Category: Eat & Drink

Pie (NOT Pizza!!!) in New York

By aliciak
updated 3 months ago

Pie is a dessert in my [cook]book, not dough slathered with tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella, as long as we're clear on that. Pie-making is a true art-form that I practice regularly; while I scoff at waiting 30 minutes for a brunch table, I can easily while away 2+ hours making pie from scratch. It's fun to be domestic in a city like New York and talk about pie-baking at parties as everyone stares at you funny because they've never even used their oven. Luckily, there are plenty of places to score some homemade pie without all the work and time involved.

I am a Baking Snob

There, I said it! And boy did it feel good. I learned to bake from my mother, who comes from a long line of SUPERB bakers; I’ve been rolling out cookie dough since before I could read. I was practically born in an apron, whisk in hand, cheeks dusted in flour! I scoff at those who don’t bake (or cook) from scratch, and when I taste anything, at a restaurant, party, house, I am probably silently judging.

I’m perfectly content being barefoot in the kitchen, whipping up edibles that will be devoured in minutes. (OMG and I went to ultra-feminist school, Smith College!) If you want to bake with me, I will probably try to force one of my 15+ vintage aprons on you and we will take NO shortcuts along the way. (See that can? You’re gonna open it with your TEETH. Kidding. I’m not that crazy) But with that, I am your pie expert…albeit a slightly cocky and annoying one.

New York Pie Shops

One of my 567,349 dreams in life is to open a pie shop on Main Street, U.S.A., possibly as part of my bed & breakfast? “bed & pie” perhaps? Until freelance writing and all-around hustling gets me a down payment on something costing more than $50, I will continue to frequent pie-baking venues wherever I am.

New York isn’t exactly known for its strength as a pie capital, but let’s see what we’ve got here anyway.

Little Pie Company

424 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036

Stole my pie shop name! No, not really, but it’s so cute. Simple. Why does it have to be so close to big, gross Port Authority? Little Pie Company has a Mississippi Mud Pie that is like compacted oreos taken to the next culinary level. A friend of mine used to live nearby and it was always enjoyable to walk by and get a whiff of all the pie smells.

Down Under Bakery Pies

211 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY 11215

WARNING: these are not dessert pies! Nope, not pizza either, but meat pies! Ewww. I’m one of those people who doesn’t like eating cakes shaped to look like hamburgers, or gummy candy that looks like band-aids. I guess I don’t like misrepresentation or something?

I’m not too fond of the idea of “meat pie,” but apparently this Australian/New Zealand purveyor is sticking to its roots. Curry veggies, “breakfast pie” (bacon, egg, cheese), steak & mushroom. These are the kind of pies served!

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

204 Van Dyke Street Brooklyn, NY 11231

Red Hook is a peculiar entity all to itself, so it befits the neighborhood that Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies is marked by cute little signs with arrows throughout. Key lime pie is actually one of the easiest pies to make, but boy do people do it wrong.

Steve’s does it right yum yum yum! Gordon Elliot of the Food Network calls him “The undisputed MASTER of Key Lime Pie.” Quite the title for such a humble operation.

Bubby's Pie Company

120 Hudson Street New York, NY 10013

The ancient-looking metal and neon sign out front harkens back to the good ‘ole days of greasy spoons and roadside diners, but Bubby’s is smack dab in the middle of bustling Tribeca. While the food’s caliber has gone down slightly over the years, it is still PIE CENTRAL.

Chocolate peanut butter…sour cherry…banana cream…am I making you hungry? Unrelated, there’s a photo booth machine here! If you’re going to eat pie, document your happy faces afterward.

Buy the Book: Bubby's Homemade Pies

Leaving New York and still want your Bubby’s? (That sounds wrong for some reason). Buy the book and make all the pies from the comfort of your own home. Read about the humble beginnings of Bubby’s waaaaay back in 1990 while you’re at it.

I’m always amazed at how expensive pies really are. It’s not the ingredients necessarily, but the labor hours involved. A pie shipped within the U.S. from Bubby’s is $60! Seriously, buy this book.

Corner Cafe & Bakery

1645 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10128

This place used to be Yura, but like many join ventures in New York, the partners split! And the 3rd Avenue Yura became Corner Cafe and Bakery. I always thought this place was too stark in the UES way and that the baked goodies wouldn’t deliver. But they do!

It has morphed into more of a lunch/brunch spot, but you can still get the melt-in-your-mouth cookies and pies.

The Philosophy of Pie-Making

I have this whole theory about pie-making actually being a really sensual process that requires care, attention, patience and, dare I say it, love? It’s almost like a relationship or a particular act that should be taken slowly, never rushed. Your eye should be on each individual step, not the ending. If the thought of a shortcut even pops into your head, the pie will not be as good as it could have been.

And because pie-making is a skill that fewer and fewer people possess, it is one that I am particularly proud of having. Rolling out the dough with arms flexed, crimping the pastry around the edge of the pie dish, making the cuts that allow heat to escape…I could go on and on! But remember, patience, diligence and determination are all qualities to keep in mind.

My Berry Pie Recipe

If I could reach through the computer screen and teach you how to make pie, I would! And until I get my Sensual Pie-Making Class up and running, a recipe will have to do. Refer to Betty Crocker or any reputable cookbook for pie shell technique and general tips.

Crust:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon butter or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons water

Filling:
5 cups mixed sliced berries (I use raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and sometimes blueberries)
1 cup sugar (one time I forgot this…whoops!)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or 4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter

To make pastry, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter/shortening by crisscrossing 2 knives, or better yet, with a pastry blender, a must for serious pie makers. Add water 1 tbsp at a time and toss with a fork until pastry can be gathered into 2 balls.

TIP: refrigerate for 30 minutes so that it’s a bit firm (this will make the crust flaky!) before rolling out. Roll out one ball into a large enough circle and ease into the pie dish; mix all filling ingredients together, except the butter, and place in dish. Dot with butter and work your magic with the top crust whichever way you prefer (I like a fluted edge).

Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, then lower oven temp. to 325 and bake for another 30 minutes. Check up on it at least every 10 minutes.

Bowery Kitchen Supply Equipment

460 W 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

Part of Chelsea Market (and not on the Bowery!), this kitchen supply store will fulfill the basic needs you have to get your pie-baking on. A pastry blender and a 9-inch glass pie dish and you are good to go. Walk around the market though because there are quite a few bakeries with open kitchens here. Get inspired!

Tarzian West for Housewares

194 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Small, cramped and chock-full of kitchenware, Tarzian West if your go-to spot for aprons, pink spatulas, bright blue colanders, and all those pretty things that should be around as you embark on a pie-making journey.