If Starbucks introduced you to pumpkin spice, let these local combinations of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (and sometimes ginger and clove) meet and exceed all your expectations.
1. Pumpkin Spice Latte
$3.50 per 12-ounce cup at Adbibo Coffee Co.
Two shots of house espresso blend cling to frothed milk laced with Monin Pumpkin Spice syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Available year-round, this drink will keep you buzzing.
2. Pumpkin Chai Latte
$4.85 per 12-ounce cup at The Urban Farmhouse
Urban Farmhouse makes its own “pumpkin milk” for seasonal steamers by whisking melted pumpkin ice cream into an organic milk base. Want dessert in a glass? Try a Chai Tea Pumpkin Latte, which swaps espresso for sugared, brewed chai.
3. Pumpkin Doughnuts
$1 each at at Dixie Donuts
These palm-sized cake doughnuts come out of the oven a beautiful burnt orange color, but it’s their texture and aroma that get me.
4. Chicken Tikka Masala
$14 at Lemon Cuisine of India
Lemon’s masala paints the traditional pumpkin spice blend with Technicolor brilliance. Order the dish Indian hot, letting its roasted chiles and peppers balance out the creamy spices.
5. Roasted Pumpkin Entrée
market price at Stella’s
Greek cuisine also uses these spices in its savories. Stella’s roasts fresh pumpkin and drizzles the wedges with olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg, before plating the squash with monkfish or lamb. Don’t miss this comforting combo, or Stella’s pumpkin crème brûlée, if either is on the menu.
