Pumpkin spice is back with a vengeance, which can only mean one thing: Halloween is on the way.
For the goth at heart, the spooky season is the happiest time of the year. If you're looking for a more entertaining way to celebrate your dark side than handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, you're in luck. There are festive food and drink happenings all October long. Pick a tour, make a dinner reservation, and get ready to creep it real.
Boulevard goes all out around Halloween (Courtesy of Boulevard)
An Over-The-Top Halloween at Boulevard
Just south of Market, Boulevard goes all out for Halloween, transforming its Belle Époque building into a fully immersive, eerie experience. Starting October 6th, the restaurant comes alive with spooky décor and fall-inspired elements. Expect a lively, whimsical atmosphere paired with specialty cocktails, seasonal bar bites, and playful surprises. The menu is designed to put you in the mood with dishes and drinks such as Witch’s Brew (bay scallop aguachile, blue corn crisps), Dracula's Dog (boudin noir, brioche blanket, mustard), and Ox Blood (beet arancini, Humboldt Fog goat cheese). On Halloween night, they will feature a special menu and even a “trick-or-treat” surprise for guests who arrive in costume. // 1 Mission St. (SoMa), boulevardrestaurant.com
A Murder Mystery at Carlotta's
Carlotta’s Cocktail & Wine Bar, the chic hideaway inside the boutique Hotel Julian, transforms into a scene of suspense with unforgettable murder mystery night Midnight at the Masquerade on October 30th. Guests will become part of the plot as professional actors from The Murder Mystery Co. guide the evening through deception, drama, and discovery. Guests are encouraged to go all out with noir-inspired looks such as femme fatale dresses and trench coats. Tickets are $69 (plus taxes and fees) and include two non-alcoholic “mystery” cocktails and reception-style food offerings. A full dinner menu and the complete bar program will also be available for purchase. // 940 Sutter St. (Lower Nob Hill), carlottassf.com
Camper English leads the Bar & Cocktail History Hop(Courtesy of the Bar & Cocktail History Hop)
A Sinister Cocktail Tour
For a look at the truly sinister side of San Francisco, join the Bar & Cocktail History Hop. Acclaimed local cocktail writer and historian Camper English leads you on a meandering path from the Financial District through the heart of the Barbary Coast, ending in a classic North Beach bar with a cocktail, of course. Along the way, you'll learn about some of the creepiest, most colorful, and most notorious characters and periods of SF’s cocktail history, including drinks spiked with opium, infamous "shanghaiers," murderous gangs, and debauched dance halls with "pretty waiter girls" who took commissions on drinks, dances, and more. Be sure to ask about Cobweb Palace, a bar with a swearing parrot and a host of other live animals, cobwebs covering the "art" on the walls, and whaling bric-a-brac. Tickets are $55, include a drink, and are available Saturdays through the end of October.
A Pumpkin Sundae at Humphry Slocombe
For the sweet side of spooky, Humphry Slocombe is featuring a fa-boo-lous housemade cinnamon waffle bowl with a scoop of pumpkin galette ice cream (pumpkin spice ice cream with galette pieces swirled with ribbons of caramel), topped with torched, housemade cinnamon marshmallow fluff. The sundae is available at all their Bay Area scoop shops (except Redwood City) and will be offered throughout the month or while supplies last. // Multiple locations, humphryslocombe.com/
Saluhall is throwing a gothic feast to celebrate Halloween.(Courtesy of Saluhall)
A Gothic Feast at Saluhall
Saluhall will host A Gothic Feast: A Culinary Adventure in Darkness on October 18th. It's a class, a meal, and an experience designed to make you scream with delight. The moody and dark menu is composed of black sesame-crusted crackers paired with bloody-glazed beetroot, followed by midnight-black squid ink pasta tossed with spicy ‘nduja sausage and sweet cherry tomatoes. Quench your vampire thirst with a mysterious herbal cooler infused with activated charcoal, then indulge in the brooding richness of a deep, dark chocolate cake gilded with ruby-red pomegranate seeds. Tickets are $145 per person. // 945 Market St. (Downtown), saluhallmarket.com
An Immersive Halloween Pop-Up Bar
The annual Halloween pop-up bar Black Lagoon promises an unforgettable experience with its metal goth-inspired atmosphere and a brand-new cocktail menu. Taking place at Sea Star from October 6th through November 2nd, this year’s lineup includes hauntingly delicious cocktails such as Griselda’s Revenge, the Nocturna Colada, and the Corpse Flower, each crafted to convey the spirit of Halloween. Come dressed as your favorite nightmare. // 2289 3rd St. (Dogpatch), theseastarsf.com
Tony's Beetlejuice-inspired pizza(Courtesy of Tony's Pizza Napoletana)
A Beetlejuice-Inspired Pie at Tony's Pizza Napoletana
On Halloween, head to North Beach’s Tony’s Pizza Napoletana and you won't have to say "Beetlejuice" three times to order a special themed New York-style pizza on Halloween—just once will do. Their dastardly, dark, and hypnotic spider web pie—which comes topped with black garlic, agave pesto, purple potatoes, feta, Old Smokehouse bacon, and mozzarella—is sure to keep the ghosts and vampires away. // 1570 Stockton St. (North Beach), tonyspizzanapoletana.com
A Gourmet Ghost Tour in North Beach
No matter how much time you've spent in the city, you likely haven't heard about all the ghosts and spirits haunting North Beach. Stretchy Pants North Beach Gourmet Ghost Tour takes you back to the "homicide epidemic" of the Gold Rush era, to meet the unfortunate murder victims who have since been sighted and even reported on in local newspapers. On a walking tour that takes you up Columbus Avenue and meanders through alleys and back streets, you'll dine on Italian classics at some of the neighborhood's favorite haunts. Tickets are $99 for a full tour, which includes stops for three courses and dessert. Tours take place Thursdays and Saturdays, with an extra tour on Halloween.
An Evening to Die For at The Westin St. Francis
The Westin St. Francis is offering Murder Mystery Dinner: An Evening to Die For on Friday, October 24th at 7pm. Guests will enjoy a decadent three-course meal and handcrafted cocktails in the opulent St. Francis Suite, which will be transformed into a one-night-only “whodunit," complete with suspects, motives, and surprise twists. The luxurious Prohibition-era inspired dinner will include The Red Velvet Racket (roaring beet carpaccio with heirloom tomato, whipped goat cheese, candied figs, and champagne vinaigrette), The Oscar Hit (prime filet mignon over garlic potato purée with grilled asparagus, Dungeness crab, and golden hollandaise), and The Speakeasy Bombe (dark chocolate shell filled with bourbon mousse, salted caramel, and finished with gold leaf). Tickets are $150 per person and include dinner and two drinks. Costumes and vintage-inspired attire are encouraged, and guests are invited to extend their experience with 10 percent off an overnight stay. Ask about staying in the infamous and possibly haunted suite in which Al Jolson died during a late-night poker game and Fatty Arbuckle was (or wasn't) involved in the mysterious death of an actress // 2335 Powell St. (Union Square), westinstfrancis.com
