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Chilliwack Pie

Vancouver Lee

By Vancouver Lee
in Western Canada: Dining

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Vancouver Lee

Vancouver Lee

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Posted (edited)

As some of you know, I've spent the summer learning to fly. It seems pilot's suffer from a common and incurable disease: addiction to $100 hamburgers. These are so named because an airplane costs about $100 to rent for an hour, and flying to an airport an hour or so away just to try their hamburgers is a great excuse to go flying.

Well it seems here in the Lower Mainland, the $100 Hamburger isn't in vogue (and having tasted the hamburgers at my home airport - Boundary Bay - it's no wonder). The excuse that gets pilots flying in from all over the Pacific-Northwest is pie from the Airport Coffee Shop in Chiliwack. The pie is legendary - my ground school instructor maintains that no student who flew to Chiliwack and brough back pie for their instructor ever failed their flight test!

The coffee shop has been owned and run by Barabara Mitchell and her son Jon for 25 years. Barbara does the pastry and Jon does the filling to the tune of 22 pies in 15 minutes. They have 50 varieties available but to keep things manageable they rotate and only offer 30 at any given time, so your selection will be somewhat limited. :rolleyes::laugh: You can call ahead and place your order for a complete pie, then fly in and pick it up. You leave a 5 buck deposit for the plate and return it next time you fly in. Very cool.

So far my training has taken me to Chiliwack twice, and I've tried the blackberry, raspberry-blueberry and the rhubarb, and all were excellent. Flaky but firm crust and fillings that are crammed with fruit. Yum yum. The big sign on the wall says it all: "We Fly for Pie".

I'll be flying to Chiliwack in a few days, and I'll be sure to offload some fuel to increase the allowable cargo load. PM me with your order.

Edited by Vancouver Lee (log)

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

www.leecarney.com

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Mooshmouse

Mooshmouse

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Ooooooh, Chilliwack airport pie. My uncle used to run the Hope airport weather station; though he's been retired for a few years now, he still raves about his regular stops in Chilliwack en route to or from this side of the Fraser. I've been dying to try this pie for years and will happily take you up on your offer! :biggrin::wink:

Joie Alvaro Kent

"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2,000 of something." ~ Mitch Hedberg

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Badiane

Badiane

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It's just up the road from our place...went to high school with John...it's really just okay. I certainly wouldn't fly here for it...in fact, I don't even drive down the road for it. There are just so many better things to eat in Chilliwack. You really thought it was that good? Hmmmm. Of course, you have never been to my place, so I guess maybe since you haven't tried my pie, you would think it was good and can be forgiven.

Don't try to win over the haters. You're not the jackass whisperer."

Scott Stratten

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Vancouver Lee

Vancouver Lee

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It's just up the road from our place...went to high school with John...it's really just okay.  I certainly wouldn't fly here for it...in fact, I don't even drive down the road for it.  There are just so many better things to eat in Chilliwack.  You really thought it was that good?  Hmmmm. 

I'm certainly no pie expert and I grew up eating pie made with canned pie filling, but the pie tasted pretty good to me. And their pie is quite honestly legendary in the pilot community in the Pacific Northwest.

Of course, you have never been to my place, so I guess maybe since you haven't tried my pie, you would think it was good and can be forgiven.

Is that an invitation? Is your yard big enough for a grass landing strip? :laugh:

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

www.leecarney.com

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Keith Talent

Keith Talent

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On pie or cheap pastry related double-entendres?

On Pie? I can't be bothered. Pie is the dullest foodstuff ever created. Why do you think Dale Cooper was so obsessed with a slice in Twin Peaks? Yeah Canuckllehead might say something regarding the Donna Hayward character played by Lauara Flynn Boyle. Truth be told is was because he was as dull as a piece of pie. No subtext involved. Pie. It's even a boring number.

The innuendo just results in me getting pm's for assorted and sundry admins telling me to knock it off. If I was going to make some off colour commentary however I'd mention that Chilliwack seems like an awfully short flight time. I'm a long haul man myself.

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annanstee

annanstee

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Once in my halycon days a guy took me to Chilliwack in his plane for pie- a stand out first date. However, he did ask me how much I weighed for the flight log :blink:

The pie was not as good as my mom's - but it was good.

The sea was angry that day my friends... like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

George Costanza

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Vancouver Lee

Vancouver Lee

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Once in my halycon days a guy took me to Chilliwack in his plane for pie- a stand out first date. However, he did ask me how much I weighed for the flight log  :blink:

The pie was not as good as my mom's - but it was good.

I've given that exact issue much thought. The pilot does need to calculate the total take-off weight so it's not like he was just curious, but if it were me, I'd have just estimated, added a few pounds just to be safe, and avoided the whole unfortunate incident altogether. That's my strategy when I take my wife flying for the first time, anyway. :biggrin:

Vancouver Lee Airlines is stopping in Chilliwack tomorrow (Saturday) morning. If anyone wants pie (the edible kind, you perverts), speak up now.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

www.leecarney.com

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annanstee

annanstee

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:biggrin:

Once in my halycon days a guy took me to Chilliwack in his plane for pie- a stand out first date. However, he did ask me how much I weighed for the flight log   :blink:

The pie was not as good as my mom's - but it was good.

I've given that exact issue much thought. The pilot does need to calculate the total take-off weight so it's not like he was just curious, but if it were me, I'd have just estimated, added a few pounds just to be safe, and avoided the whole unfortunate incident altogether. That's my strategy when I take my wife flying for the first time, anyway. :biggrin:

Yes, I knew at the time that he needed to know, it is just an unfortunate question for a first date :biggrin: To his credit, he did guess, but underestimated my weight quite a bit.

The sea was angry that day my friends... like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.

George Costanza

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kontemporary

kontemporary

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Posted (edited)
:biggrin:
Once in my halycon days a guy took me to Chilliwack in his plane for pie- a stand out first date. However, he did ask me how much I weighed for the flight log  :blink:

The pie was not as good as my mom's - but it was good.

I've given that exact issue much thought. The pilot does need to calculate the total take-off weight so it's not like he was just curious, but if it were me, I'd have just estimated, added a few pounds just to be safe, and avoided the whole unfortunate incident altogether. That's my strategy when I take my wife flying for the first time, anyway. :biggrin:

Yes, I knew at the time that he needed to know, it is just an unfortunate question for a first date :biggrin: To his credit, he did guess, but underestimated my weight quite a bit.

Well maybe that was perhaps to not offend anyone, as any good man would do. :wink:

A friend of mine is working on getting his pilot license... I'll be sure to tell him of these Chilliwack pies :cool:

Edited by rêvasser (log)

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

Virginia Woolf

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Badiane

Badiane

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Sadly I have no room for you to land your aircraft in my back yard...but I'd be delighted to bake a pie and meet you at the airport :smile:

If you can get Ling and Mooshmouse and anyone else who is interested to divulge thier collective weights for the flight, I will bring pie for all!

Don't try to win over the haters. You're not the jackass whisperer."

Scott Stratten

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Vancouver Lee

Vancouver Lee

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Sadly I have no room for you to land your aircraft in my back yard...but I'd be delighted to bake a pie and meet you at the airport  :smile: 

If you can get Ling and Mooshmouse and anyone else who is interested to divulge thier collective weights for the flight, I will bring pie for all!

That sounds like a plan, Badiane. I might even be able to talk the folks at the airport into letting me into their kitchen with my camera and documenting the whole thing for eGulleteers to see for themselves. Once I'm legal to fly with passengers I'll let you know.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

www.leecarney.com

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