Sweet Tooth: Old school pie’s big-time comebackBy Megan Gordon
This week I’m going to make a bold statement: pie just may be the new cupcake. A friend recently got married in Nashville at an old, Southern plantation. They hung lanterns, had big communal tables with homemade barbeque, made their musical guests jam together as a wedding gift — and had pie instead of wedding cake. Of course, Julie’s wedding is no indicator of current trends. But in San Francisco, we do slices of old-fashioned pie showing up on restaurant menus across the city, not to mention the Bike Basket Pie lady.
So what’s the draw? Pie is certainly nothing new. And my favorite, banana cream pie, has been around for ages. One New York Times article traces the history of the beloved pie, citing an early example that appeared in a 1901 cookbook, calling for sliced bananas and powdered sugar plopped into a pie shell, baked and topped with whipped cream. And in 1951, banana cream pie was voted the favorite dessert of the U.S. Armed services.
Maybe its longevity, reliability, and simplicity are what are bringing people back to pie. Perhaps diners are tired of overly complicated desserts with too many competing flavors (note to pastry chefs: I’m done with salted caramel and bacon-infused chocolate). So when few things in our daily lives seem simple anymore, pie’s there for you. Thank god.
And the best place to get your hands on some? Mission Pie. Their banana cream pie is my all-time favorite (their pumpkin’s not bad, either). You can actually see the specks of vanilla bean in the housemade custard, the crust is buttery and flaky, there are large chunks of banana layered within the pie, and bakers use the perfect amount of whipped cream. Those 1950s troops would’ve flocked to the sweet little corner shop if given the chance. I’m sure of it. Have a slice for them.
Mission Pie
Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 7 am-9pm; Fri., 7 am-10pm; Sat., 8 am-10 pm; Sun., 9 am-9 pm
2901 Mission, SF
(415) 282-4PIE
missionpie.com
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