Our 11 Favorite Pasta Picks For Chicago Marathon Carb Loading
By Lisa White in Food on Oct 10, 2013 7:50PM
Gio's Cafe and Deli's baked cavatelli. (Photo credit: Chicagoist/Chuck Sudo)
An essential part of Chicago Marathon weekend that both runners and spectators alike can participate in is the time honored tradition of carb loading. Before running such a long distance, your body benefits from storing extra nutrients (generally preferred carbohydrates in this case) that you can burn come race day. The main goal is preparing your body to burn off those banked carbs along with nutrients you ingest during the race (usually in the form of bananas, GU, or shot blocks) so that your body doesn’t end up burning as much muscle and/or collapsing because your body is out of fuel. To runners carb loading is essential, but for family and friends it is a great way to help your marathoner prepare while also celebrating the race weekend.
The usual time to load up on extra carbs is the evening before but I know some runners that start 48 hours before a race. As long as you choose options that agree with your digestive system (race weekend may not be the time to try out heavy spice or cream sauces for the first time) the possibilities in Chicago are far and wide. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite pasta places along with some local specials to load up on carbs before the big day.
Anteprima
The only time I run is when I’m trying to catch a bus, but I’m always game for carb loading, and there are few better destinations for those who really earn their pappardelle via some solid exertion than Anteprima, a warm Italian oven of a restaurant where the pasta dazzles with hushed nuance. However far you plan on running afterward, chances are you’ll want to linger through your meal, eating with minimal chatter, because you can always pick up conversation with your dinner companion where you left off while the taste of Swiss chard and ricotta ravioli with brown butter, sage, and parmigiano lasts only a few moments. You can also order half as well as full serving sizes so you can sample a wider range of dishes. —Melissa Wiley
Anteprima is located at 5316 N. Clark St.
Flo & Santos
The South Loop Italian-cum-Polish tavern and restaurant was somehow omitted from Chicagoist’s controversial best pizzas list and, while you can store energy for the Marathon by eating any of their pizzas, it’s their “ravirogi” that runners should be wolfing down by the platefuls the night before the starter’s pistol fires. This dish is meat pierogi topped with a creamy tomato bacon vodka sauce and served with garlic bread. Not only are you getting plenty of carbs for the run, you’re eating an ample supply of muscle-building protein. This dish is so good you may wind up sleeping through your wake-up call. You’ll also want seconds and thirds after you finish the race. —Chuck Sudo
Flo & Santos is located at 1307 S. Wabash Ave.
Leona’s
Leona’s isn’t my favorite place for pasta in Chicago, but I think it is a solid pick and the perfect setting to take a large group if you have a cheering section coming to town marathon weekend. They offer a large variety of meals for all tastes and focus on simple comfort food. You might need to carb it up but Grandma can still order a burger before cheering you on Sunday morning. The portion are also massive so you have plenty of pasta to fill you up, not to mention the warm bread service to add more carbs onto the existing mountain of carbs. The lasagna is a popular option, but for race weekend I prefer the lighter penne with tomato cream and portabella or just the pasta bowl where you can choose your own sauce and top with a massive meatball. The variety is great for a large party, the atmosphere is relaxed and with nine locations across Chicagoland there will surely be one close to your cheering sections hotel. —Lisa White
Leona's has nine locations across the area that you can find here.
Tesori
I admit, when I first walked into Tesori, I expected a mediocre dinner of pre-theater captive audience food. When I found some of the best pasta in the city I was totally shocked. When I went back and it happened again I added Tesori to my permanent list. Their pastas are all listed on the "primi" section of the menu (and cost between $16-$19), but don't be fooled—the portions are hefty. If you're carb-loading, you might want extra, but get through one first. My favorite? The ravioli with sweet potato sausage, broccoli rabe, brown butter and sage. But you also can't go wrong with their herb maltagliata with wild boar, turnip puree and pecorino. —Anthony Todd
Tesori is located at 65 E Adams St.
Gio's Cafe & Deli
I don't run; I bike. But I pedal for long stretches at a time and have even tackled a century or two so I know how to load on the carbs. Few restaurants will offer the tasty affordable options as one of my favorite red sauce places in Chicago. My go-to dishes are the baked cavatelli with homemade marinara sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and baked to bubbling perfection. The rigatoni vodka is another outstanding choice. if the weather were colder I would recommend the tortiglioni carbonara. All of these dishes could feed two so if you're looking to slowly build your carb intake split them in half and eat them between Friday and Saturday. Or order two of Gio's arrancini—they're the size of baseballs here and are drowning in red sauce. —Chuck Sudo
Gio's Cafe & Deli is located at 2724 S. Lowe St. and is open until 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Lao Beijing and Cafe Hoang
Carb loading in Chinatown is one of my favorite lesser known pieces of advice for those running the Chicago Marathon. Not only are there plenty of noodle dishes, they generally tend to be lighter on the sauce and served with leaner protein than some of the standard Italian fare. Not to mention Chinatown is a quick direct bus ride from the marathon expo at McCormick Place. My favorite noodle dish in Chinatown is the “spicy hand-made noodles Korean style” at Lao Beijing in Chinatown Square. The dish isn’t too spicy (at least to my palate) but adds a pleasant heat to the toothsome noodles and slivers of pork. The noodles are really the star, with thicker texture and fresh taste. If you are sensitive to spice, I’d suggest trying out one of the many noodle options at Cafe Hoang. My personal favorite is the vermicelli noodle (dry) options that come tossed in a lighter sweet sauce with your choice of meat skewer, but they also have a wide array of lighter Vietnamese noodle stir-frys and noodle soups. Wherever you stop in Chinatown, odds are you’ll find numerous noodle options to try out for a change of pace to your carb loading ritual. —Lisa White
Lao Beijing is located at 2138 S Archer Ave and Cafe Hoang is located at 232 W Cermak Rd.
La Bocca Della Verita
Ok, so it may look a bit unimpressive from the outside. But when you take your first bite of La Bocca Della Verita's spaghetti carbonara, you will know that you are in the right place. This dish is so spectacularly good, it's hard to find words to describe it—a mountain of spaghetti, topped with house-made guanciale, red onions, egg yolk and a mound of pecorino and parmesan cheeses. Looking for a little bit less of a fat bomb? Try the pasta puttanesca, made with the best cured black olives we've had anywhere in town. The restaurant recently became BYOB, so make sure to pick up some wine from Fine Wine Brokers, just across the street. —Anthony Todd
Lo Bocca Della Verita is located at 4618 N Lincoln Ave.
In addition to our personal pasta picks, here are some of our favorite specials around town for marathon weekend.
Michael Jordan’s Steak House
Michael Jordan’s Steak House will be offering a pre-marathon special on Saturday October 12. The special is spaghetti with green beans and fingerling potatoes, oven dried tomatoes and basil pesto for $21. You can add free range chicken or shrimp for an additional $4. A light yet flavorful sounding pre-race option. And after the race show your bib at the bar and receive a complimentary pour of Metropolitan Krankshaft.
Michael Jordan's Steak House is located at 505 N Michigan Ave.
Tavernita
On Saturday Oct. 12 Tavernita will offer a special “Marathon Menu” that includes three “team-sized” sharable bowls of pasta for $18 per person. The pastas include a gnocchi with Parmesan cheese and herb breadcrumbs, artichoke-ricotta ravioli with olives, piquillo pepper and saffron and pappardelle pasta with Parmesan and a mushroom ragout. Reservations are suggested for the evening.
Tavernita is located at 151 W Erie St.
Chicago Cut Steakhouse and The Local
Chicago Cut Steakhouse and sister restaurant The Local will offer up a more decadent list of pasta specials on Saturday Oct. 12 as well. Their specials include a lobster fettuccine with a brandy lobster cream sauce, fresh chile and mint, a bucatini carbonara, and a wild mushroom risotto. If you want to add a bit of luxury to your marathon eve, optional shaved black truffle for your risotto is available with request. —
Chicago Cut Steakhouse is located at 300 N LaSalle St and The Local is located at 198 E Delaware Pl.