Get into the Seattle Halloween Spirit(s) With a Pumpkin Carving Contest and Tequila at Post Pike Bar & Cafe

Tonight at 7 p.m., Post Pike Bar & Cafe — a Capitol Hill spot for coffee, bagels, and booze — is hosting a pumpkin carving contest sponsored by Espolon tequila. For a $20 entry fee, participants get a pumpkin, carving supplies, and shot of Espolon tequila. Prizes include a $50 gift card for first place, a Post Pike T-shirt for second place, and a $15 gift card for third place. RSVP at the event’s Facebook page.

Visit local food vendors at El Mercadito in South Park Plaza

Today from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., check out El Mercadito in South Park Plaza for baked goods, handmade pasta, pies, and more. The weekly South Park Plaza farmers market started in August, and consistently attracts new pop-ups and food vendors. Grab some pan dulce, pan de muerto, and other sweet and savory treats from Selva Central Goods; pies, mini-pies, and dulce de leche sandwich cookies from Queen Sugar Baking Company; and oodles of noodles from Mixtape Pasta.

Fremont’s Nickerson Street Saloon will close for good on Halloween

Located right beside the Fremont Bridge, the Nickerson Street Saloon announced it was closing for good on Halloween night. The building was originally constructed in 1928, and in 1948 became the 318 Tavern. In 1995 it was bought by bartenders Chris Gerke and Jay Farias and became Nickerson Street Saloon. The watering hole has been a beloved local spot for blue collar workers from the nearby industrial zone. The building is slated for demolition, with a five-story mixed-use apartment and retail complex proposed to be built on the site. Instagram account Vanishing Seattle has more details about the closure, and shared memories of time spent at “The Nick.”

The New York Times calls Seattle steakhouse Bateau “a genre of its own”

The New York Times reported on Seattle steakhouse Bateau, a restaurant that’s approaching beef in a remarkably different way. Chef Renee Erickson, co-owner of Bateau, admits the steakhouse is not for everyone, but aims to celebrate beef without participating in some of the practices that make its production so harmful for the environment. Bateau serves as much of the cow as possible, meaning menu items sell out as supply dwindles. The article wrote, “the restaurant [is] nearly a genre of its own: a steakhouse that is also a critique of steakhouses, and a model of a better way forward.”