Utter the name at a neighbor's party, a firehouse, a union hall, a parish basement, or heck, to your priest, and at the very least you'll get a nod of recognition.More often, mouths water.

"Harrington's falls off the fork. You can't even cut it. You just pick it up with a fork and it comes off," said the Rev.John McNailis of St. Gabe's in Bridgeport.

Ken Harrington, owns Ray Harrington Catering, a Portage Park family business going on 70 years. While Corned Beef is the jewel in its crown, they server many other dishes, most with an Irish flare. Hundreds of pounds are cooked daily and sold whole for pickup, or hand-sliced with all the trimmings.

Harrington’s grandfather, Ray, started the business in 1951. He moved to Chicago from Michigan in 1922 and was working as the steward at the Logan Square Athletic Club, a magnet for aldermen and the like. Ray Harrington, an Irishman, was a cook who fed the politicians corned beef and cabbage. They liked it so much, they asked him to cater their shindigs, which he did until he opened his own business.

Harrington’s Favorite Links

[Always Stationery] Always Stationery run by Tom and Fran Harrington provides the highest quality personalized stationery products at reasonable prices. All of our products are manufactured in the United States of America with your satisfaction in mind. We usually ship your order the next full business day after receiving it except during peak holiday periods.

[Irish American Heritage Center] The Irish American Heritage Center is one of the premiere Irish cultural organizations in the United States. It is a destination for people of Irish descent as well as those who wish to learn more about the Irish heritage.