Get Spooked: Halloween Dessert Specials Around Town

While Halloween is not traditionally associated with dining out, some LA restaurants are getting creative with their dessert offerings. Eye ball cakes, worms, and chocolate and cocktail offerings are among the few things you can find. Here are some of the more fun ones:

At Cecconi's, diners can sip the new fall cocktails (or wine, if preferred), paired with five seasonal truffles from Compartes’ Chocolatier Jonathan Grahm. The tasting is available from 7-10 p.m. at Cecconi’s so guests can get their treats pre or post dinner. Guests can reserve their space for $25 prior, or purchase the tasting for $30 the day of. For reservations and more information call (310) 432-2000

Public Kitchen & Bar, located at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, is offering ghostly treats that replicate human body parts (a sight not for the weak!).
Executive Chef Tim Goodell has created eyeball cakes and “finger” cookies that literally look like the real thing. Pumpkin pies are topped with frozen shards of spiced foam.

I tried some of the eye ball cake pops myself and was quite impressed with how they looked!

Kerry Simon’s LA Market Restaurant at the JW
Marriott hotel, is transforming their Junk Food Platter into a sweet
and spooky version of the dessert. The creepy candy wonderland includes
orange and purple coconut snowballs, bat and mummy cake pops, pumpkin-shaped Rice Krispies treats, frosted brownies with worms, candy corn, and caramel
corn parfait.

GIVEAWAY: Dinner With GrubWithUs

If you ever have a hard time finding people to dine out with, or want to meet new people over a meal, Grub With Us is now there for you. Dinners are organized at partner restaurants, sometimes for a specific group ("travel enthusiasts", "entrepeneurs", "young Republicans" - no, really), sometimes just a "social meal". The menu is set beforehand for the whole group and when you sign up for dinner you pay the website in advance (all inclusive of tax and tip). If no dinner strikes your fancy, you can set up your own, but it has to be with a participating restaurant.

I haven't actually tried joining one of these dinners before but I will be this coming Saturday, October 28, and Grub With Us has offered to give away a free spot to one of you too! So join me for dinner with them (the dinner will be open to regular Grub With Us users to sign up per usual)! The place? Starry Kitchen pop up at Tiara Cafe in downtown LA!

If you're not already familiar with it, the menu at this husband and wife run restaurant changes pretty regularly, but the predominantly Southeast Asian dishes are crowd-pleasers. The awesome Singaporean Chili Crab may not be on the group dinner menu, but I'm looking forward to their other stuff.

UPDATE: Change of plans! Since the dinner on Saturday was apparently not set, the giveaway is now changed to credit to any future dinner on Grub With Us. Once you've won you can sign up for an account and browse for upcoming dinners.

To enter to win, leave a comment below with your email contact and answer the following: what type of people (or person) would you want to meet at a dinner like this? 
Oh, and of course, make sure you are free for dinner on Saturday!

The giveaway ends at midnight on Thursday, October 26. Good luck and looking forward to meeting one of you on Saturday!
Because of the changes in the giveaway, I'm extending the deadline to midnight on Saturday, October 27!

Mixology 101 at The Grove (Los Angeles)

The Grove and The Original Farmers Market tend to be occupied by restaurant chains and touristy spots, and Planet Dailies, which is associated with Mixology 101, probably is too. On the other hand, Mixology 101 isn't.

This large and swank bar sits on the second floor right at the border of the Farmers Market and The Grove, and the cocktails are the products of renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, aka "The Maestro" and the one in charge in the day to day operations, LA's Joseph Brooke (formerly of Next Door Lounge and The Edison)

I finally came here for the first time a couple of months ago, tagging along as Shop Eat Sleep's guest.
My first cocktail was fun, refreshing, and absolutely perfect for the summer: Maestro's Special Fizz (Capri Natura Limoncello, lemon sorbet, fresh mint and prosecco - $14)

The Brisa Frances has a unique flavor, made with Mezcal Joven, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, cucumber water, Pernod Absinthe, and salt - $13

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