67 E. Mill Rd. Long Valley, N.J. (908) 876-8500 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Wednesday-Saturday Breakfast and Lunch on Sunday Website: www.longvalleydairy.com/country_pie_factory.htm Map  Why not have a quiche ($4) -- which is kind of a pie, after all -- or soup and a biscuit ($5) for lunch, then select from the choices in the pie case. We went for the tasty BLT on wheat ($4.50, served with fresh fruit “to keep it healthy”) and fresh-brewed iced tea, with square ice cubes out of a tray -- not curved ones from an ice maker -- which we prefer because they don’t conform to the sides of the glass and block the tea from getting to your mouth. The outside of the pie factory is not much, just a sign (“Country Pies”) above the entryway in a brick-front strip center. But it’s a cute little place inside, with a black-and-white tiled floor, framed photographs of food on the walls and ’50s music playing. The mother-daughter team of Sally and Kate Vilardi run the place after operating a nearby general store for more than a dozen years. Their restaurant has a hometown feel, complete with local touches like a poster for the Valley-Mountain Angels Community Theater Group taped beneath the cash register. At half an hour after noon, the place was otherwise empty of customers, but soon a couple of young women from the Presbyterian church came in to pin down the restaurant’s participation in an upcoming outdoor event. “Oh, my gosh!” one of them squealed upon sighting the case full of goodies. “How awesome are those pies!” She took home a bag full of sweets. The zucchini muffin bread looked good, as did the red velvet cupcakes and gingerbread cookies. But these days, we only have eyes for pies so we tested the cherry, which is the only one in the place that includes some canned fruit. We would rate it highly, even though the lattice and the crust were both just a tad thicker than they needed to be. Other flavors include peach, banana cream, cherry crumb and apple cranberry. |
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