While the end of October means spooky season is concluding, we have one last treat for you. From seasonal pumpkin flavors to witches brew inspired beverages, this month’s guide has a few Halloween items on it as well as some cozy comfort foods perfect for fall weather.
Here’s a look from reporters at nearby eateries to try around Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
Related: See the best things we ate in Southern California in 2024.
Chicken Pesto Panini – The Secretary Club, Riverside
One of the best ways to celebrate October is by checking out some of the seasonal speakeasies around Southern California. One of my favorites is the Secretary Club in downtown Riverside, housed at Killer Queens Social House, not just for its drinks but also for its food. During October, the Secretary Club goes all out with Halloween decorations, with skulls, tombstones, and other Halloween figurines lurking in every corner. The ambiance says spooky, but also chill, and their DJ even welcomes you to bring your own record to vibe to while you eat and drink. I went late in the evening and wanted to pace myself and get some grub before trying some of their specialty Halloween cocktails.
For the main course: the chicken pesto panini. I am not the biggest fan of pesto, but I have been trying to expand my palate and didn’t want to settle for another red meat option. A panini is only as good as its bread, and this one did not disappoint. The toasted pieces of sourdough paired deliciously with the mozzarella, chicken and tomato. I also threw in the side of pickled onions and lettuce to add a little bit more veggies! I know —look at me, the epitome of health. As for the pesto, not bad. Not bad at all.
— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake – Casey’s Cupcakes, Riverside
Call me basic —I don’t care —but one of my favorite things about fall is the increase in pumpkin-flavored treats. Pumpkin cream cold brew? Yes please. Pumpkin cookies? Of course. Pumpkin spice latte cupcake? Sold.
It’s hard to go wrong with a cupcake, but because of that, it’s rare that one really makes me go “wow, that’s a good cupcake,” but that’s what happened when I tried the Pumpkin Spice latte cupcake from Casey’s Cupcakes in Riverside. The cupcake itself was tasty, but it was the frosting that really caught my attention. Its marshmallow-like texture complemented the cake nicely and made each bite delectable. I also appreciated the attention to detail of the pumpkin illustration sprinkled on top, as well as a chocolate straw to really sell the “latte” factor.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Baked Brie and Italian Style Meatballs – The Peppercorn Grille, Big Bear Lake
The Peppercorn Grille has long been a favorite stop of mine in the Big Bear Lake Village and always has just what I am looking for. I opted for two appetizers on my last visit ( I just couldn’t decide between them). I went for the baked brie with raspberry chipotle sauce, topped with roasted pine nuts and ciabatta toast. The combination of the warm, savory brie with a fruity sauce was ooey-gooey good. I also got the Italian-style meatballs, which had the most delicious creamy marinara sauce that I would have happily purchased on its own.
— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter
Ciocchino-style gelato cone – Bacio di Latte, Newport Beach
During an aspirational pitstop around Fashion Island, one of Orange County’s exceedingly luxe shopping centers, I finally carved out time for Bacio di Latte. The gelato shop is as noted for its smooth glacial dessert as it is for the long line snaking out the door. I went for the regular-sized waffle cone with two scoops: pistachio (using those gorgeous, emerald-hued pistachios from Bronte, Sicily) and salted caramel. More importantly, I ordered it ciocchino-style, which means the entire interior of the cone is coated in a luscious layer of pistachio cream (Nutella is also an option) with crushed pistachios gracing the cone’s rim.
While I can and do appreciate this shop’s high-end execution, that cream-filled cone did something unexpected. Amid all the overpriced boutiques and luxury brand names of Fashion Island, it shot me right back to my childhood outside my local drug store, eating Drumstick ice cream treats. You know, the mass-produced, peanut-studded ones whose main selling point was a little shellac of chocolate sauce lining the bottom of the cone? It was an ideal nostalgic treat of highbrow reuniting with lowbrow.
— Brock Keeling, Features Reporter
Build your own flatbread – The Secretary Club, Riverside
When it comes to pizza and flatbreads, I love stacking as many toppings as possible, and I did not hold back on the build-your-own option. My flatbread included pepperoni, chicken, mushrooms, pineapple, red peppers, onion and a drizzle of chipotle aioli. The dish was so fresh that the powdery flatbread could barely hold my choices of toppings, but in the best possible way. The outer crust remained crisp, while the middle turned into a gooey delight of all the meats and veggies, yet still maintained enough shape for me to eat it by hand.
— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Twice-cooked sweet potatoes – Mayfield, San Juan Capistrano
Here goes nothing: Mayfield is the best restaurant in Orange County, period. (Okay, fine, semicolon – one of the best among many other stellar spots in Orange County. But, to be frank, also the best.) Italicized hyperbole aside, George Baker’s San Juan Capistrano spot has proven consistently excellent, absolutely knocking it off the proverbial runway each season. Among the many dishes I routinely return for – like a spinach whipped feta, the za’atar fried chicken and a sticky toffee pudding on par with looking into the eyes of God – the twice-cooked sweet potatoes remain firmly in my top five. The wedges are stacked log-cabin style, with crispy exteriors and plush interiors. These bi-cooked sweet potatoes rest above a pool of tahini and topped with a verdant, tangy preserved lemon chermoula. I’m generally not a diehard of sweet potatoes, especially the sinister sweet potato fry, but these standouts have converted me.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
The Winston Churchill – Annie’s Cafe, Riverside
Annie’s Cafe is a mini restaurant chain with a bit of a British vibe. It recently opened its third location at 6225 Valley Springs Parkway, Riverside. It has a long menu that includes a massive English breakfast, which you may have tried in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood. It features eggs, bangers (thick sausage), English bacon, Heinz baked beans, grilled mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, potatoes and toast for $23.99. If that’s too much food, Little Winston is available for $18.99.
— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
Queso Birria Tacos and Cheese Enchilada – Juancho’s Mexican Restaurant, Upland
A local Inland Empire favorite, Juancho’s Mexican Grill and Bar, has been my go-to spot for tacos and other Mexican cuisine favorites since they opened another location in Upland. On my last visit, I had to get my favorite queso birria tacos with consommé and a cheese enchilada. Juanchos has an expansive menu with some of the best Pozole I have had, and they have delicious drinks available as well.
— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter
Supper with Friends at Heirloom Bean Encuentro festival – Alta Baja Market, Santa Ana
The Heirloom Bean Encuentro festival at Santa Ana’s Alta Baja Market, billed as “three days of love, peace and beans,” culminated in a Sunday tasting-menu supper featuring beans from Rancho Gordo. A handful of notable chefs from Southern California restaurants participated in the event’s climax, a Sunday tasting-menu supper featuring beans from Rancho Gordo. Unable to choose just one sublime dish, the entire feast easily became one of my favorite eats of October.
The menu was a standout: a refreshing Agua de SanTana by Alta Baja Market and Mr. Diablito; Du Puy-style Lentil Salad from Evan Kleiman (of KCRW’s Good Food); a Grilled Black Garbanzo Yakimiso Porridge from Minh Phan (Phenakite); Buckeye Beans with forest mushrooms, allium crumble and herbs from Tony Esnault (Knife Pleat); Potato and Garlic Chochoyotes (masa dumplings) with Recado Negro from Ray Garcia (Broken Spanish); a sweet Domingo Rojo Beans from Eric Linares (Heritage Barbecue). The afternoon feast was not only a celebration of the almighty heirloom bean, but also a defiant yet joyous gathering of community and togetherness through food.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Witch’s Brew – The Secretary Club, Riverside
I love a good cocktail, and especially one with a good gimmick and vodka. To partake in the spooky season ambiance, I decided on the witch’s brew, made with Uncle Ed’s dragonberry vodka, lemon juice and blueberries. The cocktail was sweet but not overbearing, and I loved the presentation, which included a mini broom, a mini witch’s pointy hat, and a flashing light that illuminated like a magical cauldron cooking up some evil.
— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Truffled Mushroom Avocado Toast – Whata Peach, Studio City
As someone who was raised on avocado toast, long before millennials became known for spending their mortgages on the brunch indulgence, I never considered truffle mushrooms as the perfect topping. As a fan of mushrooms, this worked. Whata Peach uses a quality slice of sourdough bread for their toast options, and doesn’t go light on the avocado, so you definitely feel as though you’re getting your money’s worth as far as LA avocado toasts go.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
See more of our monthly round-ups of the best things we ate in Southern California
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in September
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in August
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in July
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in June
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in May
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in April
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in March
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in February
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in January
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in 2024
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in November
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants this October
The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in September
The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in August