This article originally appeared in the October 2015 print edition of OTTAWA magazine. Photo (cropped): courtesy of the Girl With The Most Cake.

Chocolates
So what will you be doling out to the fairies and ninjas at your door? Premium Belgian chocolate? The best Dutch marzipan? Not! However, for an adults-only Halloween party, bring on the high-end treats. A pumpkin made of orange-coloured dark chocolate from Stubbe Kanata will do nicely, filled with any sorts of truffles you please. (Pistachio? Pear William?) Sweet maple leaves and cute marzipan pumpkins make edible place settings. As for those poor kiddies left in the lurch, don’t worry. Owner Margret Stubbe will be offering (in her own neighbourhood, at least) handmade chocolates straight from her shop. Various prices.
Stubbe Kanata, 500 Hazeldean Rd., 613-435-4336.

Cake
Care for a cake decorated with electro-green ectoplasm? Or would you prefer something elegant, say, with black cat silhouettes? At The Girl With the Most Cake, originality is paramount. Not surprising, given the backgrounds of the two owners: Amy Forrest’s experience in industrial design, Linda Bartlett’s in conceptual art with food as her medium. Now in the business of baking, says Bartlett: “We use anything from a palette knife to a paintbrush to an airbrush.” As for the cake itself — feathery light with butter icing. The real deal! From $15.
The Girl With the Most Cake, 2680 Dunrobin Rd., Dunrobin, 613-832-8952.

Cocktail
“The witch’s cauldron is at the bottom,” says Stefan Wenek, whipping up his newest creation from behind The Albion Room‘s bar. Wait a moment before you sip. Wenek pares orange zest over the glass: the mist still hovers. The Albion Rooms tempts you with little secrets. Now sip. There’s a burst of anise from chartreuse, fruitiness from squeezed orange juice, and herbs from wormwood bitters. At the end — viscous black sambuca. Pierces your heart, it does. $14.
The Albion Rooms, 33 Nicholas St., 613-760-4771.