A Table for Two Tired Legs – in Lakewood New Jersey

Jan 8, 2024 by Chef David

By Sam Herreid

As an Alaska-raised runner who likes to run long distances, I have been known to describe my runs as equivalent to a number of marathons. This is normal for me, and I go to work the next day like it was a normal weekend. My friends are desensitized to my high-mileage runs and are hard to impress. I also am a recently minted Orthodox Jew, and because I was vegan in my home, adopting kosher laws has brought little to no sacrifice to my life, except with one outstanding exception. At the end of a long run, let’s say, 5 to more than 24 hours of nonstop running, I allow myself the most delicious vegan cheat: gloriously calorie-dense pizza. My challenge was finding kosher pizza.

A recent 47-mile run to Princeton left me surrounded by the cool  Ivy League energy I came for, but with a very confused, kippah-wearing stomach staring at storefronts selling only treif pizza. This inspired me to refocus my running destinations to both physically and edibly desirable locations. I am not a foodie in any way. By the end of one of these long runs, I could eat a bencher and be ecstatic.

This brings a unique perspective to my pizza reviews.

Mapping My Runs

I live in Bradley Beach, which has a NJ Transit train stop. I don’t own a car. I am also atrocious at keeping to a timetable. One of my favorite weekend activities is waking up well before sunrise on a random whim to run from my front door to some distant town with a train or bus stop. The distance to the town can be anything from 20 to 70 miles without much forethought and the routes are generally a precariously woven mix of minor and major roads where I try to minimize time spent on the side of a highway.

My only goal is grabbing a slice, or two, or three, or four, at my destination, before catching public transportation home.

Pizzaleh

My first destination was Lakewood, New Jersey. The run had three distinct segments: some miles across the Jersey Shore, a tour through the trails of Allaire State Park, and b-lining on roads to Lakewood. I arbitrarily chose to finish my run at Pizzaleh and strolled in after 24 miles of running wearing shorts, a tank top, a backward running hat, and an ultra-vest with water with my more respectable button-down shirt still tucked away.

I definitely did not fit in with the local Lakewood Jewish clientele. I got looks for sure, but received completely friendly service. A sticker on the door showed the symbol for accepting tap payments – they do not. But they do take a credit card, at least, saving this Millennial an annoyed hunt for an ATM machine.

A food article about a reheated slice is what we’re working with here, and it was excellent. No surprise, 5 out of 5.

I put on my button-down shirt, benched, thanked the busy staff, and caught the 317 bus home.

• Distance: 24 miles – a beautiful mix of boardwalk, bike path, trails, and easy road running – 5/5 stars.
• Pizzalah: the cramped seating is a little comical, but the slice was good- 5/5 stars.
• Public Transportation: an easy one-hour direct bus to Asbury Park – 5/5 stars.