Restaurants I've Run to While Training for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon (Part 2)
French toast at Sailor in Fort Greene.
For the second leg of my training plan for the TCS New York City Marathon, I made a plan to explore neighborhoods I hadn’t run through before, challenge my pace and endurance, and try new and exciting dishes. After six weeks of long runs, I’m proud to say I was able to accomplish my goals! Check out all the places I ran to on my long runs and be sure to visit these New York City businesses that are sure to satisfy your appetite.
For more food recommendations, read Part 1 in the series.
Week 8—Lucia Pizza (Upper East Side)
August 25, 2025
Distance run: 6 miles
Slices at Lucia Pizza on the Upper East Side.
After several weeks of progressively longer runs, I was grateful to do my first taper run of my training through NYRR x Runna. The plan asked me to taper down to six miles, and I felt that a loop of Central Park would be a great way to complete this run.
As a resident of East Harlem, I often start my loops of the park with an ascent of the dreaded Harlem Hill, which gets my blood pumping and ready to take on the rest of the park. Right when you think you’ve conquered the hill, the path south on West Drive in Central Park takes runners up and over the hilly Three Sisters before rewarding runners with a pleasant descent past the Delacorte Theater and then a steady plateau near Sheep Meadow.
Lucia Pizza, which started in Sheepshead Bay and has since expanded to SoHo and the Upper East Side, most embodies the paradigm of a New York City pizzeria. It carries itself with an old school charm while paying an obsessive amount of attention to dough and developing innovative topping combinations. They had a newly launched pizza called the Field Pig Pie with smoked pancetta, roasted corn, mozzarella, and gruyere bechamel that felt like just the right indulgence after a long run, but I can never visit without picking up a slice of their Cream of Spinach pie—it’s rich, savory, and infused with copious amounts of garlic.
Week 9—Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette (Ridgewood)
September 1, 2025
Distance run: 11 miles
Sandwich at Salty Lunch Lady's Little Luncheonette in Ridgewood.
After a brief repose from increased mileage, it was time to jump up to 11 miles. Luckily, I had the vision of myself entering sandwich heaven to keep me motivated as I embarked on my run to Salty Lunch Lady’s Little Luncheonette in Ridgewood, Queens. I ran down the East River Greenway to the Williamsburg Bridge before running through Williamsburg and Bushwick on my way to Ridgewood. The view of the East River from Kips Bay on a sunny day never disappoints, and it was exciting to run through Bushwick and Ridgewood, which I had never done before.
By the time I arrived at the luncheonette, a significant line had formed. I didn’t mind waiting as it gave me time to plan my order from a plethora of sandwich options which included a meatloaf special and the Chicky, a smashed chicken meatball sandwich. But since dill is objectively the best herb, I settled on the Dill Party, a roast turkey sandwich with dill Havarti, dill mayo, dill pickles, avocado and lettuce—I even added a side of Zapp’s Cajun Dill potato chips! Add a salted brown butter chocolate chip cookie to that with a can of mango chili tepache and eleven miles doesn’t sound too bad!
Week 10—Sailor (Fort Greene)
September 6, 2025
Distance: 12 miles
French toast and bacon at Sailor in Fort Greene.
As I mentioned in my last post, running with friends is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to train for the marathon—I feel lighter and less anxious when running with others! My friend Bernadette accompanied me for part of my run to Fort Greene, where I somehow got into Sailor, one of New York’s busiest brunch spots. Bernadette and I ran on my usual route along the East River, but it was an especially warm day and I found myself dragging my feet especially as I approached the Lower East Side and ran over the Manhattan Bridge.
By the time I reached Fort Greene, I still had another mile to run before I could stop, so I ran around the neighborhood and the very busy Saturday morning farmer’s market. I wasn’t fully expecting to get into Sailor but gave it a shot anyway and was rewarded! I ordered their French toast with a side of bacon and an orange juice, and while it was decadent, I was expecting a more unique experience given the hype around the restaurant. But, I was glad to explore the neighborhood that day and will be back to explore more of the businesses in the area.
Week 11—188 Cuchifritos and Madonia Bakery (Fordham)
September 14, 2025
Distance: 14 miles
Pernil with rice and beans at 188 Cuchifritos in the Bronx.
After working at NYRR for several years, I had heard that the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile was one of the most energetic races our organization offers, so I decided to incorporate it into my 14-mile long run. I live about three miles from the start line, so I figured that if I ran to the start line I would get close to my required mileage. Running through East Harlem and over the Third Avenue Bridge into the Bronx was a peaceful way to start the day, but as I approached the finish line, I was excited to join more than 13,000 runners as we ran up Grand Concourse to Moshulu Parkway and back.
The race was as vivacious as everyone mentioned, with spectators and run club members cheering us on and entertainment including a rap group and marching band hyping us up. After the race, I met up with some friends at 188 Cuchifritos, a classic Puerto Rican restaurant up in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx. The place specializes in pork, so we decided to order their pernil (slow-marinated pork shoulder) with rice and beans—it was revitalizing after what had been a very active morning!
Week 12—Chiangmai Diner (Bushwick)
September 24, 2025
Distance: 16 miles
Sai Oua dish at Chiangmai Diner in Bushwick.
I had procrastinated doing my 16-mile long run for a while, but I eventually convinced myself to do it after work, the first long run I had done starting from the NYRR office. After a loop in the park, I ran to the West Side Highway, taking it all the way down to the Financial District.
Despite countless runs in New York City, I had never run over the Brooklyn Bridge, and I made it a goal to run over all of New York City’s major bridges on this training plan. While the prospect of running over the bridge sounds romantic, I found it much more frustrating and chaotic than I expected, with tourists taking selfies and vendors peddling “I Love NY” T-shirts. After the bridge, I ran through Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy before finishing in Chiangmai Diner, a restaurant in Bushwick that my NYRR colleague Lou had recommended to me.
One of my greatest food discoveries during this training plan was Sai Oua, a Northern Thai specialty that was the spiciest sausage I had ever had in my life—it was both painful and delectable. I cooled down the heat with a butterfly pea lemonade before heading home on the subway on a rainy evening.
Week 14— Randazzo’s Clam Bar (Sheepshead Bay)
October 4, 2025
Distance: 19 miles
Fried calamari at Randazzo's in Sheepshead Bay.
Some of my fondest summer memories in New England often involved a plate of fried seafood near the water, so on this 19-mile run on a warm September day, I dialed up the nostalgia and ran all the way to Sheepshead Bay to check out Randazzo’s Clam Bar. The clam bar, which has been serving Brooklynites since 1932, is known for their fried calamari (colloquially known as galamah in New York-Italian slang) that’s dipped in their legendary hot tomato sauce. I had never been to Sheepshead Bay before, and it felt rewarding to arrive at the water and take in the beautiful views before my meal.
As a calamari obsessive, I was impressed with their galamah—the squid had a nice snap to it, and the batter was spread evenly without overwhelming the flavor of the squid. The batter could have been seasoned a bit more, but the hot tomato sauce compensated for it—tangy and spicy with a hint of sweetness; it was a wonder. I also ordered a plate of their shrimp fra diavolo which also had that spicy sauce layered over spaghetti topped with clams, mussels, and shrimp. Try dipping the galamah in the pasta sauce then eating it with the spaghetti right after.
Week 15—Shake Shack (Upper East Side)
October 12, 2025
Distance: 21 miles
Shack Stack burger and fries at Shake Shack on the Upper East Side.
For the longest run of my training plan, I ran close to three loops around Central Park then over to Shake Shack on 86th Street and 3rd Avenue. Looping Central Park more than once is a reliable way to get into the groove and focus on pace without worrying as much about traffic or how to arrive at your destination. Similarly, I can always depend on Shake Shack to satisfy my craving for a burger and fries.
The decision to run in the park was definitely the right one, as shown by my pace, which was cut by close to a minute compared to my run to Sheepshead Bay. I saw so many other runners who looked like they were training for the marathon—and probably running a similar distance as me—so I didn’t feel so alone on my journey.
After around three loops, I ran over to Shake Shack on the Upper East Side and ordered my favorite burger from their selections: the Shack Stack—a quarter-pound beef patty topped with a ‘Shroom Burger, lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce on a potato bun. I especially enjoyed the ‘Shroom Burger’s crunchy exterior and the melty, gooey cheese pouring out as I bit into it. I also tried their Parmesan Garlic Fries and a Mango Passionade—a perfect accompaniment to the burger. As part of NYRR’s ongoing partnership with Shake Shack, all runners who show their 2025 TCS New York City Marathon bib or medal on November 2 or 3 in the NYC Tri-State area get a free ShackBurger! Plus, NYRR members enjoy a 10% discount all year long with a special code.
That’s it for my marathon training plan food destinations! I’m now beginning to taper for the TCS New York City Marathon on November 2. Thanks for coming with me on this journey and I look forward to seeing you at the finish line!