By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

It’s never too early to start thinking St. Patrick’s Day and one the area’s most celebrated “Irish” spots Raglan Road is gearing up for their spirited long weekend the Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival.

The annual event returns to Downtown Disney March 14-17, with Irish music, dance and authentic cuisine by Irish celebrit chef Kevin Dundon.

The festivities run run from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. March 14 and 15, and from noon until 1 a.m. March 16 and 17.

The lineup of Irish band performances begins with a festival kickoff March 8-10, by The Willis Clan, a family of artists and musicians who merge their Irish roots with other music and dance genres to create a unique style.  Beginning March 14 and culminating March 17, events will feature:

•Performances by The Willis Clan, Girsa, Three Dollar Band and Johnny & Justin, The Farrell Bros, Raglan Road house band Creel

•World-famous U2 tribute band Elevation, playing Saturday and Sunday

• The Raglan Road Dancers, seven full-time champion dancers, performing daily

•Renowned Irish dancer and choreographer Ronan McCormack of the original Riverdance cast, leading Irish Dance Workshops “From Roots to Riverdance” Friday through Sunday

•Distinguished Dublin-born multi-instrumentalist Declan Masterson, recent touring musical director of Riverdance, leading Irish Music Workshops “Between the Jigs and the Reels”

•Ceili (kay-lee) traditional music and structured set-dancing event on Saturday, inviting guest participation

•“The Electric Ceili,” Sunday evening, with more than 50 musicians and dancers on the Waterfront Stage.

Other activities at Raglan Road and nearby include face painting, stilt walkers, giveaways and lots of St. Patrick’s Day memorabilia.

Thursday through Saturday, guests can order from Raglan Road’s popular lunch, dinner and bar menus.  The dinner menu, which includes loin of bacon and cabbage, the authentic Irish dish of St. Patrick’s Day, is available all day Sunday. Throughout the event, the restaurant’s Cooke’s of Dublin counter-service eatery will offer Irish favorites like fish and chips, battered sausages and deep-fried candy bars; guests will discover additional food offerings across Pleasure Island.

On Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, guests will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis.  Saturday, the pub and restaurant cover charge of $5 will apply to each guest 18 and older; on Sunday, the cover charge is $10.  Reservations can be booked for March 14 and 15 by calling 407-938-0300.

The restaurant, a Diners’ Choice 2012 award winner, is known for its beer-battered fish and chips, as well as its Shepherd’s pie with a contemporary twist and other popular entrees. Raglan Road offers gluten-free items including scallops, fish and chips, calamari, onion rings and pasta dishes.

Florida desserts

Have a favorite Key Lime pie recipe or other great dessert that makes you think of the Sunshine State?

The Florida Dessert Competition is a new part of the annual Kowtown Festival Saturday, March 16.

There aren’t too many rules for the dessert contest except all entries must have a Florida theme .

The entry fee is $10 per dessert and contestants must provide 20 servings of dessert.

First place winner gets $50. Second and third place receive ribbons.

After the judging is finished, tasting tickets will be available for purchase to the public.

Turn in time for desserts is 1:30 p.m. at the Toho Square information booth.

For more information call Kissimmee Main Street at 407-846-4643 or go to www.kissimmeemainstreet.com for entry forms.

Marlow’s Tavern

One of my favorite dining experiences of recent months was at Marlow’s Tavern at Pointe Orlando.

The “neighborhood restaurant” has a New Orleans inspired menu through March 25, featuring jazzed up dishes and classic cocktails inspired by the Crescent City.

“The flavors of New Orleans are distinct and irresistible, much like the chef-driven food and hand-crafted cocktails found on our everyday menu,” says John C. Metz, executive chef and co-founder of Marlow’s Tavern. “We want our guests to experience Louisiana cooking with a Marlow’s twist,” he adds.

The “Bayou ‘n Bourbon” menu includes dishes which are offered daily for lunch and dinner:

Roast chicken and shrimp gumbo - a Louisiana tradition with a Marlow’s twist (6.5).

Fiery crawfish fondue - a rich, creamy blend of crawfish, Gruyere cheese, fresh herbs and spices served with ciabatta crostini  (9).

Honey Jack chicken and Andouille flatbread - blackened Prestige Farms chicken, spicy andouille sausage, caramelized red onion and pepper jack cheese with sweet and spicy Honey Jack on crisp flatbread  (9.5).

“Nawlins-style” po’boy - tempura battered shrimp and crawfish, sweet slaw, shredded lettuce, Roma tomato and smoked chili cream on a soft Cuban roll (12.5).

Bayou burger - fresh ground beef all “jazzed up” with andouille sausage, cheddar cheese, crawdaddies, lettuce, Roma tomato, red onion and house-made Creole remoulade on a toasted onion roll (12).

Deconstructed jambalaya - grilled Prestige Farms chicken, andouille sausage, house-made dirty rice and traditional crawfish Creole sauce (14)

Sweet Bourbon St. rib-eye - blackened Jack Daniels honey-blazed rib-eye served with tiny asparagus and a crispy sweet potato cake (26)

A Bourbon Street meal is not complete without a sweet treat. Marlow’s offers honey bourbon bread pudding, made with honey and vanilla crème brûlée, soaked ciabatta and a splash of Jack Daniel’s Honey (7) to round out the Louisiana inspired meal.

Cocktail offerings include:

“Pat’s” Marlow’s Hurricane - a New Orleans tradition borrowed from Pat O’Brien’s with Bacardi light rum, fresh orange juice and a floater of Bacardi 151 (8)

Ramos Gin Fizz - Van Gogh dry gin, house-made sour, light cream and orange flower water, shaken 50 times until frothy and served icy (8.5)

Cajun Cosmo - Absolut Mango and Pepper, cranberry, triple sec and fresh lime (9)

Marlow’s Tavern Pointe Orlando is located at 9101 International Drive.

For more information and to become an Insider for specials and the latest news, go to www.MarlowsTavern.com.

St. Cloud Life

The St. Cloud Life event is today at the St. Cloud Civic Center.  The 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. event includes a beer festival, featuring beer from Osceola County bars and a wing competition

The event is hosted by the Greater St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce.

Pie Festival

It is getting closer to pie time.

Some of them bake pie for a living. Some of them simply live for pie. For 19 years, pie bakers of all skill levels - from the Sunday afternoon family baker to the neighborhood bakery owner, from budding pastry chefs putting a twist on their grandma’s recipes to the nation’s most experienced commercial bakers - have gathered once a year to determine who bakes America’s very best pies. From Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28, hundreds of competitors hungry for prizes and bragging rights will gather at the American Pie Council®(APC) /Crisco® National Pie Championships held at the Caribe Royal All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando. In conjunction with the pie championships, the APC is proud to present its 12th Annual APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco® on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, in nearby Celebration, Fla.

The APC - America’s only organization dedicated to preserving America’s love affair with pie- is now accepting entries for the National Pie Championships from amateur, professional and commercial bakers. Amateur bakers may compete in a flavorful new category this year: Comstock Wilderness pie fillings in the baker’s choice of apple, cherry, blueberry, peach or strawberry. New this year is a Bake Learning Center which will offer championship attendees pie baking tips and instruction by leading industry professionals and pastry chefs.

Last year, the prestigious pastry bake-off drew more than 441 commercial, 115 professional, 237 amateur and 8 junior entries for an astounding total of 801 pies in the quest to find America’s top bakers. Commercial winners took home bragging rights and the promise of greater sales, while winners in all other categories received plenty of dough, as is cash and prizes. This year’s competition is expected to be even more heated. Entry forms and pie categories for each division are available on the APC website, www.piecouncil.org. Entry is $15 per pie for amateur APC members, $35/non members and each entrant receives an Emile Henry pie dish; see website for professional and commercial entry costs. APC members receive discounted entry costs; membership information is also available online.

Pie lovers are also invited to apply to be a judge at the prestigious competition. Last year, 195 esteemed pie aficionados from all over the world lent their time and taste buds to nibble on more than 800 pies. No previous judging or baking experience is required; applicants need only explain why they would like to be a judge. Potential pie judges may fill out an entry form online at  www.piecouncil.org through March 30, 2013.

Hundreds of volunteers are also needed to make the championships and the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco® run as easy as, well, pie. Volunteers may indicate the shifts or duties they prefer to work by filling out an application online at www.piecouncil.org by Tuesday, April 23, 2013.

The Caribe Royal is offering a special rate of $129 per night for those competing in or attending the APC/Crisco® National Pie Championships or the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco®. To receive this special rate, guests must mention the event by name. Reservations may be made by calling 800-823-8300. For more information about the Caribe Royal, visit www.thecaribeorlando.com.

“It’s amazing to think that right now, bakers across the country are baking their hearts out, testing out new recipes and breaking the barriers to create even better tasting, more creative and more tantalizing pies than the year before,” said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. “Every year brings new surprises and new recipes from the best bakers in all categories, from our amateurs to our professional and commercial bakers.”

More than 39,000 pie lovers from across the globe are expected to transcend upon Celebration, Fla. on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 for the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco®. The increasingly popular, free admission festival returns to Celebration with all the activities that have made it a family favorite, including the Pie Creation Station, the pie tin art activity for art lovers of all ages, and the Demonstration Stage sponsored by Village Inn and Bakers Square Restaurants, featuring entertainment and baking demonstrations with chefs from across the country. Always a crowd favorite, the kids’ and adults’ pie eating contests return this year, once again sponsored by Private Selection.

The highlight of the festival is the Never Ending Pie Buffet, which last year featured an astounding 90,000 slices of pie as well as ice cream, toppings and beverages from America’s best known commercial bakers. The Never Ending Pie Buffet has grown each year, from 83,000 slices in 2010 and 70,000 in 2009. The buffet and the children’s activities are the only paid events at the festival. All stage entertainment and demonstrations are free. Tickets to the Pie Buffet are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and children under 5 to enjoy all they care of eat and drink.

Those interested in keeping up to date on the latest news concerning the pie championships, pie festival or pie news can follow the American Pie Council on Facebook and Pinterest and on Twitter at FYPie.

The festival will be held at Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St. in downtown Celebration, Florida 34747. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 27; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 28. Admission to the festival is free.

For more information, visit the Front Porch Celebration Community at  www.celebration.fl.us or the American Pie Council® www.piecouncil.org.

Crisco® is a registered trademark of The J. M. Smucker Company. For more information, visit www.crisco.com.

The American Pie Council® is the only organization committed to maintaining America’s pie heritage, passing on the tradition of pie-making and promoting America’s love affair with pie. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships. For more information, please visit  www.piecouncil.org.