Make a Date to Paint the Town Green

Plans to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day are underway at several local restaurants. It’s a day to take the orange out of Orange County.

The Blarney Stone is serving up corned beef, green beer and traditional Irish singers, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Music will be provided by the Irish Beggarmen, with special guest Tommy Keogh from Dublin. 11761 Edinger Ave., Fountain Valley. (714) 775-9987.

Champions Sports Bar at the Irvine Marriott is serving an all-you-can-eat Irish buffet from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. for $3 a person. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. A live band will play from 5 to 9 p.m. 18000 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. (714) 724-3640.

Chanteclair is adding a prix fixe Irish meal to its lunch menu, from Monday through Wednesday. The price is $12 a person for barley soup, corned beef and cabbage, new potatoes and Irish trifle. 18912 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine. (714) 752-8001.

Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar will add to its menu six micro-brewery ales and eight varieties of oysters on-the-half-shell from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday. Oysters are $1 each or $4.50 for a sampler of five. 3300 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 979-2400.

McCormick & Schmicks will serve green beer and Irish coffee in its restaurant beginning at 11 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day. The restaurant will also offer Irish specialties throughout the day and evening: Mulligan stew, corned beef and cabbage. Roving Irish pipe players are planned. 2000 Main St., Irvine. (714) 756-0505.

Earvin (Magic) Johnson will host an evening benefit at Planet Hollywood on Tuesday. An auction of athletic items, such as Johnson’s Olympic jersey, is planned. Proceeds will benefit his foundation for AIDS research. 1641 West Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 434-7827.