The annual Cooper River Bridge Run is tomorrow and that’s no April Fool’s joke. People from all over are flocking to the Holy City to participate in the event. But there’s one thing that both amateur and professional runners can agree on: runner’s fatigue is a drag. There’s nothing worse than breathing heavily and not being able to lift your legs because you just didn’t eat enough before the big run. The best way to fuel up for tomorrow is to eat a big, carbohydrate-filled pasta dish tonight. Here are some of the best pasta specials around town.
Sette on Coleman Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant has about 12 pasta dishes on their regular menu, but tonight they’ve got two specials especially for the runners out there. First up is penne a la vodka served with shrimp, pancetta, and basil tomato cream sauce. “This penne a la vodka recipe comes from our chef’s grandfather, and it’s delicious,” says Chris Martin, general manager. Next up is bruschetta over fusilli pasta tossed with sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, and a garlic white wine butter.
On James Island, Mondo’s has plenty of pasta to get your motor running. Our favorite is a hearty beef and mushroom lasagna, but if you want to eat a bit lighter, you can try the seared salmon over risotto with sliced olives and tomato puree. Another appealing special is the pan-roasted red snapper over local beet ravioli with butter, lemon, arugula, and toasted walnuts.
Graze will be catering to its running clientele with two dishes, a farfalle with housemade sausage, fresh tomatoes, and fava beans, and a capellini caprese with shaved garlic chips, Johns Island tomatoes, house-pooled mozzarella, basil, pesto, and extra-virgin olive oil. “The capellini is best suited for the race because it has lots of carbs, and it’s light,” says Graze owner Bradford Bobbitt. If those don’t fire you up, they’ve got five other pasta dishes on the regular menu.
Downtown on Society Street, Muse has striped sea bass on a bed of risotto with asparagus, fennel, and lemon. Or you could opt for the gnocchi gorgonzola: housemade tomato dumplings in a gorgonzola cream with spinach and walnuts; or the tagliatelle bolognese: ribbon pasta in a traditional pork, veal, and beef ragu topped with parmesan.
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