjoy a 4 oz Reuben for $9.99 (a $2 savings) OR deli case corned beef (lean and regular) for only $19.99/pound.
- March 14 - Business St. Patrick - You can bring a little kiss of the blarney stone to your office with carry-out boxed Irish meals available for advance orders of 10 lunches minimum for $125.
- March 15 - Old Dublin Fish Fry - Classic haddock dinner + sing-a-long with Entertainer Rodd Coonce from 5 - 7 p.m.
March 16 - St Practice Day - Special Irish-inspired breakfast menu items 9 a.m.-Noon, then corned beef & cabbage dinners and other specialty food menu and drink specials run until 7 p.m.. Avoid the lines on St Patrick’s Day and get your Reuben early!
March 17 - St Patrick’s Day! - Special Irish-inspired breakfast menu items 9 a.m.-Noon, then corned beef & cabbage dinners and other specialty food menu and drink specials run until 7 p.m. Fiddler Mary Lewis playing from 1 - 6 p.m. Kravitz will also be at Penguin City Brewing serving our Classic Reubens and Corned beef & cabbage dinners from 11 a.m.M - 6 p.m.
This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
