silicon valley pie search

[et alors]

I have a dream for my birthday: good old fashioned pie. Like Duarantes, except I'm very pregnanat and I'm not allowed to go that far away from my hospital (Duarntes is in Pescadero).

Real pie= homemade flakey crust, fresh fruit, and none of that yucky thick corn syrup goo binding.

I live in palo alto, so anything 30-45 minutes north or south is fine (or I can send an intrepid explorer further, if it's really great pie!)

Ideas???

[John S.]

I have a dream for my birthday: good old fashioned pie. Like Duarantes, except I'm very pregnanat and I'm not allowed to go that far away from my hospital (Duarntes is in Pescadero).

Real pie= homemade flakey crust, fresh fruit, and none of that yucky thick corn syrup goo binding.

I live in palo alto, so anything 30-45 minutes north or south is fine (or I can send an intrepid explorer further, if it's really great pie!)

Ideas???

In the Autumn, I've been getting pies at Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville since the kids used to go there on school field trips to watch their apple pressing facility. I know it's a bit far, but you (your courrier) could go via Hecker pass rather than highway 17. Their apple pies are the huge kind, and their berry and pumpkin pies are just as you described. They have (or did have) tayberries (raspberry/ollalieberry hybrid) as well. Their recipe for apple juice is delicious and its unpasteurized so no lost flavor. Thanks for the post - I need to get down there. They have apple butter cooking weekend soon, and they close on December 31 every year. Sorry you can't enjoy it this year, but congrats on the pregnancy!

About Duarantes: good pies?

John S.

[et alors]

About Duarntes: good pies?

Duartes: good pies.

I'm the kinda person who, when driving across america, stops and has pie with every single meal, trying to find good pie. Jack Keroac would be sad, Des Moines is no longer a pie town.

The best is the olallieberry pie, but blueberry and apple are pretty good. I'm not sure they make them there, but they are homemade, and you can buy them whole to take home as well as eat them there. Warm, a la mode, which is my (i know, impure) choice. or even plain.

Sorry for the bad spelling, but the link should help.

Edited October 22, 2005 by et alors (log)

[ludja]

I agree that the pies at Duartes are very good.

I ususally never order pie out unless it is a place that I can guess might make homemade pies. I really can't think of anywhere around here that fits the bill or that I guess would be a likely candidate. There's not too many old-fashioned farm stands or diners in Silicon Valley anymore...

I would (and do) make my own pies--to avoid the inner goo and mediocre crusts you described. Is making one truly not a possibility?

I have never tried store bought crusts but if making the crust is completely out of the question you could at least have a good filling. Maybe the purchased crusts aren't too bad either, I don't know...

Best wishes for your birthday and upcoming new addition to your family.

edited to add: And thanks for the info on Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville, John S.

Edited October 22, 2005 by ludja (log)

[et alors]

I gambled and I won. I got a cherry pie from Pennsuila Creamery grill in downtown Palo Alto. In the past, I was so in love with their milkshakes I never gave their pie a chance. But I am happy to report:

good crust

sour cherries (vital!)

good filler

I couldn't bake because my family was doing things to the house, but if I could have, I would have done this

My Grandmother's Pie Crust Recipe

This is a classic, old fashioned Iowa recipe. Fill with apples tossed with cinamon and sugar, cherries, or other goodies.

3/4 Cup plus 2 T. shortening (Crisco)

1/4 Cup boiling water

1 T. milk

1 tsp. salt

2 1/4 Cup sifted flour

Put shortening in mixing bowl. Add boiling water and milk. Beat mixture with a fork until smooth and thick. Sift flour and salt into mixture. Stir with round-the-bowl strokes until dough clings together and cleans the bowl. Lightly form dough into 2 balls. Roll out on lightly floured surface until 1/8 " thiick. Ease dough into 9" pie plate. Roll out 2nd ball & lay over filled pie shell. Trim about 1/2" beyond edge. Fold under and flute.

[ludja]

I gambled and I won. I got a cherry pie from Pennsuila Creamery grill in downtown Palo Alto. In the past, I was so in love with their milkshakes I never gave their pie a chance. But I am happy to report:

good crust

sour cherries (vital!)

good filler

...

←

Hey, great idea et alors!

I haven't eaten at the Peninsula Creamery in an age. I also always ordered their milkshakes so I woudn't have known first hand about their pies. And it's cool to know that they use sour cherries, I may have to check that out soon.

Thanks for sharing your grandmother's pie crust recipe from Iowa as well. It's fascinating how different it is from the 'usual' ice cold water, cut butter/shortening into peameal" style recipes.

[ludja]

I thought of this thread after reading this recent SF Chron article on pies in the Bay Area: click

You'd think I'd be sick of them, yet just as summer ends, the hankering comes up again. But who knew it was so hard to find classic pie anymore? A double crust, or open-faced, fruit, cream, buttermilk, nut-filled pie has been bumped off many a menu in favor of crostatas, galettes, tarts and tartlets.

There are a few restaurants, like Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero, Walker's in Albany and Liberty Cafe in Bernal Heights, that have become known for their pies. Others, like the new-ish Brick and Farmer Brown, might provide a welcome surprise.

Regardless, nothing beats the hominess of good ol' pie, especially with the bursting-with-sweetness late summer fruits and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.

This article will be up for a week or so but here's their list for once it is gone:

Bette's Ocean View Diner 1807-A Fourth St. (near Hearst), Berkeley; (510) 644-3230. Look for various pies: key lime, banana cream and revolving fruit pies.

Brick 1085 Sutter St. (at Larkin), San Francisco; (415) 441-4232. Summer pie has an amaretto custard with fresh berry marmalade.

Chenery Park 683 Chenery St. (near Diamond), San Francisco; (415) 337-8537. ... and pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

Duarte's Tavern 202 Stage Road (at Pescadero), Pescadero; (650) 879-0464. olallieberry pie is one specialty

Farmer Brown 25 Mason St. (at Turk), San Francisco; (415) 409-3276. bourbon pecan pie.

Izzy's Steaks and Chops 55 Tamal Vista Blvd. (near Wornum), Corte Madera; (415) 924-3366. key lime pie

Liberty Cafe 410 Cortland Ave. (near Bennington), San Francisco; (415) 695-8777. The chicken pot pie and banana cream pie are the major draws ...

Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS

The Pine Cone Diner 60 Fourth St. (at B Street), Point Reyes Station; (415) 663-1536. good cobblers, pies and fries.

Walker's Restaurant and Pie Shop 1491 Solano Ave. (between Curtis and Santa Fe), Albany; (510) 525-4647. crisp-crusted pies in more than 40 flavors.

Yankee Pier 286 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; (415) 924-7676.

Lemon meringue pie, chocolate pie