^ From Bum Doodler's Cafe in Boerne.
<---Chef Kitty leaving the Blanco Bowling Alley, where the pie we tasted was still warm from the oven.
Three days, ~ 650 miles, 12 small Texas towns, 20+ pieces of pie and 3 new pounds on my scale.
Our rules were few: **Local places only. **Pies made from scratch. **Every piece photographed, described and rated on our 1-5 scale (5 being a perfect score, and yes, there were 5's). Remains were carted home in a cooler for later comparison. I know, what were we thinking? That twenty pieces of pie weren't enough and we'd want to taste them all again??? My refrigerator is still filled with little styrofoam boxes...
As with any journey, there were a few unexpected destinations. We got lost in Lampasas when the GPS sent us to the backside of a pasture instead of the Yumm Factory, an old-fashioned cash-only diner. Turned out Yumm is on a major road, not hard to find if you're using a map instead of GPS.
Our Yumm lunch of smoked-on-site brisket and home-made Green Chile Chicken Stew, yes we splurged on onion rings.
And in spite of our mission--coconut pie--we tasted every Buttermilk Pie we found, on the theory that a person might only pass that way once.
Our Yumm lunch of smoked-on-site brisket and home-made Green Chile Chicken Stew, yes we splurged on onion rings.
And in spite of our mission--coconut pie--we tasted every Buttermilk Pie we found, on the theory that a person might only pass that way once.
Silver K Cafe's Buttermilk Pie in Johnson City, made from our server's great-grandmother's recipe.
We also learned about segmentation of the coconut pie genre: meringue, cream and a much-loved variation closest to chess pie. Texans hold distinct opinions about which is best but Kitty and I are ecumenical, we rated them all on the 1-5 scale.
We deviated in Glen Rose for to-die-for German Chocolate Pie at Riverhouse Grill. It got a "5" on the scale, as did the nearby Pie Peddlers Very Berry Pie, with a pucker-up-honey-you'll-love-this sweet, tart, succulent filling of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and a bit of rhubarb wrapped in a tender flaky crust.
By the end, we'd tasted so many good pies we knew that folks all over the Texas Hill Country can find good pie not far from home.
But if I ever want to drive for coconut pie again, I'll point my headlights toward Fredericksburg Pie Company's creamy coconutty dream of a flaky-crusted tender-meringued Coconut Meringue Pie, a guaranteed 5+, and count myself lucky to live just a few hours away.
Coconut Meringue and Cream pies at Fredericksburg Pie Company.
Copyright 2009-2011 Kathleen Scott, for Hill Country Mysteries. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
Wish I had a piece right now!
ReplyDeleteThe Fredericksburg Pie Company coconut cream pie really is that much better than the rest. Amazing, but true!
ReplyDeletehaha! Glad your quest for the perfect coconut pie was so sweetly rewarded! I just want to go on a pie quest. . . I don't even care WHAT kind. After reading that, I'm fiending!
ReplyDeleteMy stomach is growling. I'm not a meringue girl -- at all -- and would prefer the height of the one on the left but all whipped cream!
ReplyDeleteKathleen dear, you get to go to the best places. That Coconut Meringue and Cream pie looks so delicious, I could do with a big slice right now. :)
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
Sounds like a splendid road trip. Nothing beats good pie.
ReplyDeleteBTW, should you make up this way, I'll send you to the pie place in Perryville, MO, where the grandmother of the owner makes 30 pies a day in her kitchen to sell at the restaurant. Outstanding stuff.
Cheers.
My dear mother-in-law made the best coconut cream pie in the world. These look like they might give her a run for her money.
ReplyDeleteKathleen,
ReplyDeleteThis post made me SO hungry. Who doesn't love pie???
I love you and Denny.
SB
You sure know how to torture a gal who just finished her dinner and would luv to have some pie!
ReplyDeleteWhen do we get the results? I'm not a big coconut pie fan, but I bet other good pies keep those company!
ReplyDeleteDH says we have to make our own study. We made a similar study of Black Forest Cake through Bavaria some twenty years ago.
ReplyDeleteI would swear it was you in the bread aisle of HEB at the corner of 46 and 337. I almost asked, but I don't tend to do that kind of thing. That was thursday afternoon (16th)
ReplyDeleteCyndye B in NB
I'm weeping with joy here. This is my kind of road trip....PS....I'm catching up on your blog. It seems my favorites got eliminated from my blog roll.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteNeed some help with the pies remaining in your fridge? Just let me know! ;)
Best regards,
Pit
You have me drooling with this post. I love coconut and cream pies, so I would go for the not so sky high piece on the right. Loved your road trip! x0 N2
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ReplyDelete