Our weather has been so weird that it doesn’t really feel like the Boston Marathon is about to happen any time soon, but it is. We are less than a fortnight away from the start of the marathon and whether you’re local or visiting, pasta (and lots of it) may be on the menu as you prepare for this running feat.
If you’re staying at an Airbnb or live nearby and are cooking your own pasta the Boston area has a few great places to pick up pasta to cook at home.
- Dave’s Fresh Pasta (Somerville)
- Capone’s (Somerville)
- Tuscan Market (Salem, NH and Burlington, MA)
- Capone’s and other dried pastas at Pemberton Farms (Cambridge, MA)
- Imported fun and fabulous pastas at Formaggio Kitchen (South End-Boston, MA & Cambridge, MA)
- Russo’s (Watertown, MA)
If you’d rather have someone cook for you then head to some of our favourite spots for pasta.
- Quick, easy and inexpensive – Comella’s (many locations)
- Il Casale (Belmont, MA or Lexington, MA)
- Tuscan Kitchen (Salem, NH and Burlington, MA)
- Take a break from Italian and cook some noodles in soup at Little Q Hot Pot (Arlington, MA) or Little Big Diner‘s ramen (Newton, MA)
- I haven’t been yet but I hear Gulia is fantastic (Cambridge, MA)
- Rialto right at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square is a fabulous place to relax and enjoy an Italian dinner with fresh pasta or whatever else piques your interest. (Cambridge, MA)
- Posto in Davis square is a fun spot (with parking!) to get some fresh pasta and pizza fuel for your race. (Somerville, MA)
Other restaurants are doing marathon specific specials.
- The Envoy Hotel’s Outlook Kitchen and Bar, is offering Boston Marathon runners a 15% discount on their order when they bring in their running bib.
- La Motta in the South End is serving some of their favourite dishes for marathon weekend including Linguine Olio & Meatballs with toasted garlic, chili, parsley and hot crumbs ($16 w/o meatballs, $22 w/ meatballs), Mafaldine with Luganica sausage, charred broccoli rabe, toasted garlic and pecorino ($23), or Cinghiale Bolognese with rigatoni, wild boar sugo and parmesan ($25). on Friday, April 15th through Sunday, April 17th during dinner service.
- Brasserie JO has a special marathon menu being offered on April 15-18, for carbo-loading runners and spectators. The menu includes: Quinoa Pasta, $17.95 – Ratatouille, Scallops, Basil and Veal Blanquette, $25.95 – Spring Peas, Local Mushrooms, French Noodles. In addition, who wouldn’t be inspired to make it past the finish line knowing that there is Flourless Chocolate Fondant, $8.95 just beyond the finish line.
- On Sunday, April 17th, 2016, Beat Brasserie invites marathon runners, friends and family to join them for a pre-marathon carbo load from 10AM to 2PM. Diners can choose from a variety of hearty brunch options and carbs galore with options such as the Caramelized Local Apple Coffee Cake ($7.50) with honey butter and Brioche French Toast ($14) with mixed berry compote, whipped cream, and maple syrup. Runners opting for lighter, yet satisfying choices can enjoy Sophia’s Greek Yogurt ($8.50) with honey, fresh berries, almonds and granola or the Scrambled Eggs($14.50) with broccoli & Vermont aged cheddar. Sunday brunch includes a live performance by classical jazz pianist and singer Daniela Schächter.
- Also on Sunday at Beat Brasserie, from 5:30PM to midnight, diners can fuel up on a variety of healthy, pre-marathon dishes including the signature Gratitude Bowl ($23) with acorn squash, turnips, carrots, pumpkin seeds, mushroom gravy & multi grain organic brown rice pilaf. The bowl includes a choice of black bean & quinoa cake, all natural shrimp, free range chicken, skirt steak, or Faroe island salmon for an additional charge. A carb fix with the Bison Bolognese ($22) with pappardelle pasta and shaved parmesan is also available. To relax before the race, Beat Brasserie offers 36 American artisanal wines on tap and an acclaimed reserve list as well as signature libations such as the Royal Fortune made with Amber rum, pimento dram, lime, and ginger beer ($11) and the Something Natural made with cilantro, Hanson cucumber vodka, and lime ($12.50).
- Pastoral Chef/Owner Todd Winer has created a Carbo-Loading Menu for Marathon Runners on Sunday, April 19th from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. Located in Fort Point, Pastoral is offering an endless pasta bowl featuring their homemade pasta for $24 and an all-you-can-eat pizza option for $23 on the Sunday night before Marathon Monday. The Carbo-Loading Special Pastas are house-made rigatoni, chicken and broccoli rabe and homemade chitarra pasta with spring vegetables. All-you-can-eat pizza options are the Neapolitan Margarita Pizza or the Pizza Bianco with Spinach and Sausage.
For the spectators, who must not be overlooked, Canary Square has created a fun and fabulous “ballpark menu”. In honor of the return of two of Boston’s most anticipated athletic events- the Boston Marathon and Red Sox Opening Day, this Marathon Monday, Canary Square invites locals and visitors alike to join them for a special ballpark menu. The menu will feature ballpark classics and will be available from 2 p.m. until supplies run out. Canary Square’s regular dinner menu will also be available beginning at 5 p.m.
The Marathon Monday Ballpark menu includes:
- Cajun-Buttered Popcorn $4
- Fresh Guacamole and Tortilla Chips $5
- New England Clam Chowdah $7
- Garden Salad with cucumbers, carrots, red onion, and cherry tomatoes $8
- Dr. Pepper’s Landsdowne Sausage and Peppers with fries or mixed greens $10
- Two Housemade Fenway Franks with spicy mustard and fries or mixed greens $10
- The Burger with lettuce, tomato, fries (add cheddar, American, or blue for $1; add mushrooms, bacon, or fried egg for $2) $12
- Black Bean Burger with salsa, onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese and fries $11
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