Your Consultant for all things Pie
Pie Expectations
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Rating Scale
1- Not Even I Would Eat this Again
2- Eh...
3- Good... But thats about it
4- Mmmm My Tummy Says Thank You
5- Pie-gasmic! Put It Straight in My Veins.
Salted Honey Pie by Pies and Vibes
Rating: 3.5/5
Fans of the Four and Twenty Blackbird version of the Salted Honey Pie will find the same basic flavor here. Although not as thick as the Four and Twenty version, it tastes the same. If you're in Manhattan and you're jonesing for some salty honey, you can now just save yourself the trip to BK.
Double Chocolate Maple Pecan Pie by Miss America Pie
Rating: 3.5/5
This leans a tad closer to a chocolate chess pie than toward a pecan pie. And that's the way I like a chocolate pecan pie. It's usually overkill when it's just a pecan pie with chocolate in it. It's the case when the whole is less than the sum of its parts here. But this one actually works. And as a special touch it has a chocolate crust which is rightfully not too sweet. Give this one a try for yourself.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge by Pie Lady and Son
Rating: 3/5
Another pie claiming to be a chocolate fudge pie. Well, technically it is, but there are better options out there if you want truly fudgyness out of your pie. This one is a little too dry on the inside. If you simply heat it up for a bit, it melts it back into the something that might earn the right to be called "chocolate fudge." So if you go with this, I suggest you head straight to the microwave with it.
Stickabutta Pie by the Cookery
Rating: 3.5/5
ok so this is basically a sweet slice of cheesecake. But who's complaining? What's sets this one apart is that it has a crust made out of some kind of nut (almond? macadamia? pecan?, yeah, pecan), a sweet caramel dressing, and some powdered sugar sprinkled on top just in case you somehow needed more sugar. Personally, I prefer it without the crust, but that's easily resolved by me chopping off the bottom and eating it separately. yeah, you have to travel to Westchester to get it put just think of it as pre-burning off the calorie you're going to consume devouring this pie.
Key Lime Pie by Hillstone Restaurant
Rating: 4/5
Who knew that one of the tastiest key lime pies in NYC could be found at a chain? Hillstone, formerly Houston's restaurant, has a mighty fine Key Lime pie. Accompanied by a generous serving of fresh whipped cream and a cinnamon graham cracker crust, this pie has a creamy filling that is neither too sweet nor too tart. I dare say that this pie challenges some of the pies I've had in the birthplace of the pies-Key West. So save yourself the air fare and the heat stroke and head to Park Ave for some KLP in NYC.
Butternut Squash Pie by the Harlem Pie Man
Rating: 3/5
I am a fan of all things custard as many of you know. I've had Butternut Squash pies before and they were basically just pumpkin pies complete with all the standard spices. Yes that means I usually really like them so no complaints here. But this one is a lot more like butternut squash puree in a pie crust. That means it has a distinct squash flavor that sets it apart from the all the pumpkins and the the pseudo-pumpkin pies that most Butternut squash pies are. That being said, some may not appreciate this pie for what it is so I gave it a 3. I however, will mostly likely be trying another slice.
Pumpkin Pie by Cafe Lalo
Rating: 2/5
yeah, yeah, yeah, so your cafe was in a movie. I'm sorry but You've Got Mail was a long time ago by impatient moviegoer standards and you better have a good reason to get me in that shop other than fading memories of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan being cute-ish around each other. And this pumpkin pie aint it. Now granted, the slice I had was a day old but I'm betting that fresh out the oven it's still a dud. sigh.
Black Current Pie by Petee's Pie Company
Rating: 4/5
Fans of tart berry flavors your pie has arrived! Reminiscent of a raspberry or a blackberry pie, the black current brings that sweet tartness for those of you who like to pucker up a little bit when eating your dessert. As an added bonus, it comes packed with more vitamin C than an orange plus antioxidants so there's less guilt about devouring a slice. Not that you need the excuse with a pie this tasty.
Mint Julep Pie by Butter and Scotch
Rating: 4/5
A surprisingly refreshing take on the classic cocktail in pie form. Now this pie could have gone all kinds of wrong but it manages to offer a delicate mint flavor in a dense creamy custard with a welcomed punch of bourbon that goes so right. Subtle, yet somehow also overt, I wish this pie were on the menu more often. Alas, it was only a brief special. Hurry back to us soon Mint Julep Pie.
Amaretti Icebox Pie by Salvation Burger
Rating: 4/5
Ok so I’m not the biggest fan of Amaretti cookies but I inhaled this pie. A creamy layer of Amaretti custard followed by another creamy layer with Amaretti cookie bits mixed in topped with even more Amaretti cookies. I might go back for more of this almondy awesomeness and skip right over the burger!
Salty Lime Pie from Daly Pies
Rating: 4/5
A key lime pie with a hommade taste and a good balance between tangy lime and sweet condensed milk. I say that calmy but do you know how hard it is to get that balance right? Dang hard for such a simple pie. And a buttery graham cracker crust to boot? I'll be stopping by Daly Pies for my KLP fix.
Honey Rosemary Shoofly Pie by Four and Twenty Blackbirds
3/5
Ah, another Shoofly. This one's got a floury, dense top that borders on cookie texture and a thin, wet honey bottom. I guess that's what makes it a shoofly. But I feel like I want more of a molasses flavor going on than what's here. Maybe also less coffe-cake like top and more filling. Not that it’s bad but I don’t think I’ll be going out of my way for this one again.
Peach Custard Tart from What's For Dessert
Rating: 4/5
This is what a peaches and cream pie should be. Most peach pies are oversweet gooey messes. What a waste of a fine fruit. What’s for Dessert gets it right by putting the peach slices in a custard filling. And a mighty fine custard filling it is. I could eat the whole thing in one sifting. Check that- I have eaten the whole thing in one sitting.
Buttermilk Pie from Buttermilk Bakeshop
Rating: 4.5/5
Oh I like this one. A custard with a sugar top that reminds me of crème brulee? More please! Not too tart as some buttermilk pies can be, this creamy sweetness is one of those simple yet satisfying pies that makes you have to go back to get seconds.
Mocha Cream Pie from Blue Stove
Rating: 3/5
Fans of anything coffee flavored will go for this pie. An Oreo crust (almost can never go wrong with an Oreo crust), a creamy chocolate filling, and a fresh whipped mocha cream topper make this one a keeper for the caffeinated set. If coffee isn't really your thing, skip it.
Cardaman Custard from Petee's Pie Company
Rating: 4/5
This is just their yummy egg custard pie with cardoman on top instead of nutmeg. I much prefer the nutmeg to this flavor which can be a bit overwhelming to the simple custard base but the simple vustard base is so darn good it almost makes up for it. If you love all things cardomon then go for it for sure. If you loved the basic egg custard go for it anyway.
Chocolate Bacon Pecan Pie from Buttermilk Bakeshop
Rating: 3/5
Bacon? Yep, bacon. Not a lot but it will remind you that it’s there every few bites or so. Not sure what it does for the pie but I guess sometimes you gotta try something new. As far as the rest of the pie- well, it’s ok. Not particularly chocolatey and with a dense pecan layer that cuts into some of the sweetness a bit, this is worth a try even if it’s just a one time experiment.
Strawberry Pie from Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Rating: 3/5
This pie is ok during strawberry season if you need to get some before the season ends. But should you go out of your way to get it? Not really. At least the filling isn’t goopy and there are real strawberries in it. It’s got some kind of a crumb on top that’s kinda ok. Crust still not doing it for me though. So an overall “meh” for me.
Spiced Egg Custard from Petee's Pie Company
Rating: 4/5
Oh how long I’ve waited for a classic egg custard and now it’s here. Brings tears of joy to my eyes. I can’t stop eating this pie. There’s not that much to it and that’s the secret. If you’re a fan of flan, egg custards are for you. And Petee’s does it right.
S'mores Pie from Daly Pie
Rating: 3.5/5
I kinda dig this one. It’s a little different from your classic (is it too soon to call S'mores pie a classic?) version of the pie. The main difference is the marshmallow topper which is more of a meringue, not the hard kind that ruins many a meringue pie, but a nice homemade fluffy one. The fudge layer is properly fudgey although the graham cracker crust could use some shoring up so it’s not overwhelmed by the chocolate sitting on top of it. Overall though, I enjoyed this pie.
Red Velvet Custard from The Blue Stove
Rating: 3/5
So, Red Velvet. The problem with red velvet desserts is that most of the time, you’d rather just have the full chocolate experience. So it is with this pie. Nothing wrong with the Oreo-like crust. That is some good chocolate there. Nothing wrong with the whipped cream cheese frosting either. It’s the red stuff in the middle. Not a whole lot of flavor going on. I’ve had red velvet stuff I’ve enjoyed more. This time, I feel like I’d rather just have the chocolate pudding/ crème version of this pie and skip the red. Feel free to add a pint if you’re a die- hard red velvet fan
Black Bottom Spruce Pie from Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Rating: 1/5
Weird. Just weird. For a millisecond, it tastes like it could have some potential. Then the spruce kicks in and in next thing you know, you’re eating a Christmas wreath. No idea why they put a chocolate bottom on this pie. Maybe the chocolate goes better with the spruce? Could have worked if they had just put it in a regular crust without the weird holiday vibe.
Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie from Little Pie Company
Rating: 4/5
You had me at the topping. I could eat a pie made of just the crumble apples not included. By itself, the sliced apple and sour cream filling is tasty enough but not particularly impressive compared to many other standar apple pies. But that sweet brown sugar crumbly strussel makes it all worthwhile.
Pumpkin Pie from Bubby's
Rating: 4/5
We might just have another contender in the competition for best pumpkin pie in NYC! This pie is slightly whipped yet still very creamy with a light cream flavor leading to a very custard- like (you can actually taste the egg and cream in this one!) kind of filling. The caramel and pecan nicely complement the fresh homemade- tasting filling and there is just the right amount of spices without overwhelming the flavor. And, is that lard in the crust? Yes! A darn fine pie. Get it while it’s in season.
Apricot and Almond Custard Pie from Blue Stove
Rating: 3/5
This one is similar to the standard almond tart you can get at most pastry spots. Made with mascarpone, the custard part was wetter and less dense than most of the ones you find. Not bad, but I’ve had better versions of this. Of course I ate it anyway.
Shaker Lemon Pie from Butter and Scotch
Rating: 3/5
A pie made for lemon lovers. And lovers of lemon rinds. In fact if you like eating the whole lemon, bitter rind and all, than this pie is for you. If you can handle the “pithy-ness” of the filling which since it is made with whole lemons, makes it a tad on the chewy side, you will be in for a sweet yet bitter custard.
Brown Sugar Chess Pie from State Street Pie Kitchen
Rating: 4/5
A pretty fine chess pie. A hint of vinegar lends a bit of tang to the filling and makes it not as sweet as you would think given its made with a good measure of brown sugar. Did I mention the melt in your mouth crust? DARN good. One of the best crusts I have scarfed down in a long time.
Chocolate Chess Pie by Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Rating: 3.5/5
Ok so this is so not a chocolate chess pie, it’s a chocolate pudding pie. Not bad for a pudding pie and fans of chocolate pudding will enjoy it although the crust tastes like waxed paper. Just don’t go in expecting chocolate chess and you’ll do fine enough.
Grapefruit Custard from Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Rating: 2/5
Yeah, no. Don’t know what it is with 4 & 20’s chess pies and their custards but most of them have this weird flavor to them. It’s almost always there just waiting to ruin what could have been a good pie. This grapefruit one is just plain confused as to what kind of pie it wants to be. Chess pie? Custard? Citrus pie? If they don’t know then I sure don’t.
Texas Billionaire Pie by Hill Country Chicken
Rating: 3/5
This one is another one of those “brownie in a crust” kind of pies. It’s got pecans, mini marshmallows, and caramel. No real complaints here! Just a suggestion: If you want to maximize it to its fullest potential, you have to warm it up. It’s a little on the hard and dry side when cold so a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in the oven and you’ve got a melted yummyness.
Chocolate Chess Pie from State Street Pie Kitchen
Rating: 5/5
A very moist chocolate pie that is has a lot of “nots” in its description. It’s not whipped or pudding-like, not super dense, or cake-like. It’s not bitter dark chocolately or nauseatingly milk-chocaltely. With all those “nots” you’d think that this pie would be a “don’t”. Wrong-O. This is pie is definitely a “do” Sweet and rich without being overwhelmingly heavy as so many chocolate pies can be. This pie is goldilocks of chocolate chess pies. It’s just right for fans of sweet undercooked brownies.
Banana Cream Pie from What's For Dessert
Rating: 3.5/5
Natural, sweet, and homemade tasting with a layer of fresh bananas above the graham cracker crust. Almost like the banana pudding you get from those silly cupcake bakeries all around NYC, minus the layer of vanilla cookies mixed into the creamy filling.
Pecan Pie Tart from Dutch Desserts
Rating: 4/5
Wow. I stand amazed that a pecan pie can taste this good without any booze! Rice syrup, brown sugar, and molasses for sweetness manages to give a deep but not too heavy taste that surprisingly doesn’t need any booze to cut the sugar. Throw it into a thick buttery crust and you’ve got pecan pie heaven.
