If you're the type of person who always means to go out on Halloween, but somehow seems to end up snuggled up inside instead, The Highball is making things painfully easy for you this year. The bar is located a mere 300 feet from Lamar Union—it's actually in your complex. So that "I don't feel like going out" excuse is going to fall extra flat this year.

That's fine, though, because you won't want to miss Highballoween anyway. How often does Halloween fall on a Saturday? You need to take full advantage. The bar's ballroom morphs into a haunted house, complete with creepy music videos playing in the background and constant pranks. Don your best costume and jump in the photo booth with friends, but get professional help from a face painting artist before you do. You might snag $200 if your costume wins the contest. There will also be plenty of candy on hand, not to mention other autumn activities (think bobbing for apples).

Highballoween
The Highball
9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 31
1120 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 383-8309
thehighball.com/events/detail/27726
www.yelp.com/biz/the-highball-austin-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr wwarby

Austin's laid-back approach to dining enables even chefs with modest means to get their food out there, particularly thanks to the rise of the food trailer. The chefs working in the cramped kitchen at Pasta Artigianale only recently joined that subset of chefs, unveiling their food trailer in August. It's permanently parked less than two miles from Lamar Union.

Don't let the size of the "restaurant" fool you; this Italian food is the real stuff. Chefs have time to really perfect each dish because they keep the menu so small, offering only six dishes. Each showcases freshly crafted pasta, starting with the bucatini alla amatriciana and ending with the lasagna. Rigatoni al ragu, spaghetti al pesto, penne al ragu di tonno, and spaghetti alla carbonara fill in the space in between. Enjoy your plate of fresh pasta at the picnic table situated right in front of the food window.

Pasta Artigianale
​900 Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 915-4855
www.yelp.com/biz/pasta-artigianale-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Sho Kuwamoto

If you actually ordered momos in Tibet, they'd probably be packed with yak meat. But the chefs who recreate this traditional dish in Austin cater to American eaters with some more familiar fillings, namely ground beef and veggies. Even so, the Tibetan-style dumplings are a departure from the fare you'll find elsewhere in Austin, even at its many eclectic food trucks and trailers.

Since it opened over the summer, Tibetan Momo has set up shop just about a mile from Lamar Union. So if you're still wondering exactly what a "momo" is, you can easily taste a few for yourself. They come steamed or pan-fried, filled with veggies or beef, and they're not the only thing on the menu. Tibetan Momo also doles out dishes like beef chow mein, tingmo (steamed buns), and fried rice.

Have you tried these momos yet?

Tibetan Momo
2323 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
www.yelp.com/biz/tibetan-momo-austin
austin.eater.com/2015/8/31/9233833/best-austin-new-food-trucks

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Clément Belleudy