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What Restaurants Are Scaring Up for Halloween

By Molly Lehman    Published Friday, October 16, 2009

Pastry chef Anthony Chavez’s Eye Scream ($10) features two scoops of pistachio mousse blanketed in Valrhona white chocolate with raspberry-lychee coulis in the form of bloodshot veins.


Skip the tricks this year and go straight for the treats. At these restaurants, you’ll find Halloween specials that bring out your inner kid. Try a monstrous selection of tongues, brains, and eyeballs, go for a poisonous-sounding cocktail—or, for the faint-hearted, dig into a sweet jack-o’-lantern dessert.

2941
Like a Cole Porter song, this Falls Church dining room has its eyes on you—in the form of a frozen, fruit-drizzled dessert. Pastry chef Anthony Chavez’s Eye Scream ($10) features two scoops of pistachio mousse blanketed in Valrhona white chocolate with raspberry-lychee coulis in the form of bloodshot veins. It’s available through the end of October.

Buzz Bakery
Even the most nightmarish night of the year can’t escape the cupcake craze. At this Slaters Lane bakery/cafe, indulge in autumnal flavors ($2.75 each) such as pumpkin, garnished with candied pepitas; caramel apple; and Guinness. This week, pastry chef Josh Short introduces his Ghouls and Goblin cupcakes ($4.25) along with house-made marshmallow ghosts ($1.95 a bag). There are also Halloween cookie kits with cookies, frosting, and sprinkles included ($7.95 each). On October 29 from 3 to 6, kids can decorate cookies and take part in the annual Boo-Fest party, and adults get a free hot cider.

EatBar
On Halloween night, swing by this Clarendon gastropub for some grown-up trick-or-treating. Specialty cocktails include the Poisoned Apple ($9), a blend of Svedka vodka and Apple Pucker in a glass garnished with Pop Rocks and gummy worms. Zombie Punch ($9) features two rums, Triple Sec, and raspberry syrup, while the Bloody Orange Margarita ($10) has Sauza tequila, Triple Sec, lime, and a blood-orange purée. If you’re feeling peckish, try the roundup of Halloween dishes ($5 each) from chef Barry Koslow: deviled eggs, blood sausage over sauerkraut, and tacos with tongue.

The Majestic
This sedate Old Town dining room has a few teeth-rotting goodies up its sleeve this season, such as chef Shannon Overmiller’s Pumpkin-Bloody bundt cake ($7.50) topped with white marzipan ghosts and dripping with red-cherry/port sauce. On Halloween night, the restaurant’s house-made flavored sodas ($3) will be garnished with gummy eyeballs.

Oyamel
In Latin America, El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a three-day holiday that celebrates the lives of deceased relatives with food, candles, and flowers. In DC’s Penn Quarter, the Mexican small-plates restaurant Oyamel extends the tradition to a week. From October 26 to November 1, there’ll be special cocktails, a tamale cart on the patio, and decor that reflects Latin traditions, including marigolds, candles, and an altar. Marigolds reappear on the special Day of the Dead menu (small plates $5 to $7.50), too—in dishes such as sopa de calabaza con carnitas, a butternut-squash soup with cinnamon, habañeros, and fried pork. Or try a Mexico City-inspired tamale with Chihuahua cheese, tomatillo sauce, and roasted poblanos. At the bar, a special cocktail, the Sloe Dead Fizz ($5), is made with Plymouth sloe gin, Presidente Mexican brandy, Chartreuse, lemon juice, and egg white.

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