We love fusion food, and this is a great example: Levantine-style labneh, a dip built around Greek-style yoghurt that's usually flavoured with olives, pistachios, mint, and suchlike, is given a seasonal twist with pumpkin at Bar Reyna. It's scented with Mediterranean spices, drizzled with honey and lemon, and garnished with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sage brown butter. Stopped drooling yet? Us neither.
The great thing about pumpkin is its versatility – food or drinks, sweet or savoury. This menu item from Colette is a croissant made with a pumpkin spice mix. We can't imagine a better way to start a fall day than one of these with a latté. Or a pumpkin-spiced latté, if you really want to get in the mood.
The Ritz-Carlton's resident seasonal Italian restaurant offers up a luxurious, warming soup for its pumpkin dish. It comes with croutons and aged balsamic, for a winter warmer that's silky, gently spiced, and full of complementary textures and flavours.
Epicure Café, in the heart of the Queen West Theatre District, has been serving the neighborhood for over forty years. and this pumpkin pasta is a staple menu item. The ravioli is seasoned with ginger and nutmeg and then served in a parmesan cream sauce with grilled corn, spinach and mushrooms. Add some extra parmesan on top for added luxury.
Thought the luxury of a pumpkin dessert meant feeling guilty after? Nope. Sorelle and Co.'s pumpkin mousse tart, like all of its menu items, is not only light and delicious, it's completely gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free and sesame-free, too. A comforting winter dessert that'll make you feel a million dollars – we can't say no to that.
This serve is made up of Bulleit bourbon, Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old tawny port, pumpkin orange juice (and some added extras). It's sort-of old-fashioned-ish, sort-of-manhattan-ish, and all scary, in-your-face attitude. Go and drink it.
