The leaves are falling down, a crisp breeze is in the air, and every cafe, restaurant, and grocery store is offering pumpkin-flavored goodies. With many pumpkin-imbued treats offered by a variety of different stores, it becomes difficult to differentiate between what has good flavors and what has good advertising.

I must begin this description of delicious delicacies with the best of the bakeries, Russell’s Bakery & Coffee Bar. It has a delicious but less-than-attractive pumpkin muffin. For reasons unknown to me, it’s more cube-shaped than traditionally muffin-shaped. They also have a gorgeous array of sugar cookies. While the flavor is nothing to write home about, it’s hard to resist jack-o-lantern, ghost, and witch hat cookies. Russell’s can serve you fall flavors year round, thanks to the pumpkin spice latte that is permanently a part of their menu. I have to say that regardless of the time of year, a pumpkin spice latte is the way to go.

Now many of you may have heard of Kerbey Lane Cafe. They’ve finally got their fall menu up and running, and honestly, it is one of the best around. They have something to suit every palate on their menu. Their pumpkin pancake tastes like the Pumpkin God’s sweet, sweet tears. Do you prefer savory to sweet? Kerbey Lane has got you covered. Try out the butternut squash cake eggs Benedict. This combination of eggs, sausage and hollandaise sauce is so good you don’t even realize you’re eating vegetables.

You might be wondering where the mention of the flagship pumpkin spice lattes is. In my opinion, the Starbucks seasonal latte is nothing special. If you are a fan of these lattes, I might suggest cutting out the middleman and pumping the gourd flavored syrup directly into your mouth. I personally am not convinced that whoever designed this latte has ever even seen a pumpkin. In my opinion, the ultimate fall drink is the humble chai latte. It has all the warmth and spice of a pumpkin spice latte without the gross feeling that the only difference between you and a squirrel eating rotten jack-o’-lanterns is a chunky knit sweater.

For anyone seeking the comfort of fall foods without leaving the warmth of their bedroom, fear not, for you have not been forgotten. A number of grocery stores offer autumnal treats at falling prices. Randall’s, for example, has a simple and sugary pecan pie. It may like the finesse of its high-brow cousins, but it is sweet and flaky and perfect for low key get togethers. People willing to spend some more money can head over to Trader Joe’s and find unlimited fall vibes, like a fantastic apple cinnamon kringle.

If you don’t enjoy the seasonal combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, then I would advise you to move to an underground bunker and focus on canning, because fall flavors are out in full force.