For Foodies: Halloween Eating 2013

Few holidays are associated more with sugar-infused treats and sweets than Halloween – and for many, Oct. 31 is a chance to relive that childhood obsession with the currency of youth: candy. So if you’re looking for more treats than tricks, here’s a list of places around Prague where you can fill your basket and make sure you’ll be on a sugar high well into November. And for those whose preferred treats tend to come in golden, liquid form, there are several potent brews to celebrate the season with, as well.

To get a fix of those Halloween mainstays imported from the States, look no farther than The Candy Store, which stocks MallowCreme pumpkins and candy corn at this time of year both online at its several brick-and-mortar outlets around town, in addition to Halloween-themed cookies, pumpkin cupcakes and Halloween Gummi Bears. The store’s selection of American goodies is a veritable trick-or-treat bag any time of the year, with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces, Butterfingers, Hershey’s Kisses, Milk Duds, Crunch Bars, Jolly Ranchers and Tootsie Rolls, to name a few. The range of Willy Wonka products is also available, such as Nerds and Everlasting Gobstoppers. To add some British flavors into the mix, the store (which recently merged with Robertson) also has Jelly Babies, Liquorice Allsorts and many, many types of Cadbury chocolate bars.

The Hilton Prague Old Town already has a popular, family-friendly brunch every Sunday, and on Nov. 3, there’s a Halloween theme at the Zinc restaurant between 12:30 and 3 p.m. An all-you-can-eat “scary-themed buffet” is on offer, with a variety of spooky drinks. A contest for the best costume will reward those with a creative streak, and a special children’s buffet will cater to the peckish appetites of the little ones. With a supervised children’s corner and a program of music and activities, there’ll be something for the whole family. 990 Kc per person; 350 Kc for children 7 to 12 years old; children under 6 get in free. To reserve, call 221 822 300 or e-mail zinc@hilton.com.

At Žofín Garden, the weekly Sunday brunch will have a Halloween incarnation on Oct. 27, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. There will be a special themed buffet with a variety of seasonal dishes, as well as entertainment and games for children, who are encouraged to show up in costume. Brunch takes place in the heated outdoor tent, and guests will be welcomed with a glass of champagne. The cost is 695 Kc for adults and 295 for children younger than 12; children under the age of 6 get in free. To reserve, call 774 774 774.

The Radniční Jihlava microbrewery has been putting out a pumpkin ale for the past several years, since it opened its doors in 2011. The unfiltered, unpasteurized top-fermented ale clocks in at 12º and 5% alcohol, and is described on the brewery’s website as the “beer equivalent of pumpkin pie.” An amber ale with made with fresh pumpkin and having a cinnamon aroma, with soft pumpkin notes in the aftertaste. Throughout October, the onsite restaurant also has a pumpkin-themed degustation menu, with pumpkin pate with baked garlic, pumpkin cream soup with roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin risotto with pancetta, pork sirloin with spicy pumpkin sauce and pumpkin chips, and pumpkin cheesecake. For more info, check Radnicni-jihlava.cz.

Closer to home, at the Klasterni pivovar Strahov just behind Prague Castle, the taps are now pouring the award-winning microbrewery’s dark autumn ale, cleverly called Antidepressant. The logo features a well-timed creepy silhouette of zombies lurching across a field – or perhaps they’re just thirsty beer lovers having just walked up Petrin Hill. Like the other beers brewed onsite at the brewery, this top-fermented ale is made with green hops, including American Cascade, Amarillo and Austrian Topaz. According to its Facebook page, Antidepressant has “an aroma and flavor that’s a blend of fruity freshness with heavier tones of dark malts, for a decidedly drier taste.”