This week in food news: a new food truck is distributing fancy sandwiches with cheeky names, a buzzed-about destination for craft beer has landed in Fremont, and Tacoma welcomes a new cider taproom. Read on for more essential updates, like new cocktails at Hood Famous Cafe + Bar, plus events for this weekend, like the Alice B. Toklas Dinner and Ghost Tour. For more ideas, check out our guide to Seattle Restaurant Week, our list of places to eat and drink pumpkin in Seattle, our list of Seattle food and drink specials to try in October, and our full food and drink calendar.

OPENINGS
Aslan Brewing
Craft beer nerds, rejoice: The highly anticipated Fremont taproom from the Bellingham-based craft brewery Aslan Brewing opened this weekend. The new location will serve hearty sandwiches from cured-meat mainstay Salumi and enable wider access to seasonal offerings, barrel projects, and specialty can releases. A new restaurant serving seafood called Local Tide is set to open in the same building later on, and the acclaimed Korean restaurant Revel, which is temporarily taking up residence in South Lake Union, will re-open there too.
Fremont

Layers Sandwich Co.
This playful food truck from married couple Ashley and Avery Hardin (Ashley is a previous employee at Lark, and Avery worked as a chef at Bar Melusine), which launched on October 9, slings "elevated sandwiches" ranging from the "Precocious Piggy" (slow-roasted pork belly, pepper jelly, frisee, pickled onion, and aioli on toasted challah) to the "I'd Date a Jalapeño" (sharp cheddar, deglet noor dates, and fresh jalapeño on griddled pain de mie). There are also salads, Tim's Cascade Chips, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies made with Bellflower Chocolate, and the "Banana Thing" (a combo of banana, peanut butter, and potato chips).
Traveling

Tacoma Cider Co.
Another cider taproom in Tacoma! This family-friendly taproom, an offshoot of Tacoma Brewing Co. (which celebrates its seventh anniversary on November 9), will have its grand opening this weekend. According to founder and Tacoma Brewing brewmaster Morgan Alexander, many of the ciders take their inspiration from classic cocktails and are designed to work in tandem with spirits, so cider fans can enjoy varieties like Jungle Bird Cider, Painkiller Cider, and Mai Tai Cider, in addition to flavors like tepache (a fermented pineapple drink), lavender botanical, ginger, and barrel-aged passionfruit.
Tacoma

CLOSURES
Dao Tai House
This Chinese restaurant, which replaced Octo inside Velocity Dance Center only a year ago, has closed. Soju Anju, a Korean bar (the name refers to soju, the Korean liquor, and anju, Korean drinking food), will open in its place by the end of December. Owner Jun Park, who also owns the beloved Musashi's, told Capitol Hill Seattle that diners can expect an "’80s theme" and "a lot of nostalgia if you’re Korean."
Capitol Hill

NW Peaks
After November, this Ballard nanobrewery and taproom, an early fixture in the Ballard craft brewery scene, will close its doors after 10 years of business. The brewery's Hillman City location will remain open.
Ballard

OTHER FOOD NEWS
Hood Famous introduces cocktails in the International District
Now you can get your Hood Famous ube cheesecake with a side of booze: The popular Filipinx-owned bakeshop's International District cafe location, which opened in March, has added evening hours and begun serving cocktails, beer, and wine, in addition to dessert pairings and bar snacks. The drinks nod towards the establishment's Filipinx influence with touches like house-made pandan syrup and Phillipine gin.

Ba Sa adds brunch on Bainbridge Island
According to a press release, the recently opened Vietnamese restaurant Ba Sa on Bainbridge Island, owned by siblings Trinh and Thai Nguyen, is rolling out a brunch menu. Guests can look forward to dishes such as fried chicken with taro bubble waffles and butterscotch syrup, passionfruit butter French toast, and five-spice steak with eggs and a banh mi roll, plus cocktails like Soursop Martinis and Bone Broth Bloody Marys.

Merchant's Cafe bought by private firm
The Pioneer Square restaurant Merchant's Cafe, which bills itself as "Seattle's oldest restaurant" and was originally built as a saloon in 1890, faces an uncertain fate as its building has been sold to a private real estate firm called Unico. The space has served as a brothel, speakeasy, and part of a hotel, and is said to be the site of some paranormal activity.

PCC opening Ballard location with restaurant
Ballard is getting its very own PCC, with the community-owned natural food market's first-ever fast-casual restaurant housed inside, according to a press release. The 24,000-square-foot store, which will open on Wednesday, November 13 and has a rooftop deck, is inspired by "the neighborhood's nautical roots." To that end, it'll feature a sea life mural and a "larger-than-life" octopus fishing lure installation, and the restaurant will serve locally sourced seafood dishes like creamy bacon clam chowder and Northwest seafood cioppino. The grocery chain also recently re-opened a location in West Seattle.

206 Burger Company coming to North Queen Anne
The fast-casual burger chain 206 Burger Company, which is owned by the co-founder of Ravenna's Rain City Burgers and has locations in First Hill and downtown, is bringing an outpost to the North Queen Anne neighborhood soon after Thanksgiving. The location will retain the same menu but will also add a full-service bar and expanded seating.

EVENTS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
After Dark Vol. 6
Snack on small bites from chef Tarik Abdullah and sip drinks from Damon Bomar of Brown Liquor Cocktail Co. at this Oakland-inspired edition of the After Dark dinner series. 

Alexandra's Macarons Spooktacular Open House
Get a glimpse behind the scenes of how spooky macarons are made at a Ballard bakeshop, and enjoy Halloween-themed treats, hot drinks, salted caramels and caramel apples from Jonboy Caramels, and a costume contest.

Alice B. Toklas Dinner and Ghost Tour
Alice B. Toklas, who lived in Seattle during the 1890s and studied at the University of Washington, is believed to still haunt Seattle’s historic Hotel Sorrento, though it seems unlikely that any ghost would pick Seattle over Paris (where she spent most of her life). Also, she never stepped foot in the hotel (but she did live on First Hill). But her ghost is the fuel behind the hotel’s annual ghost tour, which is followed by a prix fixe French dinner and wine pairing inspired by The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book. No word* on whether its most famous recipe, Hashish Fudge (a very early edible, possibly the original source of pot brownies), will be served for dessert. DAVID LEWIS

Butchery Demo with Rain Shadow Meats
Enjoy complimentary beer and whiskey and look on as Russ of Rain Shadow Meats butchers a hazelnut-finished half hog from Tail & Trotters Pork in Ephrata, Washington. After the demo, he'll chat about the practice of whole-animal butchery.

Free Vegan Ice Cream: Almond Chocolate Crunch Launch Party
Be among the first to try a scoop of Almond Chocolate Crunch, a vegan and dairy-free ice cream flavor made by the company Humphry Slocombe in collaboration with Whole Foods and Top Chef alum Melissa King, featuring "decadent spiced almond ice cream, scrumptious chocolate chips, and crunchy, candied almonds."

OCT. 25-27
Climate Cocktail Week
Sip special libations created to bring awareness to climate change at participating venues.

Seattle Chocolate Haunted Factory Tour
If you're too squeamish for a traditional blood-and-guts haunted house, check out this interactive, family-friendly option with a sweet twist. You'll traipse through the Seattle Chocolate factory in the dark, encountering a series of costumed characters, hunting for clues, and solving puzzles, all with the goal of determining why the factory is haunted in order to oust the unwanted resident. There will be plenty of candy to be eaten along the way, of course.

OCT. 25-29
Li'l Woody's Fast Food Month
For the month of October, local burger joint Li'l Woody's is cleverly recreating fast food favorites for its weekly specials. This week, the final offering is a Taco Bell tribute, the Li'l Crunch Wrap (October 22-29).

OCT. 25-NOV. 2
Nightmare on Wall Street
Continuing a spooky-season tradition started last year, Belltown’s award-winning tiki bar Navy Strength will temporarily transform into a “fully immersive haunting experience,” with libations inspired by horror films like Friday the 13th, The Babadook, Midsommar, The Ring, Pet Sematary, and more. They’ll switch out their usual kitschy drinkware for vessels like pumpkins and Jason Voorhees–masked tiki mugs, and employ ingredients like “candy corn orgeat.” Frightening horror-film soundtracks will contribute to the spine-chilling milieu.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
2019 Battle of the Burger Festival
Restaurants from across the region will bring their A-game to this burger competition with categories ranging from traditional beef to vegan and vegetarian options to seafood creations. Try a flight of five and vote on your favorite. 

Big Pumpkin 2019
Swill Lantern Brewing's "Veldfest" Pumpkin Ale tapped from a gigantic hollowed-out gourd cooled with dry ice. Pours of the beer will be available for $5 during happy hour.

Costumes on the Cobblestones
Wrangle your children and/or pets for this Pike Place harvest celebration with no fewer than eight autumnal pop-up murals to interact with, as well as live music, a costume parade, organic apple cider pressing, acorn necklace making, pumpkin decorating, a haunted landscape by guest artist Lynn Rosscamp, and other family-friendly activities.

Halloween at Lucky Envelope
The Ballard bar will release special themed beers just for Halloween, including the Erma Gourd Pumpkin Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter and two other secret brews. Bring the whole family; there will be candy and Panda Dim Sum on the premises.

How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
Learn how to create and maintain a thriving sourdough culture to use in homemade loaves with Sourdough on the Rise author Cynthia Lair. You'll also get to sample sourdough flapjacks with butter and maple syrup and Danish sourdough seed bread with cream cheese and lox, and learn how to make them.

Molly Moon's Pop Up at Theo
Take a jaunt to Fremont's resident chocolate factory for spooky treats, like pumpkin-shaped chocolate marshmallows, "full moon" white chocolate bars, and a free Black Cat sundae: Molly Moon's chocolate caramel pretzel ice cream, Theo 70% dark chocolate sauce, and organic pretzel "cat ears."

Sourdough Improv Party and Book Signing with Cynthia Lair
Renaissance woman Cynthia Lair—a cookbook author and improv performer with Unexpected Productions—will regale you with tales of sourdough starters that yield pancakes, focaccia, loaves, and biscuits. She'll also provide bread samples, drinks, and a "food-themed" improv performance. 

Séance at the Nest
This rooftop bar, usually reserved for yoga classes and cocktail-filled dance parties, will transform into a spooky den of dark delights thanks to contortionists, tarot readers, and a live DJ.

‘Wonderous Trip to Wonderland’ Halloween Party
Journey down the rabbit hole for a soiree inspired by the whimsical world of Lewis Carroll, with wine, light bites, desserts, dancing, a costume contest, and an appearance from the Queen of Hearts.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27
addo Themed Brunch (October): Trick or Treat
Tuck into a Halloween-inspired brunch tasting menu prepared by chef Eric Rivera.

OCT. 27-NOV. 7
Seattle Restaurant Week Fall 2019
Frugal gourmands everywhere rejoice over this twice-yearly event, which lets diners tuck into prix-fixe menus at more than 165 different restaurants hoping to lure new customers with singularly slashed prices. Three courses cost a mere $35, and many restaurants also offer two-course lunches for $20. It’s an excellent opportunity to feast like a high roller at an accessible price point and cross some otherwise spendy establishments off your food bucket list, including critically acclaimed restaurants like Tilth and Adana.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28
Author Talk: The Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop
Like spicy food, but can’t find anything hot enough no matter where you look? Maybe it’s time you tried Sichuan cuisine? Chef and author Fuchsia Dunlop (Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking) has you covered with her latest book of recipes and travel writing focused on the notoriously fiery food of that region of China. Depending on your heat tolerance, these dishes—from Bang Bang Chicken to Gong Bao Chicken to Numbing-and-Hot Dried Beef—will get you either salivating or screaming, or maybe a little of both. DAVID LEWIS

Fuchsia Dunlop: Author Lunch at Lionhead: The Food of Sichuan
To celebrate Fuchsia Dunlop's visit, Lionhead chef Garrett Doherty will create a three-course lunch of Sichuan food inspired by her new release.