After several trips to Halloween Horror Nights 35, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to work my way through the food lineup. There are four dishes I’ve already had more than once, and honestly, these are the ones I’ll keep coming back for throughout the season!
Prince of Darkness Cake
First up is the Prince of Darkness Cake ($9.99) from San Francisco Pastry in the San Francisco area. This is the Ozzy Osbourne-inspired dessert, and it’s a must for any Ozzy fan. The cake is covered in a thin chocolate shell that reminds me of the coating on a Klondike bar, and underneath is a rich, incredibly moist carrot cake.
Odd, right? It’s definitely on the sweet and indulgent side, so I recommend sharing it. It’s a fun cake pop-like dessert, but more importantly, it feels like something you just have to try after your house walk-through visiting the Prince of Darkness!
— Oops
Bloody Bones
Over at Meetz Meats at Lagoon Bridge, the Bloody Bones ($12.99) are one of my favorite savory options. You get smoked and charred BBQ ribs topped with crispy jalapeño bits, and for the price, it’s a pretty solid serving. The ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with a pleasant smoky flavor, while those little bits of jalapeño add a nice crunch and some heat. My only complaint? I want more jalapeño. Give me all of it.
Carn”evil” Smash Tacos
The Carn”evil” Smash Tacos ($14.99) at Jack’s Circus Surplus are another repeat order for me. Think of a smashed cheeseburger — somewhere between an In-N-Out burger and a Big Mac — flattened into a taco with American cheese, lettuce, pickles, secret sauce and toasted sesame seeds. They’re messy, indulgent and one of the best “all-nighter” snacks at HHN. They’re even better after you’ve had a few adult beverages.
Rigatoni Ritual Pie
But the clear winner for me this year is the Rigatoni Ritual Pie ($14.99) at Louie’s Italian Restaurant in New York. Following the success of last year’s spaghetti pizza, this year’s version takes garlic-butter cheese pizza and piles it with baked rigatoni alla vodka, crispy sausage and pesto.
I’ve ordered it more than anything else at HHN 35. Every time I try something new, I find myself wondering, Was that really better than the Rigatoni Ritual Pie? So far, the answer has been no. It’s basically a side of pasta and garlic bread turned into one huge and very filling slice of pizza, and the vodka sauce is what takes it over the top. I already know I’ll miss this one when HHN 35 ends.
There are additional dishes I need to order a few more times, as long as I can pry myself away from that pizza… stay tuned for more tried and true HHN recommendations!
