Where to Eat the Best Pie in New York City
in food and drink by Kate Murphy
New York’s Best Pies
Pie or cake? This question has been known to divide a table once the dessert menu appears. Cake, or cupcakes (thanks, Carrie Bradshaw) have been a thing for quite sometime now, so the recent interest in pie among the local foodie scene has us excitedly curious. Much to our sweet tooth’s delight, bakeshops are specializing in the round, filling and crusted dessert, offering classics alongside inventive flavors. What makes many of these places so special is that a love for making and sharing pies with others all began in Grandma’s kitchen. Here’s where you can find some of New York’s best pies.
Petee’s Pie Company, 61 Delancey St
Pie making is in owner Petra “Petee” Paredez’s blood. Honing her baking skills in the kitchen of her parent’s well-known Mom’s Apple Pie Company in Leesburg, Virginia, she, along with her husband, seized NYC’s burgeoning pie scene and opened their shop on the Lower East Side. Petee’s Pie Company’s not-so secret to success is using only seasonal, local produce, organic flour and grass-fed butter. Look forward to classics like Hudson Valley apple and wild Maine blueberry alongside maple whiskey walnut and lavish chocolate cream sprinkled with real gold leaf-adorned chocolate flakes.
The Blue Stove, 415 Graham Ave
To honor her family’s love of making pies that goes back generations, Rachel McBride Beyers opened The Blue Stove in 2009. Fresh, seasonal pies are made with the same techniques and recipes that Rachel’s great grandmother used. You can practically taste tradition, mastery, and love with each bite. No crumbs are left behind with choices like blackberry apple with cheddar crust, preserved apricot & almond custard, and maple bourbon pie (pictured below).
Four & Twenty Blackbirds, 439 3rd Ave
Growing up in their family’s North Dakota restaurant, sister-owners Emily and Melissa Elsen learned to make pies from their grandmother. They continued the culinary art, making custom treats out of their Brooklyn apartment before opening Four & Twenty Blackbirds. Emily and Melissa blend tradition with creative impulse to create mouthwatering flavors that include their famous Salty Honey, brown butter apple streusel, matcha custard, and black bottom oat.
Pie Corps, 77 Driggs Ave
This charming Greenpoint shop bakes up sweet and savory pies made with seasonal ingredients and a genuine love for the craft. As a result, passion and delicious taste collide with each forkful. Pie Corps’ signature apple crumb topped with warm rosemary caramel will change your life. Other highlights include wild blueberry crumb, dark chocolate fudge, and the s’mores pie (below).
Two Little Red Hens, 1652 2nd Ave
Tucked on the Upper East Side, Two Little Red Hens is an inviting bakeshop known for its amazing cakes and assortment of delicious confections. And with their exquisite lattice crust, the pies stand out in a display of sweet temptations. Scrumptious flavors include seasonal apple, cherry, strawberry rhubarb, key lime, and coconut cream. All traditional yet yummy.
Little Pie Company, 424 W 43 St
Located in Manhattan’s Theater District, the Little Pie Company been satisfying the sugar cravings of locals and tourists alike since 1985. Made from scratch using fresh seasonal ingredients, the pies are a tour de force of classics with a little twist here and there. Indulge in a slice of the sour cream apple walnut with dense apple slices, sour cream filling, and walnut crumb topping. The specialty Ruffino Prosecco salted caramel satisfies any sweet tooth, while the three berry (strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry) caters to the purist of pie lovers.
Looking for more heavenly slices to try? Check out Bubby’s decadent pie selection and Momofuku Milk Bar’s addictive Crack Pie, or make it yourself.
Blue Stove photo by Michael U. via Yelp. Pie Corps photo by David B. via Yelp. Little Pie Company photo by Ruwan J via Yelp.
Also, waffles, pancakes, Brooklyn bakeries and satisfy your sweet tooth!
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