Courtesy of Mercadito

Every year, my mother used to make a huge Crock Pot of corned beef and cabbage for the family on St. Patrick’s Day—and we’re not even Irish. I grew fond of the tradition. So I'm glad you can’t swing a shillelagh in this town on March 17 without hitting a meat-and-potatoes fest.

But this year, Chicago is serving up some zany twists on the dish. Here are a few of the weekend's upcoming adventures in corned beef:

Corned beef tacos at Mercadito (108 W. Kinzie St., 312-329-9555)

Chef Patricio Sandoval says corned beef is “actually a super traditional protein in Mexican cuisine,” so from March 16 to 17, he’s serving up a corned beef taco with cabbage-potato slaw and horseradish-habanero aïoli ($15.50 for an order of four).

Corned beef ramen at Slurping Turtle (116 W. Hubbard St., 312-464-0466)

Corned beef ramen comes with homemade mustard ramen noodles, Savoy cabbage, baby carrots, turnips, and potato in a soy-corn broth topped with hot mustard. Available for $14 through March 17.

Green waffles with hash at Bel 50 (738 N. Clark St., 312-202-0600)

Corned beef hash with onion, cabbage, and a fried egg comes piled on a green parsley-and-scallion waffle, to be eaten wrap/sandwich-style ($7.95). On the menu through March 24.

Corned beef sliders at The Fifty/50 (2047 W. Division St., 773-489-5050)

For $3, get a corned beef and cabbage slider; for $14, one comes with an Irish Car Bomb and a Mickey’s Hand Grenade on the side. Available March 16-17.

But seriously, what if you just want a plate of good old corned beef and cabbage? No problem—you have several options. In fact, you could eat corned beef every meal of the day.

Breakfast: Poag Mahone’s (333 S. Wells St., 312-566-9100)

This might be the cheapest St. Pat’s breakfast in the city. A buffet that includes corned beef hash is $4.95 per person from 9 to 11 a.m., and it’s only six blocks from the parade on March 16.

Lunch: Benny’s Chop House (444 N. Wabash St., 312-626-4444)

Get a classic plate with cabbage and red potatoes ($15.99) for lunch only March 13 through 17. The special concludes with a slice of Irish silk whiskey pie.

Dinner: Hash House a Go Go (1212 N. State St., 312-202-0994)

From March 16 to 17, wash down a corned beef and cabbage dinner ($12.99) with a free green beer.