Celebrate Halloween at These Area Eateries
This Halloween some of the DMV’s most popular restaurants will celebrate Halloween with costume contests as well as festive food and drink specials.
Ambar will feature a Halloween-themed sandwich with organic slaw mix, breaded smoked gouda cheese, ajvar emulsion and roasted pumpkin cubes on gluten free bread topped shaped and decorated with the face of a jack-o-lantern from Oct. 26-Nov. 1. (Photo: Ambar)
Ambar, 523 Eighth St. SE, introduced lunch service on Oct. 13 and will feature a Halloween-themed sandwich made with organic slaw mix, breaded smoked gouda cheese, ajvar emulsion and roasted pumpkin cubes served on gluten free bread topped with house-made tartar sauce. The sandwich is shaped and decorated with the face of a jack-o-lantern. It will be available from Oct. 26-Nov. 1 for $6.
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, 801A Ninth St. NW, will offer a candy corn martini made from a combination of vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps, Crème de Cacao and fresh orange juice garnished with candy corn. The seasonal drink is $10 and available through the remainder of October.
Cuba Libre is serving a candy corn martini the rest of October. (Photo: Cuba Libre)
Head to El Centro D.F., 1819 14th St. NW and 1218 Wisconsin Ave. NW, to get into the Halloween spirit with festive decorations beginning Oct. 12 as well as parties on Oct. 30 and 31 at both locations. The festivities will kick off at 9 p.m. in Georgetown and 10 p.m. at 14th Street. Guests will enjoy spooky decorations, classic Mexican cocktails and a costume and social media contest. The winner at each restaurant will receive a $75 gift certificate for that location. Also, El Centro will offer its siesta menu at the bar featuring classic Mexican fare with dishes such as chicken flautas; the El Centro Dog, a bacon-wrapped hot dog with Mexican slaw, black bean purée and habanero mustard; jalapeño beef and chorizo sliders; vegetarian tacos; and nachos. Dishes range from $4.50-$7. Both restaurants will also serve a blood orange margarita made with tequila blanco, blood orange puree, fresh lime juice, house-made sour mix, agave nectar and black salt rim garnished with a candy insect for $10.
The Hay-Adams’ bar, Off the Record, 800 16th St. NW, has a special treat for guests from Oct. 29-31. The bar will be serving Vampire Vineyard’s recent gold medal-winning 2013 California Cabernet Sauvignon, a full bodied smooth sipper with blackberry and dark cherry aromas and just the right amount of oak flavor. For those who prefer something a bit less blood curdling, Vampire Vineyard’s 2013 California Chardonnay is crisply refreshing with rich creamy flavors of peach, apple and lemon. Both wines are $15 per glass or $55 a bottle.
Magnolia’s on King, 703 King St, Alexandria, will celebrate Old Town’s reputation as one of the most haunted cities in America. From Oct. 27-Nov. 1, the restaurant will serve a spooky cocktail, Spirits of Alexandria’s Passed. The seasonal drink is a twist on George Washington’s famed Cherry Bounce, a brandy-based drink popular in the 18th century. It is made with a combination of house-made spiced sour cherry syrup, Calvados Bushnell Vieille Reserve VSOP, Old Overholt rye and garnished with a brûléed orange spiced with clove. It is $14.
Magnolia’s on King will serve the Spirits of Alexandria Passed from Oct. 27-Nov. 1. (Photo: Magnolia’s on King)
Masa 14, 1825 14th St. NW, will also celebrate with a bottomless Mexican Halloween brunch for $39 for adults and $10 for children under 10 on Oct. 31. Brunch will be served form 10 a.m-3 p.m., and diners are encouraged to dress up for a chance to enter Masa 14’s best costume challenge and social media contest. Two winners will be named on Nov. 2 for best costume. Winners will receive a $75 gift certificate. Brunch includes unlimited brunch drinks, salads, eggs, sandwiches, sweets and sides. Bottomless brunch must be ordered for the entire table. Brunch items can also be ordered a la carte from $4-$13. The restaurant is also serving a blood orange margarita made with tequila blanco, blood orange puree, fresh lime juice, house-made sour mix, agave nectar and black salt rim garnished with a candy insect for $10.
Republic, 6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park, will celebrate this Halloween with a Three Headed Monster Weekend. Starting on Oct. 30, the restaurant will host the return of its popular Final Friday music line-up, featuring: grungy pop punk band Lilac Daze, garage rock band Shirt/Pants and a third mystery headliner that will be announced the week of the show. Music starts at 10 p.m. On Halloween, restaurant brings back their annual costume contest. Music and drinks will be mixed all night with Tony Grasso on stage and a zombie killer punch made with Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, house-made vanilla coconut milk, lemon syrup, whole oranges, angostura bitters, house-made wormwood bitters, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, cinnamon sticks and whole anise. The costume contest starts at 11 p.m. and the winner will receive a $250 gift certificate, with two runners up receiving $50 gift certificates. The party starts at 10 p.m. The restaurant will also host a Day of the Dead Hangover Brunch from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Nov. 1. Republic will serve regular brunch with Mexican-influenced food specials and special pours of beer and beer cocktails from Denizen’s. Dishes include house-made chorizo chilaquiles; elotes locos, grilled corn with cotija cheese, paprika and lime; and churros with Mexican chocolate.
Station 4, 1101 Fourth St.SW, will have Great Lakes Brewing’s Oktoberfest on draft along with three seasonal bottled beers including the Dogfish Head Brewery’s Pumpkin Ale, Bell’s Brewery’s English Brown Ale and Evil Genius Beer’s Trick or Treat. The beers are $7 throughout October, and $5 on Oct. 31.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.
