I only usually eat dessert when I go out to dinner. Although I love a sweet treat, as far as cooking goes pastry is not my strong suit. So besides the odd box of chocolates and packet of biscuits (cookies) there’s nothing much in the way of dessert around the house.
Some years ago I was at a friend’s place for dinner and she had some really great apple pie for dessert. I just assumed it was made by her mother who is a fantastic cook and is always sending her food, but was surprised to hear that she picked it up from a local pie shop – the Little Pie Company. Soon after I picked some up to take to a family dinner; they were a huge hit and everyone wanted to know why I hadn’t brought more. Ever since then I always get requests for these pies whenever I’m headed to visit someone outside the city.
I don’t know much about where they got their start but at one point they did have 3 locations which made it very convenient to get my fix. Unfortunately now they are down to just one location – Hell’s Kitchen. I suppose I should just be glad that they haven’t disappeared completely like a lot of other great places in this city, but it was a sad day when their Grand Central Terminal outpost was replaced by yet another cupcake shop.
Their Hell’s Kitchen shop is small, but cosy. A large part of the space is of course dedicated to making the pies, and you can see the bakers in action. There are a few tables near the window and some outside, but it’s mostly a takeout spot. Their pies are available in three sizes – 5″, 8″ and 10″ – and by the slice. The 5″ is the perfect size for two people to share, or a good option if you are looking to get an assortment to satisfy a lot of different tastes.
Though the majority of the pies, and what they are known for, are of the sweet variety they do have some savory pot pies available as well as a selection of cakes. My favourite pie flavours are the key lime, southern pecan and apple. The key lime is made with real key lime juice and not regular limes like some key lime pie you find outside The Keys, though this version does not have any meringue topping. With the right balance of tart and sweet it’s one of the best pies I’ve ever had. It’s best straight from the fridge, cold and creamy.
Of course their apple is a classic and I love the crust best of all – flaky and buttery. I normally go for the larger pies, but when it comes to the apple I prefer the 5″ since you get a much better ratio of crust to filling. Obviously this won’t work if you’re feeding a lot of people, but if you’re not it’s the way to go. Warm from the oven with a scoop of ice cream, a slice of this is a real comfort.
These pies are now the traditional dessert at my family’s Thanksgiving table. When I first found out about this place I could stop in after work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and pick up any pie I wanted. That is definitely not the case now. The line of people waiting for their pies is around the block. They’re obviously doing something right.
apintoflife 