Our favorite places for bagels, pizza, pasta, & noodles from a local's perspective
NYC is a foodie destination and runners will have a plethora of amazing restaurants to choose from. How to decide which bagel, pasta, pizza, noodle spots to get our carb-load needs in? We share some of our favorites below. It is by no means an exhaustive list, as there are so many choices, but these are some of our best loved spots as NYC locals.
Bagels
NYC has the best bagels – some say it’s because of the NYC tap water? There are so many bagel shops here, each offering their own spin. It was a challenge to narrow down the list, but we’ll give it a go!
There is always a doubled-up line at this East Village favorite. The bagels here are perfect – plump in size, chewy in texture, with a slightly crackly exterior. Tompkins offers over a dozen bagel flavors, from classics like everything, poppy seed, and cinnamon raisin, to daily specials like French Toast (topped with cinnamon sugar and tastes like dessert!) They also offer a large array of spreads with creative combinations like Roasted Apple Cinnamon, Chipotle Avocado Cream Cheese, and Peanut Butter Nutella. Although the lines are always long, they have an efficient order taking system that allows it to move fairly quickly.
Creative cream cheese options at Tompkins Square Bagels
Black Seed Bagels are hand-rolled and wood-fired, so they are a little bit smaller and denser than your typical NYC bagels. Made in the ‘Montreal style’ (is that a thing?), the bagels are chewier and a bit harder with a slight crispy exterior. They are boiled in water infused with honey for a touch of sweetness. Flavors offered are of the typical variety – everything, wheat, rye, salt. Special fillings include a beet root cured lox, which takes on a pretty rosy hue. Some say this is the best bagel in NYC, so it’s a good thing there are multiple locations located throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Russ & Daughters is an NYC institution, still operating from its original storefront since 1914. Known for their smoked fish, Russ & Daughters also offers bagels, bialys, babka and other baked goods. Join the line of tourists and locals in front of their Houston St location and get their iconic bagel & lox sandwich. Their bagels are slightly smaller but super tasty. For a sit-down meal, head to the Russ & Daughters Café nearby on Orchard St or to additional locations in Hudson Yards and Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Whereas Russ & Daughters is iconic and old world, Sadelle’s is trendy and new. Located in a cavernous, exposed brick space in Soho, Sadelle’s is a fun brunch spot known for serving huge bagel towers and platters of smoked fish. The bagels are surprisingly good and served with accompaniments like cream cheese, tomatoes, capers and cucumbers. They also have a full brunch menu including eggs, sandwiches, soups and salads. Sadelle’s is great for groups, and reservations are definitely needed especially on the weekends.
Popup Bagels seems to be all the rage these days, especially on social media. While it started as a pickup window in Connecticut, Popup Bagels is not actually a popup store anymore. Lines form out the door at their Thompson St location, as bagel lovers queue up for bags of warm soft bagels served with pots of dippable schmear available in flavors like pumpkin spice cream cheese and fruity pebbles.
There are just too many bagel places to feature, but we wanted to mention a few other great bagel spots that we like to hit up when we happen to be in the neighborhood: Leo’s (Financial District), Zucker’s (Tribeca), Murray’s (West Village), Zabar’s, H&H and Absolute Bagels (Upper West Side), Pick A Bagel (Upper East Side), Smith Street Bagels (Brooklyn.)
Pancakes & Waffles
Pancakes and waffles are a decadent way to get those carbs in. Here are some of our favorite breakfast and brunch spots known for these sweet breakfast treats.
Clinton St Baking Company is a small space that offers fluffy stacks of delicious pancakes. Located on (you guessed it!) Clinton St on the Lower East Side, there is always a line on the weekends. Pancakes with warm maple butter are the reason to come here (we LOVE the blueberry pancakes) although the restaurant also offers delectable baked goods and a full brunch menu with indulgent items like buttermilk biscuit sandwich and fried chicken and waffles. Come here on a weekday to avoid the wait.
A Tribeca brunch institution for the last 30 years, Bubby’s offers an expansive pancake menu. Choose from traditional pancakes (jazzed up with toppings like blueberry, caramelized apple & walnuts, chocolate chips and whipped cream), sourdough pancakes, gluten free pancakes, or indulge in a pancake flight. Bubby’s is also known for their delicious pies, which are in high demand during Thanksgiving and even shipped around the country.
Another take on pancakes are the Japanese souffle pancakes, also a social media phenom. These tall, fluffy pancakes have a cloud like texture and are made using egg whites whipped with sugar into a light meringue. Order them with fresh strawberries and cream or try Japanese-inspired flavors like matcha and red bean. Flippers also offers more traditional buttermilk pancakes with yummy flavor combinations like lemon ricotta or blueberry cream cheese.
Pizza
NYC is as famous for its pizza as it is for its bagels. Lovers of thin crust pizza will have much to choose from. Growing in Brooklyn, I loved grabbing a slice from any neighborhood pizzeria. Here are some favorite pizza joints that are popular amongst locals and tourists alike.
John’s Pizzeria (of Bleecker Street)
John’s of Bleecker Street, a pizza establishment since 1929, offers the quintessential NY slice - thin, slightly crispy yet chewy crust, cooked in a coal-fired oven, with the perfect proportion of tomato sauce to cheese. John’s has consistently been ranked among the top 10 pizzerias in the country. It is an old school pizza joint that does not take reservations, but the wait is not too bad, and you can always order to pick up and go. It's worth it!
Named the #1 pizza in the US, Una Pizza Napoletana offers Neapolitan style 12-inch individual pizzas. What some call the perfect pizza dough is handcrafted into a paper-thin crust with bubbly, puffy edges when baked in a wood fired oven. This hard-to-get restaurant in the Lower East Side is only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings so book early on Resy to snag a table. You can also try lining up well before their 5pm open.
Rubirosa is a neighborhood favorite located on Mulberry St in Nolita, serving up consistently good pizzas and Italian-American classics like spaghetti with meatballs and lasagna. Rubirosa is known for its tie dye pizza, a unique combination featuring vodka sauce, tomato, pesto, and fresh mozzarella. Come to this dimly lit, somewhat loud, restaurant for good meals lunch or dinner.
Lucali is a small, 30 seat restaurant in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens that does not take reservations. But that does not stop pizza lovers from lining up outside 2 hours before open to get a taste of this Neapolitan style pizza. The light, thin, chewy crust is topped with the freshest high-quality ingredients, from the rich tomato sauce to the aromatic bunches of fresh basil, all put together with a labor of love. Only pizzas and calzones are offered on the menu in this BYOB spot.
L&B is a Brooklyn institution, serving up pizza slices and pies since 1939. Their specialty is the Sicilian pie, thicker square slices that are more bready and substantial than the traditional thin crust pies (great for carb loading!) Take the subway into Bensonhurst, walk up to the window to order a slice, or head into the restaurant for a proper sit-down meal. Don’t forget to finish the meal with spumoni, the traditional Italian ice/ice cream-y dessert!
Other legendary pizza places include: Patsy's Pizzeria (Upper East Side and Upper West Side), Mama's Too (Upper West Side), Lombardi's (Nolita), Grimaldi's (Brooklyn), Roberta's (Brooklyn), Di Fara Pizza (Brooklyn), L'Industrie (Brooklyn), and so many more than we would ever have room for in this blog!
Pasta
NYC has no shortage of fantastic Italian restaurants – everything from your neighborhood pasta place serving up Italian-American fare to upscale Michelin star restaurants helmed by famous chefs. We list a few of our favorites spots that we have frequented over the years below.
L’Artusi is a popular Italian restaurant in the West Village, and our personal favorite in NYC. We have never had a bad dish here, as everything is executed perfectly – from al dente pastas to thinly sliced crudo to crispy tender branzino. Pastas here are straightforward but delicious – from the Tagliatelle Bolognese to the Bucatini with tomato and pancetta, and even simple Spaghetti with garlic and chilies is done extremely well. L’Artusi has been open for over a decade now, but still tough to get in – book ahead on Resy or if you are willing to wait or go early, they also take walk-ins at their long counter bar.
Locanda Verde is a Tribeca hotspot serving up rustic Italian fare. We always order the fresh sheep’s milk ricotta here with crusty toasted bread (though you may want to avoid dairy the night before the race!) Other standouts are their house-made pastas, which rotate according to season, and might feature pumpkin ravioli or mushroom agnolotti. Located in the Greenwich hotel co-owned by Robert De Niro, Locanda Verde has a dark, comfortable, lively vibe that makes for a great meal with friends.
Uva Next Door is located next door to...original Uva on the Upper East Side. Uva Next Door is an unpretentious neighborhood spot that offers delicious cocktails, Amalfi-style pizzas, and a menu of house-made pastas made fresh daily. We ate here the night before our NYC Marathon and found it to be perfect in flavor and portions. They were accommodating to menu changes (no cheese on pastas) and they even offer vegan pastas like fusilli primavera; homemade gluten free pasta is also available upon request.
Felice has a series of restaurants with locations throughout NYC - on 56th St in Midtown East, 64th St and 83rd St on the UES, 71st St on the UWS, Hudson St in West Village, and Gold St and Water St in downtown FiDi - making it a convenient choice for carb-loaders everywhere during marathon weekend. The expansive menu features rustic Tuscan fare, so think lots of comforting hearty dishes (like fettucine alla bolognese), rich in flavor, and made with fresh ingredients. The multiple locations make it easier to snag a reservation!
Il Buco Alimentari is a offshoot of the original Il Buco restaurant on Bond St. Il Buco Alimentari offers simple, rustic, Italian fare using high quality ingredients sourced from local independent producers or from Italy. Menu items include house-baked bread and pastries, antipasti like crispy artichokes and heirloom tomatoes, and straightforward pastas like bucatini cacio e pepe and carbonara. The space also houses an Italian market where you can take their fresh baked breads, house-cured salumi, and imported Italian cheeses home.
Lilia is a Brooklyn fave – offering handcrafted pastas and wood-fired seafood from Chef Missy Robbins, who hails from lauded, Michelin starred restaurants like Spiaggia in Chicago and A Voce in Manhattan. The fluffy pillowy agnolotti is a must-get, alongside grilled clams as a starter. This casual chic restaurant has a lot of hype so may be difficult to book, but a few seats are held for walk-ins every night so go early to get a spot!
Other outstanding Italian restaurants include: Marea (Central Park South), Sant Ambreous (Upper East Side), dell'anima (Hell's Kitchen), Malatesta (West Village), I Sodi (West Village), Frankie's (Brooklyn.)
Noodles & Rice
For those who prefer to carb-load gluten-free, or simply want more variety, we suggest rice and noodles as an alternative. NYC has plenty of options here, as ramen-mania has landed on practically every other block in the city, especially downtown.
Momofuku Noodle Bar was the OG noodle joint in the East Village at the beginning of Chef David Chang’s food empire. While many ramen and noodle shops have cropped up in recent years, we return to this one time and time again. The broths are flavorful, the noodles cooked to the right chewy bouncy texture, and the chashu pork melt in your mouth. Although we have seen iterations of the pork belly bao on many menus since we first had them here, we think Momofuku still do it best. No reservations are taken for the communal tables or bar counter seats, so get here midday or early evening to snag a spot without the wait. There is also a newer location midtown in Columbus Circle that takes reservations.
Ivan Ramen offers a more fusion-y menu than traditional ramen shops. It is the brainchild of Ivan Orkin, who was born in Long Island, moved to Japan, became obsessed with ramen, and opened successful ramen shops in Tokyo before coming back to the States. The menu features traditional items like tonkotsu ramen alongside eclectic fusion items like wagyu pastrami buns. There is a vegan option as well as a decadent triple pork, triple garlic mazeman (brothless ramen) featuring rye noodles and pork belly two ways. The Lower East Side location is bright and fun.
Ippudo offers more traditional Japanese ramen. A NY offshoot of a Japanese chain, the original Ippudo near Union Square had lines out the door when it first opened. Since then, they have opened 2 other NYC locations (Midtown West and Fifth Avenue.) It is all about the broth here, and they are known for the richness of their thick tonkotsu broth, simmered for hours and hours. House-made noodles retain their springy, bouncy texture ,and combine with the rich broth to create a hearty meal that will keep you warm and full.
As an alternative to noodles and pasta, rice is a simple carb that is easy to digest and gentle on the system. Congee – rice porridge that is often eaten at breakfast in Cantonese households – offers a flavorful way to eat rice. Whenever we have a hankering for a big bowl of something warm and soothing, we head to Congee Village on Allen St in the East Village. The vast menu offers 30 varieties of congee, from traditional pork and preserved egg (salty and savory), and chicken and mushroom, to more adventurous items like abalone and frog for the adventurous foodie. Congee Village is actually a full Chinese restaurant with a large menu so if congee is not your thing, feel free to choose from more traditional Chinese dishes.
Sushi is actually a great way to get simple carbs and high-quality protein in, provided you trust the source and you have had it prior to your long runs. (Molly Seidel apparently ate raw fish and rice in the week leading up to her Olympic Bronze medal win!) Kanoyama is an East Village staple that serves up melt-in-your-mouth fresh sushi, using fish imported daily from Japan, Maine, and California. Most notably, for sushi of this quality, Kanoyama is a Michelin starred restaurant that does not break the bank.
We felt compelled to include Nakazawa, as we consider this the best sushi restaurant in NYC. Chef Nakazawa was once featured in ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’ (about Jiro Ono, considered the world's greatest sushi chef) and has since opened own his own place in the West Village. Fresh, expertly prepared pieces of nigiri sushi are served one at a time, to fully enjoy the experience of each type of fish. There are no creative rolls filled with spicy mayo and cream cheese here – the fish is the star, and the only thing done to it might be a light torching to add a smoky flavor. The best seats are at the sushi counter, where you can watch the sushi masters at work on their craft. Nakazawa is an omakase treat, so we may recommend this as a celebratory dinner rather than a night-before-marathon meal.
Sweets & Pastries
There are so many pastry shops to choose from, as well as nationwide bakery chains that originated in NYC. We include just a few of our favorites below.
Veneiro’s has been around since 1894 and continues to serve up some of the best Italian pastries in the city. We have been coming here since we were teenagers, and little has changed (in a good way!) Head to the East Village, take a number from the dispenser, get in line and wait for your number to be called. Then try to control yourself from ordering everything – from the vast selection of mini pastries (mini fruit tarts, mini eclairs, mini cheesecakes) sold by the pound, to their delicious mille-feuille layered with fresh strawberries and decadent whipped cream. They also have a café with seating next door, where you can order coffees and pastries to be enjoyed at your leisure.
Mini pastries at Veneiro's
I remember when Milk Bar first opened up in that tiny space next to Momofuku Ssam Bar (back then my absolute favorite restaurant in all of NYC.) Cristina Tosi’s indulgent desserts immediately stood out for their fun and nostalgia. Known for their crack pie (since renamed to the more appropriate Milk Bar Pie), multi-layered funfetti cakes, and birthday cake truffle balls, Milk Bar has expanded nationwide with multiple locations throughout NYC, DC, LA, and Vegas.
La Cabra is an acclaimed Nordic coffee company, known for their exacting sourcing and roasting method, that has landed in NYC's East Village and Soho. They are known for their cardamom buns, which has elicited long lines of 30 minute waits for one of these fragrant creations. In addition to cardamom buns, La Cabra also offers sweet and savory croissants, pastry tarts, canele and Danish rye and sourdough breads.
Levain, the original carb-loading cookie, originated on the Upper West Side in NYC. Created by two women triathletes who wanted a delicious way to get those carbs in, Levain offers giant cookies the size of a baseball with the perfect texture - crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, with a gooey dose of melty chocolate chips. We love the original chocolate chip walnut and the peanut butter lover in us cannot resist the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie. These are decadent cookies (it may take you more than one sitting to finish one) and perfect for carb-loading.
The initial Magnolia Bakery on the corner of West 10th and Bleecker that started the cupcake craze has grown into a national chain and international sensation. Known for their rich buttercream frosting in pastel colors atop a plain vanilla cake base, Magnolia cupcakes are the classic cupcakes. The stores also offer their popular banana pudding and other cake variations like confetti cakes and red velvet cakes. There are now 8 locations throughout NYC, so you can indulge your cupcake fancies wherever!
Located in the trendy Meatpacking district, Chelsea Market is a food lover's dream, with multiple restaurants and stalls inside this expansive multi-level space. In addition to all kinds of food options from fresh seafood to tacos to noodles, there are several shops here that offer sweet treats for any palate. Fat Witch Bakery offers the yummiest brownies, blondies and bars that can be smelled the moment you walk in. Amy's Bread offers a large assortment of fresh baked goods including breads, cakes, cookies and muffins. Head to Bar Suzette for sweet and savory crepes made to order, or Doughnuttery for hot, fresh, mini sugared donuts. Take a walk through this market and discover other carb-loading havens like Alf Bakery, Li-lac Chocolates, Black Seed Bagels, and Economy Candy.
Enjoy your carb-loading! It will be put to good use during those 26.2+ miles!
For advice on exactly how much to carb-load, check out our post on marathon nutrition from sports dietician Lydia Nader here.
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