About 25,000 runners will take to the streets of Miami and Miami Beach this Sunday for the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon. The race starts and ends in downtown Miami and after running for hours, there are going to be some mighty hungry athletes prowling the streets in search of something good to eat.
We say skip the dried out hard bagel at the finish line and limp your tired, drooping body over to one of these restaurants for some well-deserved nourishment. Best part of all? They're all within walking distance of the finish line and they're all casual enough so you can go all sweaty and salty. Eat first, shower later.
Sakaya Kitchen Downtown
Chef/owner Richard Hales will open Sakaya Kitchen Downtown's
doors this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in celebration of the marathon.
Go ahead and splurge on Asian-fusion dishes like chunk'd tots with kalbi
marinated beef ($7.99), short rib tacos ($6.99 for two), or a cracklin'
duck herb sandwich ($7.99). Want something simple to replenish your
dwindled sugar supply? Have a donut (bacon and chocolate yeast, anyone?)
and a cup of Panther coffee.
Damn Good Burger
Directly across the street from the finish line, Damn Good Burger
lives up to its name. Build your own burger, starting with a patty (or
two) made from 100 percent hormone free, antibiotic free, humanely
raised, age and source verified, certified Black Angus beef (single
$4.75, double $6.99). Then add cheese ($.75), bacon ($1.00), and
greenery (free) for a custom burger served on a branded bun (as in
cattle brand). DGB also serves beer -- which is full of the carbs you
sooo need to replenish. Opens 11 a.m. on marathon day.
Croissant D'or
Waddle over to Croissant D'or
for quick sandwiches, lattes, and fresh baked croissants. This
European-inspired cafe is a great place to grab a quick sandwich or
salad, home-made soup, or sweet treat after the race. You deserve a
chocolate croissant, so go ahead! Open 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this
Sunday.
Sparky's Roadside Barbeque
We're runners, so we know that after a race you want decadent food. Would a rack of Sparky's
fall-off-the-bone baby backs and a side of macaroni and cheese do the
trick? You betcha! Finish the half marathon, order a half rack
($12.75). Finish all 26.2 and you deserve to pig out with a full rack of
porky goodness ($22.25). Comes with two sides. Sparky's opens at noon on race
day.
Starbucks
We're adding Starbucks
as a favor to the friends and family waking up at the crack of dawn or
earlier to see you off on your race. Few places in the downtown Miami
area are open as early as Starbucks (they open 7 a.m. on Sunday), so
after they wave you on your way, they might want a cup of coffee, a
scone...and a clean bathroom. Starbucks, 110 SE Third Avenue, Miami.
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