1. Sprinkles: Although they serve their pumpkin flavored cupcake all year round, there’s no better time to treat yourself to this sweet than during Halloween. The cinnamon cream cheese frosting makes this to die for. October 23-31 they will also feature their Boo box with special sugar toppings and a BOO sticker.

2. Yogurt Stop: This West Hollywood frozen yogurt cafe always outdoes itself both in flavor and Weho friendly flavor names. Their Pumpkin Party Patch is no exception. This is one of, if not the best-tasting pumpkin yogurts you’re going to find. Try it with their cheesecake topping for a Pumpkin Cheesecake treat. 

3. 8oz.: Their Pumpkin Gingerbread is a year round staple but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked during the Halloween season. A blend of pumpkin puree, fresh gingerbread and pumpkin seed brittle- this shake is sure to leave you wanting seconds. If you’re not in a diabetic coma, that is…

4. Gordon Ramsay: The Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood is mixing up a special drink just for the haunted holiday. Through November 1st, they will be offering a special Pumpkin Pie Martini for all ghouls to enjoy. 

5. The Griddle: ”Tis the Season”…for Pumpkin! And pumpkin you will get when you order these pancakes at the popular breakfast spot. This year-round concoction is their good ol’ fashioned recipe mixed with pumpkin pie filling. Sounds filling!

6. Rustic Canyon: Pumpkin flavored eats and sweets are great, but, believe it or not, pumpkin is pretty darn scrumptious just by itself. Rustic Canyon keeps it simple with their roasted pumpkin with honey, mint and black pepper. It’s just a side dish but you’ll wish it were the main event!

If Christmas gets 12 days, then Halloween is entitled to, at least, seven. Just because it’s 80 degrees out and there’s no sign that it’s fall, it’s no excuse for us not to get into the Halloween spirit. So here’s a little guide to help you find something festive to do everyday of the week leading up to Halloween. 

1. DISNEYLAND: If anyone knows how to capture the festive spirit of Halloween, it’s Disneyland! From September 25th- November 1st all of Disneyland is transformed for Halloweentime. From a Main Street Pumpkin Round Up to a special Fireworks show, nothing is overlooked. Other holiday makeovers include characters in Halloween costumes and, of course, plenty of holiday merchandise. There are even special foods for the event such as cookies, pumpkin pie and apple cider. Onto the important part though- the rides! The returning favorites include Tower of Terror and The Haunted Mansion a la Nightmare Before Christmas. New this year is Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. The best way to experience all of these plus Thunder Mountain is with the daily Haunted Tour. This adventure includes story telling and behind the scenes facts as you visit each of the rides. And for the little ones, on select nights, there’s Mickey’s Trick or Treat party. Tickets to this event are sold separately but allow kids to get dressed up, trick or treat throughout the California Adventure Park and mingle with plenty of their favorite Disney characters who will also be dressed up. 

2. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood: This one is definitely not for the kiddies. Be prepared for constant scares when you go to this event. On select nights from October 2nd- 31st, Universal Studios becomes, what you would swear, is your own personal horror movie. This event includes a bunch of scare zones with different themes and fright-filled mazes based on ”Saw,” “Halloween” “Chucky” and “My Bloody Valentine.” The main event is the Terror Tram with a Saw theme this year. In addition, all your favorite rides will also be open during this event. General admission tickets range from $36-$56 or you could go all out with the R.I.P Package which gets you to the front of the lines. 

3. Haunted Hayride: If you’re looking for a traditional Halloween event- this one is for you! Step aboard this hayride and you’ll feel like your on the East Coast as you make your way through a forest filled with asylum inmates, zombies and monsters. Once your hayride journey ends you are dropped off at a Halloween carnival area with rides, scary story telling and goodies like cocoa, smores and candy apples. Daily through Halloween. Prices vary. 

4. Knott’s Scary Farm: Just like the other Southern California theme parks, Knott’s Berry Farm will transform for Halloween. With the cute name change- Knott’s Scary Farm- comes numerous mazes, scare zones and shows. Encouraging people to make a “staycation” out of their visit, Knott’s is offering packages with pre-scare dinners and even post-scare breakfasts for those who stay overnight. This event runs on certain nights September 24th- November 1st and prices range from  $39.99-$53.99.

5. Nightmare at Scareview Farms: A new addition to the annual Halloween events lineup. There’s no telling how cool or lame is going to be since it’s the first year. But if you have the time, it might be worth checking out. It promises scary mazes, deep-sea themed haunted and a vampire vault. Saturday, October 31st 6pm-11pm at the Fairplex in Pomona. $11- $19.99 

6. Watson Adventures Haunted Hollywood Scavenger Hunt for Halloween: Um, a Halloween Scavenger Hunt?!? Yes please!!! Spend your Halloween night on a hunt as you visit ghost-infested buildings, get an education in some of Hollywood’s most famous ghost stories, and have a truly haunting evening. 

7. Shipwreck at the Queen Mary: Taking the haunted maze idea to the next level, the famously haunted Queen Mary hosts 15 nights of 5 terrifying mazes. Mazes include a Vampire Village and a Pirate Maze. The fact that the ship is actually haunted helps up the scare factor. This event is well done and terrifying. Tickets are $29- $40

Ask and we shall receive!  dineLA Restaurant Week is back by popular demand.  Usually an annual event, it’s back for a second round due to its overwhelming success this past January! This fall, dineLA Restaurant Week is taking place from October 4-9 and October 11-16 with over 200 establishments participating. With restaurants coming and going as fast as the latest LA trends, there’s hardly enough time or money to try them all. Designed with this in mind, dineLA gives people a chance to sample three-course meals at some of the hottest restaurants in town. Conviently, there are three set price categories that each eatery must choose from; therefore you know exactly what you’re getting into before you go. Deluxe Dining is $16 for lunch and $26 for dinner. In this category you can enjoy places like Happy Endings, Taste and Essex Public House. In the Premier Dining group, $22 for lunch and $34 for dinner, you’ll find Bond St., Riviera and SimonLA. And for a real treat you can experience XIV by Michael Mina, Spago or Asia de Cuba in the Fine Dining group for $28 for lunch and $44 for dinner.

A second Restaurant Week isn’t the only thing special this time around. Five chefs from local restaurants will be tag team cooking aboard a special dineLA food truck. If this isn’t a sign of the immense influence of  the “food truck” on the Los Angels food scene, I don’t know what is. Rather than feel threatened by this new craze, many chefs have decided to embrace the new culture. Hunt down the dineLA truck on twitter and you’ll be lucky to find Anisette’s Alain Giraud, Eric Greenspan from the Foundry on Melrose, Jason Johnston from Dakota at the Roosevelt, Walter Eckstein from Lawry’s the Prime Rib or John England from Rosa Mexicano. Oh, and did I mention that they’re handing their bites out for FREE?!

Whether you’re looking to try a new neighborhood restaurant, get a favorite meal for cheaper than usual or experience one normally out of your price range, dineLA can make it all happen. People can’t resist these great deals so make sure to book your reservations now because the restaurants do fill up quickly. Bon Appetite!

FRIDAY:

WHAT: Legalize Cachaca Barhop/March

WHEN: Friday, September 18th 4:30pm

WHERE: Starting at Asia de Cuba, moving on to Ketchup and ending at Red Rock.

WHY: Right now the brazilian alcohol, Cachaca, is categorized as rum in the US. This march is to sign a petition to make the alcohol its own category. 

BONUS: Discounted drinks

SATURDAY:

WHAT: Rosemary’s Baby Screening 

WHEN: Saturday, September 19th- gates at 6:30 and show at 8pm

WHERE: Hollywood Forever Cemetery 

WHY: The last Cinespia screening of the season!

FEE: $10

SUNDAY:

WHAT: 2nd Annual Great American Dine-Out

WHEN: Sunday, September 20th- Saturday, September 26th

WHERE: Many local restaurants including Simon L.A., Taste on Melrose, Geisha House, Ketchup and Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill.

WHY: Dine out to help end childhood hunger

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” That was then. Now it’s more like, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for…BEER!” So why not take our favorite food from childhood and mix it with our favorite drink from today? Well, that’s exactly what many restaurants and bars are doing all over L.A. as we are seeing a wave of beer floats hitting the menus. We’ve grown up so has the root beer float- and now it packs a mean punch.

It’s probably safe to say that this new cocktail craze was prompted by the L.A. Beer Float Showdown back in July. For this event, which raised money for charity, The Golden State and Scoops paired up to compete against BottleRock LA and Milk. While the winner of that night was declared BottleRock LA and Scoops, the real winners are all of the beer float lovers out there. Golden State’s menu permanently features a float of Old Rasputin Beer with Scoops ice cream. BottleRock took it a step further and offers a selection of beer floats including a coffee toffee one and also a cherry bomb flavor. They even offer a “mix your own” option, allowing you to pick from their collection of beers and match with one of their ice cream or gelato flavors. Simmzy’s in Manhattan Beach has also jumped on this bandwagon and offers an Old Viscosity and Vanilla ice cream float.

If beer isn’t your thing or if you’re looking for something a little stronger, a few other restaurants are serving up alternatives. 8 Oz. Burger Bar has a Jameson float and XIV on Sunset mixes a mean Jack Daniels float. Look for these adult floats to be hitting more and more menus soon. Hopefully Father’s office will get the memo because many are anxious to see what deliciousness they’ll mix up. 

Don’t you just love it when you discover a really awesome new restaurant, bar or club? You can’t get enough of it. You tell all your friends. And soon everyone there knows your name. Don’t you just hate it when the entire rest of the city also declares it their new favorite spot? It becomes crowded, full of douchebags and hanging out there just makes you want to run home and take a shower. That’s why when you find a true gem, you should keep your mouth shut. Such is the case with The Supper Club; but due to their strict membership policies and fees, there’s no harm in spreading the word.

This private membership club just opened its Los Angeles chapter earlier this year joining the already existing ones in London and New York. Founded in 2005 by British socialite Tamsin Lonsdale, the purpose of this club is to bring together talented, unique and successful individuals over a shared love for food and socializing. You can be sure that every Supper Club event is held at the hottest restaurants, bars and private locals throughout the city. Past events have taken place at the Roger Room, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and The Doheny. Every month members are guaranteed at least three event invites (although more than three gatherings take place, but not everyone is invited to all). Most of these events are members only, although on occasion they welcome guests interested in joining. If you should get so lucky to attend as a guest and want to become a member, you then most have 2 members as sponsors. And that’s just the beginning. Then there’s an application to fill out and numerous other rings you must jump through in order to be accepted. They turn down around 80% of the applicants, welcome only 10 new members a month, and cap off at 400. Oh, and there’s also a $2000 to $5000 annual membership fee. Yes, it may sound silly to some to spend that much for a dinner invite.  However, The Supper Club prides itself on the personal, business and romantic connections its members make. So $2000 to meet the love of your life or a financier for your new company might not sound so bad after all.

There was probably a time when someone mentioning Downtown LA conjured up visions of frustrating one-way streets, homeless people, crime, everything closing at sundown, and plain bleakness. But times, they are a changing. Downtown LA is not the vast wasteland you once knew. It’s like the ex you broke up with who then got smoking hot.  Unlike that ex, DTLA (as locals refer to it as) is willing to take you back with open arms.

Okay, you’re pumped now.  And you’re ready to take that adventure to the unknown- but where do you begin? It might be a little overwhelming so here’s a four day crash course on how to get to know DTLA. By the end of the weekend you’ll never look at the city the same again.

What better way to begin your introduction to this new world than with a walking tour? A walking tour in DTLA sounds a little dicey though, right? Don’t worry- you’re not going to be roaming the streets alone. On the second Thursday of every month approximately 10,000 people participate in the Downtown L.A. Art Walk. This monthly event was started way back in 2004, but as downtown is quickly becoming the new trendsetting mecca, the popularity of this event just recently took off. Although it technically begins at 3pm, the scene really starts up around 7pm. Come at this time to join in the celebration of art, cultural diversity, and community as you stroll from gallery to museum. Even if art isn’t your thing this is a great opportunity to eat, drink and socialize while enjoying the bustling scene of DTLA.

As the Art Walk comes to a close around 11pm, you’re sad because you just started seeing what all the city has to offer. Now you’re all jazzed up and aren’t ready to go home yet. In fact, you were having so much fun at the walk that you just realized that you didn’t even eat. You don’t have to go far to quiet those stomach pains. On 3^rd St., right in the Art District you’ll find Wurstkuche, “purveyor of Exotic Grilled Sausages.” Here you’ll be faced with more sausage options than one could imagine. Once you settle on one, you’ll also want to try their Belgian fries with (once again) a large selection of dipping sauces. Of course, their selection of beers is also quite extensive.

Take it slow during the day on Friday because you’re night is going to be a long one. Get started early by heading to The Edison, a turn of the century themed lounge in a boiler room setting. This spot always has something unique and edgy going on but their Soup Kitchen Fridays from 5-7pm is one of the best deals in town. During this time you can get “Depression Era drinks at Depression Era prices.”  That’s not all.   There are also complimentary grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup during this time. PLUS, 25% of proceeds go to local food banks.

All those cheap drinks have you craving a real meal so it’s time to head over to The Gorbals, located in the Alexandria Hotel, for dinner. This is a restaurant that prefers to not be defined by cuisine, chef or location. The food, therefore, can’t easily be categorized so it’s best to just tell you that it’s good. Seeing as the man behind it all is a Top Chef winner, you know you’re in for a treat.

Time to move once again…This time you’re on your way to a private party at LoftSEVEN. Located atop the Haas Building, LoftSEVEN is a one of a kind private party residence. They host anything from samples sales and private parties to movie nights and concerts. A lot of their events are closed to the public, but there’s also a few you can be lucky enough to get into. Once you’re in, make sure to stop by their Polite in Public photobooth for some photographic momentos.

You’ve done so much already and it’s only Saturday. While it’s not technically in DTLA, the best way to spend your Saturday would be to take a 5-10 minute cab ride South to the Coliseum to check out a USC football game. Get there early too because pre-game tailgating is a must. And once the game is over, you’re going to need a place to celebrate the Trojan victory. As long as you’re not sick of crowds at this point, you have to explore the new L.A. Live Complex. This 5.6 million square foot “entertainment campus” has EVERYTHING! There are over a dozen dining choices, a bowling alley, a concert venue, a museum, hotels, and a soon to open movie theater. One night is definitely not enough to take it all in but see what all you can do!

Sunday morning means one thing- brunch! Time to soak up all that alcohol from the past 3 days. The best way to do that would be to head over to Bottega Louie for their lemon ricotta pancakes. This Italian restaurant serves up delicious dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but their brunch is one of the best around. Don’t eat too much though because after this it’s time slip into your swimsuit. Don’t have one on you? No problem. The Standard Hotel Downtown has you covered with their swimsuit vending machine. Wind down the weekend with an afternoon at this hotel’s rooftop pool. Their Swimming with Sharks Sunday pool parties feature water gun fights, bands and free jello shots.

As the sun goes down, you’ll be ready to hit the sheets early after these exhausting, yet enlightening, four days in DTLA. And this is just a taste of what downtown has to offer. During the week there’s just as much fun to be had and new places to discover.

Tell your friends.  

Attention angry Sunset Strip residents: You know how you’ve been complaining about the noise ever since Boa Steakhouse moved to it’s new location on the West end of the Strip? And remember how you spent months protesting the Soho House opening its new location in Luckman Plaza? Well, you might want to pack your bags because you’re not going to be happy about this one!

This weekend the Sunset Strip is closing down for the first time EVER in order to host the Sunset Strip Music Festival. This festival kicks off tonight at the House of Blues with an Ozzy Osbourne tribute. The music picks up again Friday night with shows at the Cat Club, House of Blues, Key Club, The Roxy, Viper Room and Whisky A Go-Go. This is all the pre-game really because Saturday is the all day street festival. Starting at 2pm and going until 9pm 30+ bands will be performing along the strip between San Vicente Blvd. and Doheny Drive. Among the bands confirmed are Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Kottonmouth Kings, Shiny Toy Guns, The Donnas, and Super Mash Bros. In addition to the bands, the festival will also include a beer garden, merchandise vendors, and tons of food. Don’t worry; although the street fest ends at 9pm, the music is just moving inside. There will be after parties at many of the venues and they’re free to ticket holders. There are a few ticket options ranging from $39.50 for just Saturday’s street fest to $250 for a 3 day VIP pass. 40+ bands for about $40 -sounds like a deal good enough to make you want to dance in the street.

If you’re not living in a cave, you’re probably sick to death of hearing phrases like, “In these hard economic times…”. On the other hand you’re. probably not at all sick of seeing SALE signs EVERYWHERE. Well, the fashion industry wants to help make these things of the past (clearly in order to be selling at full price again.) In an effort to boost sales in the fashion industry, Vogue’s Anna Wintour conceived the idea for Fashion’s Night Out- a one night global shopping event. While the motive behind this is transparent, there’s no harm in partaking, having a good time and reaping some rewards yourself.

This Thursday, September 10^th over a dozen countries will be participating in Fashion’s Night Out. In New York City alone more than 800 stores will be keeping their doors open until 11pm and hosting parties and events in conjunction with this occasion. Los Angeles won’t be nearly as involved, but if you want to join in there will be plenty of local stores celebrating. Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills is planning a New York themed event with Nathan’s hot dogs, pretzel vendors, celebrity appearances, and multiple band performances. The Phillip Lim 3.1 boutique on Robertson Blvd. will be selling special edition 3.1 archival items available only during this event. Tom’s Shoes, Trovata, Fred Segal and Moods of Norways are among the other stores throughout the city will be offering free champagne, hors d’oervres, giveaways, limited edition items, and even makeovers.

Oh, as a complete afterthought there will also be a charity t-shirt and clothing drive which proceeds of will benefit the September 11 Memorial and Museum and the NYC AIDS Fund.

…This may look like a foreign language to you. While you might not understand it, I assure you that it is English. It might benefit you to pay attention because this is the future. In this age of Segways, Skype, and Twitter nothing has been left untouched by technology. The way we drink is no exception. Pub crawl, meet the 21st century- the tweet crawl.

This past July the Sunset Strip was the scene for the first of these modern club crawls. It works pretty much the same as a normal club crawl, but with a few extras thrown in.  The participating locations offer anything from free food, discounted drinks, prizes and even collector pins for everyone who partakes. Anyone can be involved but you have to follow each of the hosting bars, clubs and hotels on Twitter in order to win the free swag.

Because the first crawl was so successful, the next one is set for today, September 8th. Dubbed “Tweet Crawl 2.0:SSMF,” this one will be focus on the upcoming weekend’s Sunset Strip Music Festival. Participants can look forward tonew venues and even more giveaways. The party will be kicking off at 6:30 @standardhwood which will feature $2 gourmet hot dogs and drink specials. Follow the adventure as the group hits up  @andazweho,@TheComedyStore, @BookSoup, @theViperRoom. Finally, the night will wind down around last call @TheRoxy with some karaoke. Make sure to look out for @987LA all along the way as they’ll be handing out prizes like concert tickets and hotel stays.

You know you’re going to be tweeting anyway so you might as well get out and give your followers some good reading material.