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Halloween 2013: Candy and wine pairings, free pancakes, cocktail specials and more

There are plenty of places around town celebrating Halloween with food and drink specials.
(Matthew Mead / Associated Press )
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Halloween is the perfect excuse to down mounds of candy, sip down ghoul-inspired cocktails and eat your fill of pumpkins. Throw in your favorite costume and you’re ready for a night of spooky indulgence. Here are some places around town offering freebies, specials, music and costume contests:

Freebies

Burger Lounge is getting in the Halloween spirit with free kids meals. On Halloween, kids 12 and under get the Kid’s Lounge Meal of a small cheeseburger or chicken tenders, fries or salad and a soft drink for free. Visit burgerlounge.com for locations.

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Participating IHOP restaurants are offering a free Scary Face Pancake on Halloween for children 12 and under from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The design-your-own Scary Face Pancake includes a large signature buttermilk pancake with a whipped topping mouth and strawberry nose. It also comes with two mini Oreo cookies and candy corn so kids can decorate their own pancakes. Visit ihop.com for locations.

Specials

33 Taps will offer some Halloween inpsired specials on Halloween night. A Graveyard Martini is made with Vanilla Absolut, Kahlua, amaretto, whipped cream and topped with an Oreo cookie “dirt” and gummy worms; the Pumpkin Hummus Flatbread with be made with pumpkin hummus, caramelized onions, sliced apples, bacon and Fontina cheese; and Jack’s Spooky Turkey Chili with turkey, pumpkin, black bean chili and pumpkin spice. 6263 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, 90028, (323) 962-1400, 33taps.com.

Bigfoot West will have a Haunted Halloween event on Halloween night. Patrons are asked to dress in costumes for a contest judged by party guests. Submissions will be accepted from 9 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Winners will share $450 in Bigfoot Bucks, redeemable at any of the six 1933 Group bars (La Cuevita, Sassafras, Thirsty Cow, Oldfield’s, Bigfoot West, Bigfoot Lodge). DJ Sum will spin classic Halloween tunes and ‘80s dance party music throughout the evening. Bigfoot West opens at 5 p.m. 10939 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, 90064, (310) 287-2200, bigfootwest.com.

Bouchon Bakery in Beverly Hills is baking up some special Halloween treats through Thursday. Specials include pumpkin short bread cookies, pumpkin cupcakes, devil’s food cupcakes, TKO Bat sandwich cookies and mini blood orange macaroons. 235 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, 90212, (310) 271-9910, bouchonbakery.com.

The Chinatown Dim Sum Crawl will take place Halloween night from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., followed by an optional after party. Guests will be able to sample food from Golden Dragon, Hop Woo, Chego and Starry Kitchen. Beer pairings curated by Chinatown’s craft beer pub Melody Lounge will also be provided. Kirin frozen beer, currently available at Dodger Stadium, will also be available. Those in costume will get to try special “Dishes of Horror” such as pickled chicken feet or sweetbreads. Tickets are $60 per person but you can enter the promotional code DAILYDISH to receive $10 off. 939 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, https://chinatownla.ticketbud.com/dimsumcostumedcrawl.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill will continue its Boorito fundraiser this year on Halloween. Customers dressed in a costume will receive a burrito, bowl, salad or order of tacos for $3 from 4 p.m. until closing. Proceeds from the fundraiser up to $1 million will benefit the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which supports sustainable agriculture, family farming, and culinary education. Chipotle.com for locations.

The Dog Haus location in Old Town Pasadena is hosting an ‘80s prom Halloween and third-anniversary party Saturday. There will be live music from the M80s, an ‘80s cover band, a costume contest, prom pictures, the LA Breakers Dance troup and DJ L.E.X. and DJ Captain Kirk will be spinning on site. The full menu will be available inside while a limited menu will be served in the Biergarten (cash only), including the Haus Dogs (special all-beef skinless dogs), chili cheese dog, cheese dog and Dirt Bag (Fritos, haus chili, hausmade cheese sauce and diced onion). Entrance is free, but a $5 suggested donation will go to benefit the Dog Haus Running Club. Festivities will take place from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. with live performances from 7:30 to 10 p.m. 93 E. Green St., Pasadena, 91105, (626) 683-0808, doghaus.com.

FIG & OLIVE Melrose Place has teamed with Veuve Clicquot for a “Yellow” party on Halloween. Chef Pascal Lorange has created a three-course prix-fixe dinner ($45) along with some new fall à la carte dishes. Menu items include lobster bisque, beef carpaccio, octopus a la Gallega, pumpkin sage ravioli, Chilean sea bass, smoked rosemary lamb chops and chocolate pot de crème. Dinner will take place from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The “Yellow” party will begin at 9:30 p.m. with music by DJ Julien Nolan, Halloween cocktails and party favors. Reservations are recommended. 8490 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, 90069, (310) 360-9100, figandolive.com.

A Halloween night zombie bar crawl will take place at Seven Grand, Cana Rum Bar, Las Perlas, Broadway Bar, Cole’s, Golden Gopher, Casey’s, Tony’s, 4100 Bar and Honey Cut. Each location will feature a $5 punch for all guests dressed as zombies. There will also be an Instagram contest. If you Instagram a picture of yourself wearing a costume with a bartender behind you at as many of the participating bars as you can, using the #213ZombieCrawl, people who visit the most bars will be entered into the running for best costume. Winners will be chosen November 1. The First place winner will receive $666, second place, $666 in free drinks and third place $66 in free drinks.

The Hudson is hosting a Halloween bash Saturday with cocktails, a photo booth with Halloween props and costumes and party favors. Guests who come in costume and check in on Facebook will be eligible to win prizes. The party will rage from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The bar has also prepared cocktail specials, Saturday through Nov. 1 with a Devil’s Own made with Kettle One, sweet and dry vermouth, orange juice, Grand Marnier and orange bitters and a Spiked Cider made with george Dickel rye whiskey, apple cider, lemon juice and grenadine. For brunch, the Bloodiest Mary is $6 and made with the classic Hudson Bloody Mary, a salt and pepper rim and a bacon strip garnish. 1114 N. Crescent Heights Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 654-6686, thehudsonla.com.

La Cuevita will hold both Halloween and Day of the Dead events through Nov. 2. During Happy Hour from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. “The Poison Affair” punch will be $4. 5922 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, 90042, (323) 255-6871, lacuevitabar.com.

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Lucques will have a special Halloween supper on Sunday with a pre-fixe meal for $45. Dishes include a spooky pumpkin soup with mascarpone, black salt and toasted pepitas; pan-seared barramundi with saffron potatoes, boo-uillabaisse broth and rouille or beef cheek ghoul-ash with potato puree, roasted peppers and paprika creme fraiche; and caramel nut tart with bittersweet chocolate, fleur de sel and coffee ice-scream. Reservations are recommended. 847 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 90069, (323) 655-6277, www.lucques.com.

Melisse will serve a special Halloween-inspired menu on Halloween night prepared by chef Josiah Citrin in addition to the regular menu. Dishes include an amuse, followed by squash ravioli with black sage, pomegranate and mushroom broth; Hokkaido scallop with cauliflower, apples, black walnuts and bitter greens; potato crusted Rhode Island skate wing with potato gnocchi, Bloomsdale spinach, brown butter Chardonnay; Wagyu beef flat iron steak with potato and Parmesan galette, slow roasted carrots, herb jus or devil’s gulch quail with charred turnip, broccoli, quinoa and rabbit tobacco. For dessert, dark chocoalte, peanut butter and coffee. The menu is $75 per person. For reservations, call and specify that you are reserving for the Halloween menu. 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 90401, (310) 395-0881, melisse.com.

Mo-Chica will have specials on Halloween. From 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. customers in costume will receive a free welcome shot. There will also be a $25 open bar featuring Peruvian Pisco Halloween punch, Peruvian beer and house wines. From 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. guests will receive 20% off the entire bill. If you’re in costume you can enter the costume contest, participate in the dance competition and win gift certificates and spooky gift bags. 517 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, 90014, (213) 622-3744, .

Paiche will host a 666 night for Halloween. From 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. there will be a $25 open bar with special cocktails, beer and house wine. From 9 p.m. to midnight, a 666 menu will feature 6 dishes for $6 each. There will be a raffle and a costume contest. Mixologist Deysi Alvarez will give a one-hour mixology class and Ricardo Lopez will give a one-hour cooking class. 13488 Maxella Ave., Marina Del Rey, 90292, (310) 893-6100, www.paichela.com.

Picca is hosting Picca-boo night on Halloween with drink specials. There will be free welcome shots for those dressed in costume, $20 open bar for people who ate dinner at Picca earlier in the evening and a $25 open bar to the general public from 9 to 11 p.m. Open bar includes Pisco Halloween punch, Peruvian beer and house wines. There will be a costume contest, a “Thriller” dance competition and bobbing for apples. Prizes will include 20% off a New Year’s Eve dinner, spooky gift bags and a surprise grand prize. 9575 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90035, (310) 277-0133, www.piccaperu.com.

Ray’s and Stark Bar at LACMA is hosting the Wurst Halloween Party Ever on Monday with food, drinks and a deep-fried, stuffed whole hog’s head. Arrive in the worst costume and you get a prize. Guests can munch on weisswurst, braunschweiger, bratwurst and more and sip on a Dragon’s Tail cocktail ($7) made with blended scotch, allspice, dram, lime and bitters or the Blood Sucking Brady Bunch ($7) with rum, Calvados, Velvet, Falernum, lemon juice and Angostrua Bitters. There will also be $5 beer and $6 wine specials. The festivities will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. with the hog’s head carving at and the costume contest at 9:30. The cost is $25 per person for all you can eat and $9 to $12 for individual small plates. Reservations are recommended. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036, (323) 857-6780, raysandstarkbar.com.

Thirsty Crow will throw a dead celebrity party Halloween night. Dress as your favorite dead celebrity and walk a red carpet to pick up an Oscar for best costume. The winners will be chosen by the Thirsty Crow bar staff. During the festivities a Thirsty Cow Blood Punch will be $5 a drink. The party starts at 9 p.m., doors open at 5. 2939 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90026, (323) 661-6007, thirstycrowbar.com.

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Tortilla Republic is hosting its second annual Boo Ball on Halloween night with specialty drinks and bites to go along with the West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval. There will be a photo booth and cocktail specials, including the TR Witches Brew and a Mexican tapas menu from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., and a DJ will spin throughout the evening. Food items include shrimp cakes with chipotle aioli, TR sliders with American Wagyu beef and seared albacore tuna bites with ancho chili-crusted albacore, mango and salted chili lime. 616 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, 90069, (310) 657-9888, tortillarepublic.com.

Vintage Enoteca will host its fourth annual Halloween candy and wine tasting event on Wednesday and Thursday. Featured pairings include Runts and Nerds with Verdejo: Buil and Gine “Nosis,” Rueda, Spain, 2011; Tootsie Rolls and Charleston Chews with Tempranillo: Bodegas Saenz de Santamaria Crianza Rondan, Rioja, Spain, 2009; Chunky and Heath Bars with Primitivo: Vini Menhir “Primo,” Puglia, Italy, 2010; Pop Rocks and Good & Plentys with Pascal Bellier “Reverie” Brut Rose, NV, Loire Valley, France. The cost is $30 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Each pairing is a 2½-ounce pour of wine and an individual bowl of candy beginning at 7 p.m. 7554 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90046, (323) 512-5278, vintageenoteca.com.

If we’ve missed a killer event, let us know in the comments below.

Want to know about cool foodie events before your friends? Follow me on Twitter: @Jenn_Harris_

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