The Frankenstand: L.A.'s Very Own Spooky-Theme Mobile Cuisine

With the end of August finally upon us, it seems like the Halloween season is finally beginning in earnest. Halloween merchandise is gradually finding its way onto store shelves, the weather is starting to cool down (or it was, until last weekend! sheesh), and last night I attended the Hollywood premiere of Rob Zombie's Halloween 2. (More on that later!) This time of year - mid-August through the very beginning of November - is my favorite because it seems like, magically, everyone is suddenly on board with my interests. I mean, you can walk into the supermarket and find decorative monsters plates and bargain horror movies on DVD! But I digress.

Last weekend, I managed to check out both the Frankenstand, a horror-themed vegan hot dog cart, and the Poe celebration at Dark Delicacies. The Frankenstand, in particular, was an absolute revelation. Spooky veggie dogs?! Sign me up!

The cart is well-decorated, with spooky little flourishes everywhere - from the umbrella right down to the condiment table. And, of course, that menu! Not only are the names and descriptions clever (The Cannibal: "Mmm, tastes like chicken"), but each selection has an accompanying photo of the wolfman, witches, etc. Mr. Frankenstand himself dresses up rather nattily (hat, tie, vest), and there's even a tiny boombox playing creepy songs.

And how, you might ask, is the actual food? Delicious! I tried the Wolf ("packed with a fangtastic, chipotle pepper flavor") and the bf tried the Franken ("a monster blend of sun dried tomatoes & basil") and we were both very pleased. In fact, I think I can say without exaggeration that these are the best veggie dogs I've ever had...and the fact that they come served with a side of spooky makes them that much better. The Frankenstand will be at the Madex GuerrilLA Drive-In in downtown Los Angeles on September 6th and the Downtown Art Walk on September 10th. Check their MySpace for additional future dates and locations.

As for the Poe festivities at Dark Del, check out Creepy L.A.'s post on the event for a more detailed account than I can provide. I found myself a bit overwhelmed by the crowds (and the sweltering Valley heat), so after checking with the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab table to see if they had any full-sized vials of Blood available (they did not, but advised me to attend their open house event on September 4th at 12120 Sherman Way and kindly gave me a complimentary "imp" of the fragrance) and grabbing a couple of non-Poe-related books (a used copy of The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories and The Book of Lists: Horror, co-edited by Mr. Del Howison himself), we were on our way.

Later this week, I'll have a recap of the H2 premiere and a review of the film, as well as previews of some more upcoming spooky events. Happy End of August, everyone!

THIS WEEKEND: The Frankenstand at Pehrspace & Dark Delicacies Poe Celebration

I've been dying to check out the Frankenstand (above photo from their MySpace), a horror-themed vegan hot dog cart, ever since they found and commented on this very blog. And now it looks like tonight is my big chance: They'll be serving up the Wolf, the Witch, the Franken and the Cannibal at Pehrspace in Echo Park for the Hella Hipster Hoedown. It's $5 to get in to the Hoedown, but my guess is that the Frankenstand will be set up in the parking lot. Pehrspace is at 325 Glendale Blvd.; festivities start around 8:30 PM.

Then, on Sunday at 2 PM, the Poe madness continues with a special event at Dark Delicacies in Burbank. From the website:

Book launch party commenorating the 200th Anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe. Join illustrator Gris Grimly signing Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Death and Dementia. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab will be premiering four new oils based on "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether", "The Oblong Box" and "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", with a special Poe oil available with purchase of book, oil and a shirt or print. Original artwork from the book will be on display and for sale. Gris will also have limited editions posters and t-shirts.

Dark Delicacies is at 4213 Burbank Blvd.

Poe Renaissance in Full Effect

"They are neither man nor woman -

They are neither brute nor human -

They are Ghouls"

- Edgar Allan Poe, "The Bells"

I am, and always have been, a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe. (Are you shocked?!) There are few writers of any era who are as unerringly spooky as Poe, who are constantly dancing on the edges of madness regardless of subject matter - in fact, my personal favorite of his poems is the rather innocuously titled "The Bells." It seems that Poe mania is sweeping through L.A. lately - could it be because the 160th anniversary of his death is approaching this October? In any case, here is a brief recap of recent (and forthcoming!) events that fellow Poe fanatics will appreciate:

It seemed to begin with this spring's Poe-inspired art show at Halloween Town in Burbank, which just so happens to be my favorite store of all time, and a must for any Halloween enthusiast. If you missed the show, click on the link for an overview of the artists who were involved and a brief taste of their artwork. (Side note: It looks like the next art event at Halloween Town will be "A Tribute to the Haunted Mansion," coming this December! I'm unutterably excited about this, and will post more details as they emerge.)

I also discovered that Dark Delicacies, my second favorite store of all time, will be offering "four new scents based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe," as crafted by those "purveyors of fine esoteric goods, perfumes & potions" over at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Check them out in person at Dark Delicacies at 2 PM on August 23rd. In addition, DD will be holding a signing on the same day for Poe's Tales of Death and Dementia, illustrated by spooky artist extraordinaire Gris Grimly! Click the "Signings/Events" link on their website for more details.

Finally, the Steve Allen Theater has extended its run of Nevermore, a Poe-themed one-man show starring Jeffrey Combs, written by Dennis Paoli and directed by Stuart Gordon, through the end of August. Catch it on any Friday or Saturday evening next month - but make sure you order tickets ahead of time, as the show has been selling out nonstop. From the Steve Allen Theater MySpace:

Celebrate the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth with the star of Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine & Enterprise. Set in 1848, Nevermore is loosely based on real events and follows Poe on a cross-country speaking tour fraught with strange occurrences that signal Poe's descent into madness.

AFTER AUGUST 2, PERFORMANCES OF NEVERMORE WILL TAKE PLACE EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT IN AUGUST UNTIL THE 29TH!

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW: CLICK HERE!

$10, 8PM, FREE PARKING