Pie Rev ival
As pies take center stage, guests enjoy everything from
savory to sweet, individual to one-bite, and even pie
blended into a shake.
By Rob Benes
“WE’RE seeing a resurgence of
traditional pie flavors with new, innovative
ideas,” says Linda Hoskins, executive director
of the American Pie Council, Lake Forest,
Ill. “No matter how you slice them, pies are
appropriate to serve in all types of eateries.”
Take, for example, what’s happening in
New York, where several new venues have
opened in the past year. Four & Twenty
Blackbirds serves seasonal pies, but amps
up its holiday offerings with salted caramel/
apple pie, cranberry/sage pie, salty honey
pie and bittersweet-chocolate/pecan pie.
Hill Country Chicken serves a dozen flavors
of pie, and also offers a “pie shake”—a milk
shake made with three scoops of vanilla ice
cream, pie and milk.
DECONSTRUCTED
To give his pecan pie a new appearance
and incorporate a savory item, William
Muzio, executive chef at View in Oakdale,
N. Y., deconstructed it. “I didn’t want to mix
together all the pie’s ingredients and make
a traditional pie,” he says. “Rather, I wanted
each flavor and texture to represent itself
on one plate.”
