Load Up on Carbs for Marathon Weekend
Whether you're running it or not, the Chicago Marathon is an easy excuse to feast on pasta and meat with reckless abandon. The carbs and proteins are essential for fueling up and amassing stamina for a 26-mile race. And even if you're not participating, it's always nice to eat with your friends out of solidarity, right? Here are some fine suggestions for pre-Marathon dining:
(Piccolo Sogno Due does pasta proud)
Lockwood Restaurant & Bar: If the prospect of "endless pasta" sounds like a gimmick you'd stumble upon at Olive Garden, think again. Lockwood Restaurant & Bar re-thinks the comfort food binge with an elevated twist, offering pasta specials and runner sendoff packages October 11 and 12 in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. Three different pasta specials will be available from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. for $14 each, along with complimentary runner sendoff packages in the lobby of the Palmer House Hilton the morning of the Marathon from 5:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The dinnertime pasta specials include brisket bolognese with Parmesan, charred green onion and garganelli; rock shrimp and scallop fettuccini with double cream, preserved lemon, and basil; and wild mushroom spaghetti with sherry, pecorino, and fines herbes. The morning of the Marathon, sendoff packages include whole fruit, coffee, bottled beverages, and granola bars.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse: Marathon-runners all know about fueling up with pasta and carbs. But just as important is a good portion of protein to help amp up your stamina. You can easily do so at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in River North. This place is meaty Mecca, with protein sources derived from all over. Whatever fits your fancy and whatever puts a skip in your step/job, Fleming's has you covered. Start by sharing small plates like sliced filet mignon and petite New Zealand lamb chops before beefing things up with heartier plates like their prime bone-in rib-eye, prime New York strip, peppercorn steak, and truffle-poached lobster. On Sunday night, unwind after the race with their prime rib dinner, available only on Sunday nights. And also, Fleming's is newly adding a late night happy hour, which runs from 8:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., featuring snacky items like ahi tuna tacos.
RPM Steak and RPM Italian: The glistening duo of RPM Italian and RPM Steak make for the perfect one-two punch for Marathon preparation. While one spot treads in fine Italian pastas and dishes, the newer Steak peddles meaty fare aplenty. At Italian, there's 600-day prosciutto, peppered beef carpaccio, prime beef meatballs, and crispy ravioli to start, along with hefty pasta plates such as pomodoro-sauced bucatini, squid ink spaghetti with king crab, Parmesan risotto, handmade cavatelli in pork and beef ragu, spaghetti carbonara, and more. Then there's RPM Steak, which serves up a dizzying array of meaty noshes, from thick-cut bacon in bourbon-vanilla glaze and roasted bone marrow rife with curry spices to seared foie gras and iceberg wedge salads laced with bacon. Truffle-braised short ribs are a decadent house specialty, accompanied by other steak options like Wagyu, filet mignon, and "The Duke" rib-eye filet.
- Matt Kirouac