The pie probe

Thanksgiving is on our doorstep, and some of you might have pie on your mind.
We know — homemade pie is usually the best. But restaurants in our fair region sure bake up some delicious offerings. So if you can’t get your hands on a pie made by the loving hands of a family member, the News Tribune sampled several area slices nominated by you, dear readers, to steer you toward your next sugar coma.
Chester Creek Café, 1902 E. Eighth St., 724-6811
Pecan Pie, $4.50, made on the premises
Jana says: This was the kind of pie that melts on your tongue. It’s also the kind that you sort of hold in your mouth a few seconds longer than normal just to savor it. The crust was flaky and the filling was buttery but subtle in its richness. The pecans had a luxurious bite to them.
Brandon says: This has always been my favorite style of pie, and now I have a new favorite place to eat it. It’s warm, gooey and buttery with just the perfect amount of brown sugar, a dessert that should be served before peace negotiations between warring countries.

Rustic Inn Cafe, 2773 Highway 61, 834-2488
Lemon Angel Pie, $3.99; Caramel Apple Pie with Pecans a la mode, $5.49: made on the premises

Jana says: The Lemon Angel Pie was a slice of pillowy fluff so soft you could put a baby to sleep on it. Finding the thin layer of meringue between the crust and the spun, tart loveliness of the lemon topping was like discovering a pie treasure. The crust was the best of any of the pies. It crumbled on contact.

The Caramel Apple Pie is pretty spectacular — a pie you would throw down for in a dark alley. The pecans were salty and crisp and, mixed with the caramel and apple chunks, you feel like you’re eating a perfect combination of flavors. Sure, it’s been done a thousand times before, but so what? It tasted like someone’s grandmother made it. Except that it’s better than your grandmother’s — it’s better than anyone’s grandmother’s.

Brandon says: Let’s say you’re on death row and the warden takes your order for the last meal. “Filet mignon?” asks the warden. “Lobster?” Tell the warden you’d rather have these desserts, where the showstopping Caramel Apple Pecan Pie is served warm and loaded up with three hefty scoops of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. So rich you could die right there. But you tell that heart attack to wait just a minute. The Lemon Angel, meanwhile, is sinful, with its simple, crumbly crust and gooey, fluffy filling that’s something that you might actually kill for. Chase it with a cup of coffee, then tell the warden you can die happy.

Rustic Inn blueberry, $3.89

Jana says: The Blueberry Pie was tangy. These blueberries lacked the cloying sweetness of so many that are plopped from a can. The thin, layered crust was dusted with sugar. This pie was not slapped together.

Brandon says: For me, eating fruit pies is like watching the Olympics: I’m generally not interested unless something special is going on. This pie brings a perfectly flaky, buttery crust, and that’s overflowing with a mound of blueberries with a confit presentation. A great sweet and tart contrast that’s nearly Michael Phelps-swimming-for-record-gold good.

New Scenic Café, 5461 North Shore Drive, 525-6274

Cherry Pie, $4, made on the premises

Jana says: The crust was doughy and the cherry filling was mushy. There were some elements of sourness to it, and the cherries were fresh. But this slice was not in the same league as the Rustic’s offerings, and not what you’d expect from one of the most consistently fantastic restaurants in Duluth.

Brandon says: Oh, New Scenic, you were the scene of my best meals in Duluth. I thought we had something special. So it pains me to say this: Go back to the drawing-board with the Cherry Pie. You should bring out something special. You should bake pie that stands up on the table, grabs your customers by the sweater vests and announces greatness. Instead you’ve offered something bland, boring and unremarkable. That was rough — I feel like I just kicked a good friend in the groin.

The New London Café, 4721 E. Superior St., 525-0777

Serving Betty’s Pies

Pumpkin Pie, $3.75, Five-layer Chocolate, $3.75

Jana says: New London gets its pies from Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors. The Pumpkin Pie was a workhorse rendition. It gets the job done but there is nothing spectacular about it. Nice spice, heft and chewy bottom layer.

The much-touted Five-layer Chocolate slice was a disappointment. If you really like chocolate, then this kind is for you. I tried to find all five layers and failed. And the crust counts as a layer. I don’t know how four layers of chocolate can be boring, but I’ve eaten water crackers more interesting than this pie.

Brandon says: At one point in time I’m sure something like the Pumpkin Pie drew raves and made it the tourist attraction that it is. Now? I felt like I was at a police scene, where I was rubber-necking looking for something interesting, but a cop is telling me: Move along, nothing special to see here.

Who cares if the Five-layer Chocolate has four layers or 20? (And for the record, I counted three, not including the crust — that non-visible layer of cinnamon the waitress told us about shouldn’t count). It’s chocolate pie. It has whipped cream and chocolate and pie crust. Do I need to say more?

The Duluth Grill, 118 S. 27th Ave. W., 726-1150

Banana Cream Pie, $4.49, made on the premises

Brandon says: Hyped by numerous Duluth Grill fanatics (you know who you are), it’s a pie that hypes itself. It comes complete with a really nifty presentation made to look almost like a water fountain, with slices of banana floating atop heaps of whipped cream on the edge of the plate, pointed toward a fun-looking pie shell filled with banana pie filling and more whipped cream. Unfortunately, the bland taste of vanilla tapioca with only a hint of banana didn’t match the look. And while the waitress said the shell was homemade, it tasted anything but. And yes, I fully expect hate e-mail from the fanatics for this one.

Jana says: The pie shape was reminiscent of a bread bowl for a salad. The slice comes out as a round, thick vessel for what amounted to banana pudding tinged with the flavor of vanilla extract. There was a nice attempt to decorate the plate with whipped cream, banana slices and powdered sugar.