For as long as the dead walk among the living, these Halloween late-night eats promise to satisfy pretenders and players alike.
Frightful, funny and even awfully strange costumes are acceptable in public just one night of the year, but not all late-night noshing has to be an embarrassing reminder that you’re wearing those classy 5-inch stilettos at 2 a.m. on Congress, or that you’re sporting a dirty sheet from Target underneath neon lights in 50-degree weather.
Restaurants like Grill, 100 E. Congress St., or Something Sweet, 5319 E. Speedway Blvd., are fantastical havens for all the untamed imaginations in Tucson on Halloween night.
“”At 2 a.m., after hitting every Halloween party that every person you know is throwing, there’s nothing more pleasing than their cinnamon French toast. It’s warm, it’s gooey, it’s sweet. It’s worth it.””
Newcomers, do not hesitate to try Grill, though at first it may seem like all it offers is peeling wallpaper, cigarette smoke and long waits.
A bit of healthy humor is necessary to reveal the fun atmosphere. Laugh when you try to order cheese on your tater tots and they refuse. Laugh when your waiter is on a cell phone, while it says they ignore cell-phone users on the back of their menu. Laugh at the couple necking 3 feet away. If you’re incapable of honest humor, heck, pretend – it’s Halloween.
Pretend like the royal blue walls, jade ceiling and red booths are a throwback to euphoric musicals like “”Labyrinth”” or comic adventures like “”Austin Powers.””
Even if you’re wearing the hooker stilettos and the dirty sheet but still can’t get into the make-believe spirit, the food is real. It’s real, and it’s good.
Grill is famous for their heaping bowls of crispy tater tots or Cap’n Crunch cereal, but their best tastes come from the pastas, meat entrees, sandwiches, omelets and pancakes.
At 2 a.m., after hitting every Halloween party that every person you know is throwing, there’s nothing more pleasing than their cinnamon French toast. It’s warm, it’s gooey, it’s sweet. It’s worth it.
Or if you’re just getting the night started, perhaps you want a pasta dish with a kick. The fiery but robust Tortelvis Tortellini is a cheese tortellini in a spicy marinara sauce with spicy sausage, green and red peppers, jalapenos, onions and chopped garlic.
In the end, if you’ve run into more carnies, high-school Goths and “”normal people”” than you can handle, try a cozy dessert lounge instead.
Something Sweet’s soft lighting and little wooden chairs are reminiscent of a dining room in an old farmhouse. Don’t be fooled into believing its ambience reflects the menu. A long list of tantalizing treats including cakes, cheesecakes and pies will tickle all overactive imaginations.
I recommend superheroes indulge in the Chocolate Thunder, “”dense dark chocolate cake layered with bittersweet chocolate filling with a hint of raspberry, topped with chocolate morsels.””
For the adrenaline-seeking, weapon-clad knights, officers and pirates, test your strengths with the Wild Berry Blast: “”An enticing blend of flavorful blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries surrounded by a zesty lemon crust.””
The sun never comes up with more never-ending pleasures like the Strawberry Cloud or the You’ve Got to Be Kidding Éclair.
For taste-free pretend and play, check out the shelf full of books and board games.
Though not open all night like Grill, Something Sweet is open until midnight on weeknights and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
