Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia’s top Halloween bar is back even bigger, bolder and more immersive than ever. Craftsman Row Saloon, at 112 S. 8th Street, is excited to announce the anticipated return of their award-winning Halloween pop-up experience – Nightmare Before Christmas: The Enchanted Nightmare. Guests are invited to wander through a haunted forest, have their fortune told by candlelight and step into a world where their favorite scary movies – and the spooky whimsy of The Nightmare Before Christmas – come to life. On the Halloween menu of food additions look for Frankenberger, Vampire Burger, Oktoberfest Burger, Spookghetti and Meatballs, Candy Apple Turkey BLT, Ms. Argentina (Dorito crusted chicken sandwhich), Smoked Queso Skillet, Spiderweb Chips and Guac, Boo-Schetta and Harvest Moon Salad. From the bar, look for a special menu of potions and cocktails including Candytini, Web of Nightmares, Toxic Treat, Bloody Nightcap, Pumpkin Marg, Midnight Mezcal, Vampire Bite, Witches Goblet, Forbidden Apple, Bloodbag, and much more.
For over-the-top milkshakes, look for Mad Scientist, Pumpkin to Talk About, Scary Movie Night and Caramel Apple Crypt. Get your Spook on with Craftsman Row through October 31st, when the two owners will quickly begin work on their award-winning Christmas pop-up that debuts in early November. Reservations are now available on Opentable. Kitchen hours: Wednesday 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Thursday 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Friday 4:00pm to 11:00pm, Saturday 12:00pm to 11:00pm, and Sunday 12:00pm to 9:00pm.
NEW: THE ENCHANTED NIGHTMARE
Guests enter through a Haunted Forest of weeping willows, wooden branches, hanging spirits, past hay bales, pumpkins, and caution tape marking the trail. By the window, a video camera appears to be “recording” the action, all watched over by the whimsical characters, Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas – the very theme that started Craftsman Row’s Halloween tradition five years ago.
Along the way, a fortune-telling banquette sets the scene with a custom mural built entirely of tarot cards, crystals loom from overhead, and a crystal ball tells the good fortune of enjoyment to be had at Craftsman Row. Surrounded by flickering lights, draped fabric, jars of potions, and a vintage radio, guests will be cloaked in the eerie sights and sounds of the season. With the Halloween take-over in the dining room comes three over-the-top themed milkshakes with elaborate decorations, unique flavors, giant cookies and more.
Known for their over-the-top floor to ceiling decor: a new custom stormy cloud looms above the bar, dozens of floating candles and witches hats drift throughout the installation.
The “NOW SHOWING: ENCHANTED” marquees and returning film-reel, our favorite Halloween characters and clapperboard details in the back bring the warm and titillating feelings of our favorite Halloween movies. And of course Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without dozens of spiders crawling up the walls and hanging overhead.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
* Floor to ceiling, wall to wall and (outside) sky to sidewalk decor
* Handcrafted giant sandworm look for its next being to feast on – over 20+ feet long
* Thousands of twinkling lights
* Dozens of floating witches hats
* More spiders than ever before – including the largest and heaviest of them all
* Thousands of feet of cobwebs
* Dozens more skeletons
* Gory bits galore
* Pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns
* Outdoor light display
THEME BITES
With the evolved décor comes a menu just as over-the-top. Returning favorites include the Vampire Burger (american cheese, candied bacon, pumpkin aioli, cheddar cheese, olive eyes, blue tortilla chip ears) and the Frankenberger (pepper jack, jalapeño bolts, fried onions, pickle eyes, lettuce, tomato, spicy barbecue sauce), the Boo-schetta (prosciutto, ghost-shaped mozzarella, balsamic glaze), Spiderweb Chips & Guac (blue corn tortilla chips, house guacamole, sour cream, web, olive spider), and Spookghetti & Meatballs (spaghetti, marinara sauce, parmesan, mozzarella, olive eyes). New this year: the Oktoberfest Burger (pretzel bun, beer cheese, crispy onions, lettuce, tomato, zucchini stem), the Smoked Queso Skillet(smoked gouda queso, blue tortilla chips), The Belly of the Beast (braised pork belly, street corn dip, aioli spider, brussels sprouts), Pumpkin Sage Séance (pumpkin ravioli, cream sage sauce), Monster Tacos (chicken tinga, lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy aioli, olive eyes), and the Candy Apple Turkey BLT (bacon, cheddar, apple slaw, maple Dijon aioli, country bread)
DRINKS AND POTIONS
From the bar, a full lineup of seasonal cocktails brings the theme to life — sip a Pumpkin Margarita (tequila, triple sec, lemon, pumpkin simple, served in a take-home pumpkin glass), a Witches Goblet (whiskey, blackberry brandy, lime, ginger beer, served in a black take-home goblet), or take a shot of Bobbing for a Bad Apple(green apple jello, vodka, caramel topper) or Fortune Tellers Poison (vodka, simple, pea flower, lemon juice, served in a glass beaker).
FOUR THEME MILKSHAKES
No visit is complete without a themed milkshake: the returning Scary Movie Night (cookie dough ice cream, popcorn, Halloween candy, body part candy, keepsake popcorn bucket) and Pumpkin To Talk About (local vanilla ice cream, pumpkin puree, festive pretzel rod, edible fall leaves and whipped cream) are joined this year by the new Mad Scientist (mint chocolate chip ice cream, lab coat cookie, rock candy, Nerds, and body parts candy, festive sprinkles), and a new boozy option, the Caramel Apple Crypt (vanilla ice cream, apple liquor, sugared apple, graham cracker crumble, caramel).
NOW OPEN FOR SPOOKY SEASON
Wander the woods if you dare. Let the cards choose your fate – and your drink. Every nightmare has an ending… but this one doesn’t end until November 1. All your senses during this spooky season will be immersed and Craftsman Row will once again become a Halloween destination serving up the best haunted feels and delightful and frightfully delicious offerings.
Get your Spook on with CraftsmanRow through October 31st. Reservations are now available on Opentable. Kitchen hours: Wednesday 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Thursday 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Friday 4:00pm to 11:00pm, Saturday 12:00pm to 11:00pm, and Sunday 12:00pm to 9:00pm.
Look for Craftsman Row Saloon to turn into one of the most celebrated, one of the most decorated Christmas and holiday bars/ restaurants in America starting November 5th.
ABOUT CRAFTSMANROW SALOON
CraftsmanRow Saloon is owned by brother-and-sister restaurateurs George and Vasiliki Tsiouris, co-owners of Midtown Village’s popular Drury Beer Garden that currently features their beloved Greek cuisine with the Opa Pop-Up. CraftsmanRow, located at 112 South 8th Street, is named for the hard-working artisans that comprise this area known as Jeweler’s Row. CraftsmanRowoffers guests in a comfortable, neighborhood setting.
Since taking it over, the Tsiouris family has refreshed the space, a landmark for eating and drinking for 100 years, most recently known as Coco’s, which opened in 1984. Respecting the building’s deep history, the Tsiouris’ chose to maintain specific aspects of its character, such as the original bar facade, marked by nameplates of Coco’s regulars at each end. The nine booths, reupholstered in button tufted brown leather, and the 16 bar stools have been painted black to match the new distressed black hardwood floors that were installed. The ceiling is dark as well, brightened by light wooden beams that are now exposed. Five televisions positioned at various points of view will broadcast sports games and other events for those looking to root for their favorite local teams. Clever accents, including small, wooden faux taxidermy and modern campfire-style pendant lighting and sconces, are thoughtfully placed throughout the space, lending to the saloon vibe.