From the city to the suburbs, places abound where families can enjoy a delicious slice of homemade pie.
It’s the season for pies, and if you’re not much for baking them yourself, we have some great suggestions on where to go for fresh-baked pies.
The folks at The Sugar Path in Geneva are using seasonal,locally-sourced ingredients to turn out an ever-changing selectionof pies. Michelle Adams and her sister started The Sugar Path in2011 after learning the art of pie-making from their grandmotherand spending years working together on recipe creation.
“Our pies are special because they are handcrafted with love insmall batches using only the finest ingredients. Most of our piesare old favorites with an artisan touch and we enjoy experimentingwith flavors,” Adams says. Popular pies include the Cowboy Pie(walnuts, bittersweet chocolate and a splash of whiskey), ClassicApple and Salty Honey.
thesugarpath.com
The Sugar Path
Paula Haney’s pies were coveted farmers market finds until sheopened Hoosier Mama Pie Company in Chicago’s Ukranian Village. Eachmorning, The Hoosier Mama team prepares more than 10 kinds of sweetpies (plus a couple of savory choices) from a repertoire of dozensof options. Customers can choose from whole pies or slices. The FatElvis Pie (graham cracker-peanut-pretzel crust filled withchocolate, peanut butter and banana) is the stuff of legends.
hoosiermamapie.com
Hoosier Mama Pie Company
When Ali Graeme and her son were both diagnosed with celiacdisease several years ago, she found that the gluten-free bakedgoods options on the market were sub-par (to put it politely). Anavid baker, Graeme knew she could create products for thosefollowing gluten-free diets that tasted delicious. Devotedcustomers love that the gluten-free bakery items taste as good astheir conventional counterparts. This Hinsdale-based bakery makeseverything from bread mixes to custom cakes, muffins and pies-andit is all gluten-free. Pie options include apple, blueberry andFrench Silk. Call three days ahead to place your gluten-free pieorders. sweetalis.com
Sweet Ali’s Bakery
The cafe serves amazing pie, but the business is about more thanjust delicious baked goods. “First Slice was founded with themission of providing the ‘first slice’ to those in our communitywho are struggling with homelessness and hunger, rather than justgiving them the crumbs left over at the end of the meal,” saysInterim Executive Director Ann-Louise Haak. Every purchase helpssupport its Outreach Meal Program, which provides 600 meals a weekto the needy.
The thriving business now has three locations on the north sideof the Chicago. Customers can choose from a dozen pie options everyday. Best sellers include fresh fruit pies like Michigan SourCherry and Apple. Haak says the specialty pies like ChocolatePeanut Butter, Coffee Toffee and Polka Dot Pie all have devotedfollowers, too. “We love to make delicious pies for our customers,but we also love it that our pies help feed those who mightotherwise go hungry.”
firstslice.org
First Slice Pie Cafe
In the spring of 2012, Megan Miller (the granddaughter of a pieshop owner) opened Bang Bang Pie Shop with her husband Dave Millerand business partner Michael Ciapciak. Word of their delicioushomemade pies spread quickly and the trio began receiving ravereviews from both enamored customers and the local food media. BangBang offers only three pies per week-a seasonal fruit, chocolate,and cream-based pie. If you call ahead, they are happy to reservepies for you so you don’t end up disappointed.
bangbangpie.com
Bang Bang Pie Shop
