The Piece de Resistance

It's finally the time of year in which we all get to have a piece of an old fashioned dessert at some point...pie! And even if pie is not your favorite dessert, everyone has a favorite flavor! 

I grew up enjoying my Finnish grandmother's handmade pies and listening to the numerous dinner guests that were always at her weekly Sunday dinners & holiday meals rave about Esther's pies being the best because of that perfect crust...the piece de resistance regardless of the pie flavor.

When I find myself wondering why I don't know how to make the things she executed so flawlessly I remember that there was no recipe book, no notecards, no pieces of paper tucked into a book...she just starting pulling out ingredients & worked from the memory of having made them her whole life. We would ask her questions like "how much did you use?"..."what goes in the bowl first?" and she would mumble a reply as if we were distracting her from her task. The only pie I make is pumpkin because I finally found a recipe that best mimics hers. However, the crust is usually just a graham or gingerbread crust since nothing rivals hers and my past attempts at replicating her crusts are disappointing at best. 

So if I can't make it, the next best option is to find a good source for the best pies and I have a few recommendations!

Buttermilk Sky

Birthed from the recipes of the founders’ own grandmothers recipes they  feature Southern favorites (hence the name) such as buttermilk, pecan & granny apple. Our personal favorite is their chocolate chess pie, a true southern specialty.

Emporium Pies

Opening their first location in an old house in the Bishop Arts District, this handmade pie shop was opened by two friends in 2011. Memorable pie names such as Drop Dead Gourdgeous, Smooth Operator & Drunken Nut characterize their menu of classic pie flavors. Cheryl’s favorite is their deep dish apple pie with cinnamon streusel top that is aptly named Lord of the Pies!

Oak Street Pie Company

Located in historic downtown Roanoke, this charming family owned ‘hole in the wall’ has been serving a wide variety of flavors since 2006. There are too many flavors to pick just one favorite!