Where to Carbo-Load Before the Chicago Marathon

With the Chicago Marathon just two weeks away, downtown restaurants are offering customers a chance to load up on the carbs before running or watching the race. 

Filini Bar and Restaurant has put together a menu of three pasta dishes for the Chicago Marathon, in addition to the many pasta and pizza dishes the contemporary Italian restaurant specializes in. Chicago Marathon pasta specials include Tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, prosciutto di parma and ricotta salata ($24), Orzo with caramelized root vegetables, spinach, and pecorino grand cru ($19), and Orecchiette with rapini, pine nuts, and parmigiana reggiano ($19), all crafted by the restaurant’s new Executive Chef Rick Starr.

Carb up for the run with Cindy’s Seasonal Vegetable Torchio ($42). Whether on their own or with friends, racers can enjoy the torch shaped pasta tossed with nduja, charred broccoli, shallots, chili, parmesan stock, and white wine. This large-format sized platter, from the dinner menu, is recommended for 3-4 guests, or one hungry runner with 26.2 miles to go!

Running not your thing? DMK Restaurants offers Chicagoans the chance to get in on the marathon fun with the “Sorta Marathon.” On Sunday, October 9 at 2:30pm, participants can join Sorta Marathon Host Jenny Milkowski (FOX32) and walk, run, bike, skip, or ride from DMK Burger Bar (2954 N. Sheffield Ave.) to Henry’s (18 W. Hubbard St.) where they’ll be greeted with beer until it runs out. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to A Special Wish Foundation. The event is priced at $30, which includes a t-shirt, sunglasses, and free beer from Lagunitas and Allagash at the finish line-- aka Henry’s.

Runners on a budget will love Dolce Italian’s $10 Spaghetti and Meatballs lunch, which includes a heaping plate of their signature Spaghetti and Meatballs and a 3-oz glass of wine or a 5-oz beer (as a reward for that 20 mile practice run leading up to the big race). The restaurant’s new Sunday Supper flyer is another way for marathon participants to get their carb fix with friends and family. Every Sunday, guests can gather with their running buddies to indulge in a four-course family-style meal – choosing from dishes like Linguine Agli Scampi, Pappardelle Bolognese, and Pizza Margherita – for $35/person.

Maple & Ash is hosting marathon runners and spectators alike to craft their pre-race meal with its new secret menu item, the “Pasta Back.” Start with Chef Danny Grant’s signature Roasted Seafood Tower, and once you have cleared enough room, ask your server for the “Pasta Back” and he or she will arrive with hand-rolled conchigliette pasta to toss into the buttery, briny broth left behind from the seafood. The “pasta back” is $10 per person in addition to the cost of the seafood tower. The “Pasta Back” is available nightly at Maple & Ash for those who ask.

Or how about a quick carbo-load at Barnelli’s, a fast-casual stop for Italian home-cooking within Portillio's? Marathon runners can have a taste of traditional Lasagna layered with Italian cheeses, spinach, and spices, and topped with their choice of sauce ($8.99); or the Peasant Pasta made with cuts of Italian sausage, chicken breast, and pancetta, mixed with escarole, garlic, cannellini beans, and rigatoni, cooked in white wine broth ($9.59).

Hotel Lincoln will offer bananas, water, hard boiled eggs, band aids, safety pins, and "chest rub lotion" available in the lobby from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. for runners to take. There will also be bottled water in lobby starting around 11 a.m. until about 5 p.m. and a Step & Repeat in the lobby for photos when runners return from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

So, whether you are a runner or an avid supporter, load up on carbs at these great places to celebrate the marathon!