Make Me Some Pie: A pie blog in Portland, Oregon. » Pie in Portland Oregon

Pie Judgin’ Ain’t Easy

Joel — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:40:03 +0000

Comment Below on Your National Pie Day Activities for a Chance to Win a Copy of “Pie Contest in a Box”

Thanks to Pacific Pie Company for hosting a great National Pie Day Pie Contest yesterday and for inviting me to be a judge!

The contest was a lot of fun and there were some great submissions! Here are a few photos from the event:

Look for the 1st Place winners on Pacific Pie Co’s menu in February! The winners were:

1st Place Sweet: Judith for Cherry Pie
1st Place Savory: Eric for Pork + Sweet Potato Pie
People’s Choice Award: Autumn for Meyer Lemon Hibiscus Pie -
2nd Choice Sweet: Richard for Pecan Pie
2nd Choice Savory: Veronica for Butternut Bliss

This was my second experience judging pies. It’s always fun, because it gives me a chance to see how my pie-tasting stacks up with other experts, so I was pleased to see that my favorites were mostly in-line with the results.

Pacific Pie Co.’s owner, Sarah Curtis-Fawley, used the “Pie Contest in a Box” kit to run the contest, and I have to say, I was very impressed by the organization of the contest. The scorecards really helped me focus my thoughts on what I was judging and I think it helped the organizers tally the results easily.

With that said, I’ve been sitting on a copy I received of “Pie Contest in a Box” for far too long – so in the spirit of National Pie Day, I’m giving away my copy!

Pie Contest in a Box, written by Gina Hyams, includes a book that “orients judges to the history of pie, discusses why pie matters, outlines different categories of pie and official judging criteria, and includes prize-winning recipes.” Plus, it includes everything you need to run a pie contest, including Pie Contest Judge Badges, Numbered Pie Toppers, Scorecards and Prize Ribbons!

So, here’s the deal, to enter yourself for a chance to win Pie Contest in a Box – tell us what you’re planning, or what you did, for National Pie Day by commenting below! Make sure to use an email address I can reach you at to get your shipping address if you win! I’ll leave it open until Jan. 27 – good luck!

2012 National Pie Day Rundown for Portland

Joel — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:31:48 +0000

January 23 is National Pie Day, as deemed by the American Pie Council (not to be confused with Pi Day, March 14, as deemed by nerds everywhere).

Here is a rundown of events and specials planned by Portland area pie purveyors! Keep checking back throughout the week, the list is bound to grow!

Events

Baker & Spice Birthday Bash - National Pie Day, coincidentally, falls around the same time as the birthday of Hillsdale’s Baker & Spice. And, Baker & Spice, coincidentally, makes amazing pie. They celebrate all weekend long, January 21-22 and will be serving up meringue pie-lets, savory pot pies, drawings & giveaways, balloons and coloring for the kids! They also have pies by the slice for $4, which you can’t always find there, so it’s a grand occasion indeed! Plus, 25% of sales off their Pie Day menu will be gifted to Neighborhood House - so eat pie for a good cause!
Pacific Pie Co. Pie Contest - Pacific Pie Company will host its 1st Annual Pie Contest in celebration of National Pie Day. The pie contest will be held on Sunday, January 22 at 1pm at Pacific Pie Company’s bakery and restaurant in SE Portland. Judges include Jen Stevenson (author of 100 Best Places to Stuff Your Faces), Chris Hertel (farmer at SunGold Farm in Forest Grove), Kate Withiam (Pacific Pie Co. Pastry Chef) and yours truly. Prizes will be awarded for the top pies, and the 1st place sweet and savory pies will be featured on Pacific Pie Co’s menu in February.
Random Order Coffeehouse + Caffe Vita - Random Order & Caffe Vita are partnering on pie and coffee pairings on January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Random Order and on January 21 at 4 p.m. at Caffe Vita Alberta. They will pair Kentucky Pecan with Fair Trade Organic Theo Blend, Flirty Berry with Single Origin Columbian and Herbed Cream Cheese & Sundried Tomatoes with Single Origin Kenyan. The pairing events are FREE. See below for pie day specials.

Specials

Baker & Spice - See above.
Divine Pie – Divine Pie, producer of raw & whole food pies (gluten & dairy free), will offer a buy 6 get 1 free card at the Winter Farmer’s Market at Shemanski Park in Portland on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 10 to 2 p.m.
Helen Bernhard Bakery - $1 off their normally low-priced whole pies on Monday, Jan. 23.
The Original Dinerant - If you “like” their Facebook page and make a comment on it…..they’ll give you a mini pie on the January 23. Pastry chef, Sally Bowers, is making all kinds of mini pies, including moon pies, whoopie pies and fried pies.
Pacific Pie Co. - $3 slices all day on National Pie Day (Jan. 23)
Random Order Coffeehouse + Caffe Vita - $6 for a cup of French Press and a slice of pie on January 23 at Random Order & Caffe Vita on Alberta.
Salt & Straw Scoop Shop: Mention code word “PIE HOLE” to get a free scoop of ice cream with purchase of a slice of Pieku Pie Apple Pie on Pie Day.
Shari’s – Shari’s has a coupon up on their Facebook page for a free slice, with the purchase of a lunch or dinner entree.
Village Inn: Get $2 off a whole pie all week long (Jan. 22-27)

If you just want to find a good slice of pie near you to celebrate Pie Day, make sure to check out our Ultimate Portland Pie Guide.

Pacific Pie Co. Hosts First Annual Pie Contest for National Pie Day

Joel — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:10:13 +0000

Pacific Pie Co., Portland’s premier Australian pie-purveyor, is hosting its first annual pie contest on Sunday, January 22, in observance of National Pie Day, which is January 23.

This should be a fun day, as the winners for sweet and savory will get to have their pies on the Pacific Pie Co. menu for the month of February.

Oh, and I’m honored to be a pie judge for the contest, so that’s awesome too! Jen Stevenson (author of 100 Best Places to Stuff Your Faces and blogger at underthetablewithjen.com), Chris Hertel (farmer at SunGold Farm in Forest Grove), and Kate Withiam (Pacific Pie Co. Pastry Chef) will join me on the panel.

Bring your pies in by 1 p.m. that day, and the judging commences at 2 p.m.

Keep an eye out for more National Pie Day news in the next couple of weeks, as usual, I’ll have a full rundown of events and specials planned in Portland and surrounding areas.

Political Pot Pie: Occu-PIE Portland Event

Joel — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:25:22 +0000

Whatever your position on the Occupy movement is, you can’t deny its close ties with pie. It rhymes with it, and if you cleverly change the spelling, it becomes OCCU-PIE. This is something that Gregg Abbott, owner of Whiffies Fried Pies realized early on in the movement – he brought free pies down to the masses when the Portland protests began.

It’s no surprise then that Whiffies and Random Order will be offering free pie at this upcoming event.

Here are the details:

Your Slice of Occu-PIE
When: Sun., Dec. 11, 4-6 p.m.

Occupy’s made headlines—now what? The Portland Mercury and Bus Project hosts FREE PIE and conversation about how individuals can promote equality in ways other than camping out. Join the discussion with representatives from We Are Oregon, Sen. Jeff Merkley’s office, media outlets, and Occupy Portland. With pie generously donated by Whiffies and Random Order. Also featuring beer from Ninkasi.

Pecan & Chicken Pot Pies at Pine State Biscuits

Joel — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:45:43 +0000

Pecan Pie @ Pine State Biscuits

Pine State Biscuits is one of my favorite breakfast spots in Portland and I’ve gone a lot more since they opened a second location on Alberta with more seating in addition to the original Belmont location. Along with their amazing breakfast sandwiches, they also offer pecan pie and chicken pot pie (at the Alberta location).

Let’s start with the good, and that was the pecan pie. This is just a good solid take on traditional pecan pie. It was balanced, with a good amount of pecans and the right amount of sugary goo. The crust didn’t sway me one way or the other, it just did it’s job with little fanfare. It was served with just about the right size whip cream mountain as well.

However, I’ll be honest, if you’re going to go with a dessert there – go with their seasonal strawberry shortcake when they have it. They specialize in biscuits, so it’s naturally going to be amazing.

Now on to the bad. We also tried the chicken pot pie, which I believe is only on the menu at the Alberta location. First off, it’s not really pie, it’s a mixture of chicken, veggies and gravy with a biscuit topping. I knew that going in, so I’m not complaining about it – just letting you know.

The chicken pot pie just did not have a lot of flavor… I think they used their mushroom gravy instead of the sausage gravy, which seemed really bland in comparison and I didn’t think there was enough of their delicious fried chicken either. It also took a long time for them to prepare – which added to the disappointment after you’d been anticipating some serious chicken pot pie goodness.

Verdict: The pecan pie is fine if you’re in the mood for it. I don’t recommend the chicken pot pie; stick with the Reggie and the other excellent sandwiches.

Salt & Straw – Bourbon Pecan Pie Ice Cream

Joel — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:45:43 +0000

Bourbon Pecan Pie Ice Cream @ Salt & Straw made w/ Pieku Pie

Yum.

I’d heard a lot of good things about Salt & Straw, a new handmade ice cream shop in Portland. But I was sold on it when I heard that they had a seasonal Bourbon Pecan Pie flavor, which is made with real pie from Portland’s Pieku Pie & Oregon Whiskey from Portland’s Stone Barn Brandyworks.

The ice cream is really creamy and rich, but they keep the sweetness level low so the flavors standout more. The pecan pie was very sweet and decadent, but that’s what pecan pie is all about. The whiskey was not overwhelming at all and perfectly complemented everything.

In addition to ice cream, Salt & Straw’s Alberta scoop shop offers Pieku’s bite-sized pies, a daily offering of pie a-la-mode, and ice cream pies made with Pieku crust.

Verdict: Get your paws on the Bourbon Pecan Pie ice cream while it’s still around.

Salt & Straw Scoop Shop
2035 NE Alberta
Portland OR 97211
503-208-3867

Holiday Pie: Learn How to Make a Pie

Joel — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:28:46 +0000

Update: Pacific Pie Co. will be hosting two more classes on Dec. 11 & 14. Same details as below apply.

If you want to lovingly make pies for your friends and family this holiday season instead of purchasing pies, there are a couple of options in town.

Pacific Pie Co. is trying its hand at pie-making classes. Classes will be held at their bakery on SE 7th Ave and taught by Pastry Chef Kate Withiam and co-owner Sarah Curtis-Fawley.

Pacific Pie Co. Classes:

Wednesday November 16, 6pm-9pm

Sunday, November 20, 1-4pm

$50, includes wine + a pie

Register by emailing sarah@pacificpieco.com or calling 503-381-6157

SweetWares in Hillsdale, which is owned by the same folks that own Baker & Spice, also offers a variety of baking classes on a regular basis and they also offer classes for private parties.

SweetWares Details:

The next class is on Nov. 12 from 2-4:30 p.m. and is $75. Julie Richardson will teach the class.

Visit http://www.bakerandspicebakery.com/sweetwares/classes.php for more information.

10 Places to Order Your Holiday Pies in Portland

Joel — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:04:52 +0000

Pumpkin with Ginger Streusel at Pacific Pie Co.

Hey Portland, I know you are ready to gobble gobble up some pie this Thanksgiving, so here’s a list of 10 great places in town to get pie from! No matter where you’re going, make sure to get your orders in soon! I’ve indicated the deadlines for most places, but the earlier your order the better. These are listed in no particular order, FYI.

Baker & Spice
One of your best options in town by my estimation. They have tons of great options this year, classics like spicy pumpkin or double crusted apple, they also have galette’s, or you could even just order pie pastry from them. Prices are very reasonable for the quality. Deadline is Sunday, Nov. 20 for Thanksgiving. Get all the ordering details here: http://www.bakerandspicebakery.com/seasonal.php

Queen of Hearts Bakery
For those looking for a gluten-free options during the holidays, Queen of Hearts is promoting its savory hand pies – they will not have full size pies available. They will have a beef chili pie & a chicken and vegetable pie. You can purchase the pies at Salt, Fire & Time Community Grocery (http://saltfireandtime.com/) and at the Portland Farmers Market at PSU on Saturdays. If you want to place an order, email molly@queenofheartspdx.com.

Helen Bernhard Bakery
If you’re looking for an option that’s affordable, has plenty of variety and you’ve waited until the last minute, try Helen Bernhard Bakery. Their extensive lineup is: Pumpkin, Cherry, Dutch Cherry, Apple, Dutch Apple, Almond Apple Crunch, Marion Berry, Pecan, Chocolate Pecan, Mince Meat Pie. They didn’t mention any ordering deadlines to me, and they’re a full service bakery, so you can probably pop-in and find something when they’re open, but I’d still recommend calling ahead: (503) 287-1251.

Lauretta Jean’s
Great pies, all $28. Flavors this year are Salted Pecan, Heirloom Apple, Pumpkin, Spicy Pear, Chocolate Cream and Coconut Cream. Deadline is Nov. 21. Pickup is on Nov. 23 at their new pie shop at 600 SW Pine in Portland. To order email kate@laurettajean.com. http://laurettajean.com/

Pacific Pie Co.
They may be known for their Australian-style meat pies, but Pacific Pie Co. has also become one of the finest spots in town for sweet pies. They have a great variety of flavors this year including: Old Fashioned Pumpkin, Pumpking with Ginger Streusel, Heirloom Apple, Apple Cranberry, Apple Sour Cream Streusel, Sweet Potato + Pecan, Chocolate Cream, Chocolate Bourbon Hazelnut, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Key Lime. All pies are $25 for the 1st, and $20 for additional pies (plus, $5 refundable deposit). Deadline is Nov. 22, pickup is Nov. 23. Call 503-381-6157 to order.

Pie Spot
Pie Spot, purveyors of pie-holes, will be selling 9″ pies. One pie for $20, two or more $18 each – very reasonable as far as price goes. Deadline: Nov. 16. Email order to piespot@gmail.com. Pick up is on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at their food cart at 3221 SE Division St. in Portland.

Random Order
You can’t go wrong with Random Order. Pies run ~~$35~~ $30 a piece, plus the $5 deposit, a little bit more on the pricey side, but you won’t be disappointed. Options this year are Heritage Apple, Tahitian Vanilla Salted Caramel Apple, Kentucky Pecan, Spirited Pumpkin, Coconut Cream. Order by Nov. 19. For all the details, visit: http://www.randomordercoffee.com/special-orders-catering/

Pieku
I haven’t tried Pieku pies yet, but given that they are sold at, and incorporated into the ice cream at Salt & Straw, which I hear is amazing, I trust that these pies will be excellent. Pies are $20 a piece, and you can get them in a Pyrex dish for a $5 deposit, or a reusable tin for no charge. Flavors include Salted Caramel Apple, Maple Apple Crumble, Pecan Pie, Chai Pumpkin, Maple Mousse w/ Bacon Infused Crust (nice!), Honey Pear Cranberry Walnut, and Peanut Butter Pie. Deadline is Nov. 17. Visit http://blog.adambaruh.com/pieku/ to order.

Woodlawn Coffee and Pastry
Though I haven’t checked out this place yet, I’m comfortable recommending it, as the reviews on Yelp seem stellar, and the pictures look excellent. It doesn’t sound like they’re limiting their selection for holiday orders, but they do have Grandma Ruth’s Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie available. No deadline for ordering is listed, but certainly get your order in soon. Call (503) 954-2412.

Crust and Common Pie Shop
Crust and Common seems to be taking Portland by storm. I still have yet to try it, but I’ve been getting a ton of people coming to the blog searching for “Crust and Common”, so I think that is a sign people are hearing good things. Owner Bradley Jones will be serving up Classic Apple, Cranberry Apple, Carmelized Apple Tart, Pear-Hazelnut, Pumpkin and Pecan. They will also take orders for individual sized turkey pot pies and family sized turkey pies. Sweet pies are $25, individual turkey pies are $8 and large turkey pies are $40. No deadline was given, but order ASAP! Order at their cart at NW 19th and Quimby, or call 503-593-4936.

For more options, visit MakeMeSomePie.com’s Ultimate Portland Pie Guide.

Portland Pie History – Fred Durst Gets Pied

Joel — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:01:53 +0000

When Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst was visiting a Portland area Guitar Center store on January 13, 2002, he took a pie to the face from a teenager. The pie was of the coconut cream variety. The teen was charged with disorderly conduct and five counts of harrasment.

I’m not sure why the kid did it, but I think it’s safe to assume that he probably did it all for “the nookie”, and we all thank you for that (no offense to all you Limp Bizkit fans that read this blog… but seriously, if you like them, please stop reading this blog). Actually, @TheJoshGross said on Twitter that the kid was in a band called “Blarg” at the time, so maybe the lead singer from “Limp Bizkit” didn’t like “Blarg”. Personally, neither sound very appetizing to me.

Durst was on tour searching for a new guitarist, and also looking for new acts for his record company.

This concludes another edition of Portland Pie History. If you have an interesting bit of Portland Pie History, please email makesomepie@gmail.com.

Source: Durst Finds Pie at Guitarist Search, Yahoo Music.

Thanks to @TheJoshGross for the info.

Photo via Warfieldian, used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Lauretta Jean’s Joins Forces with Cafe Velo

Joel — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:02:36 +0000

Lauretta Jean’s has opened a storefront operation as a collaborative project with Cafe Velo at SW 6th and Pine downtown.

I’m not sure if they’re “officially” open yet, as the representative I spoke to said they’d be opening “September 15thish”, but Eater PDX is reporting that they are open now.

Lauretta Jean’s pies had previously only been available at farmers markets around town and they also had been supplying The Sugar Cube with cherry pie, which we reviewed here, and it was amazing (they no longer supply to Sugar Cube, though).

They will continue to be set up at farmer’s markets, including Saturdays at Portland Farmers Market PSU, the World Trade Center Market (through September), and the OHSU Market (through October 4).

Congrats to owner Kate McMillen, I think this will be a welcome addition downtown. By my estimation, there is not a lot of good pie available in that area of town.

Image borrowed from Lauretta Jean’s Facebook page.