Foodie News
Carbo-loading and more: Restaurants offer deals for marathon runners (andwatchers, too)
Carboloading: An activity so delicious some people run 26.2 miles just to have an excuse to do it. Whether you are running in the Chevron Houston Marathon, cheering from the sidelines or are just plain hungry, here are the Houston restaurants offering special dishes and deals to celebrate runners.
Lynette Hawkins of Giacomo's Cibo e Vino has created a special carb-friendly Runner's Pasta. Anyone can order the nutrient-dense "whole wheat pasta in a sauce of garlic and extra virgin olive oil with broccoli, caramelized onions, sweet peppers and melted goat cheese" for $13 ($15 with chicken) on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
All pasta dishes at BlackFinn American Grille are 50 percent off the night before the races for marathon runners with bibs or registration numbers, and drafts of Michelob Ultra (the beer for people who rollerblade) are $2.50. After the race runners can also get 50 percent off brunch on Sunday.
Chef Tommy Birdwell of TQLA is also making something carby and delicious just for marathon weekend. Runners can go for the Taos fettuccine with grilled chicken, asparagus, roasted corn, red and yellow peppers, sweet potatoes, smoked tomato cream and queso fresco, or just order off the regular southwestern menu and get 20 percent off their entire tab (minus alcohol and happy hour specials) on Saturday and Sunday.
What says carbs like a big, fat burrito? Marathoners with a bib number get $1 off any order over $5 Saturday and Sunday at Freebirds at Shepherd Square and Sawyer Park.
At Fratelli’s Authentic Italian Cuisine, there's a special Carb Festival for Runners menu available on Saturday only, including rich dishes like pasta al forno, lasagna bolognese and pennette Fratelli. Of course, you can indulge even if you're only planning to run errands on Sunday.
On Sunday, marathon viewers can head to Canopy, which will open at 7 a.m. to serve hot coffee, fresh pastries, and full breakfast plates. The restaurant is also setting up "comfy arm chairs" along the marathon course on Montrose.
After the race and the post-race party at Discovery Green, runners can take their bib number into The Counter on Washington for one veggie burger on the house.
