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American Pieways reviews

YOUR GUIDES TO GREAT PIE




John Forsyth is a book author and world traveler with discriminating tastes and a storyteller's heart. He and his wife, Jennifer, are traipsing along America's backroads and "pieways" in search of good desserts by the slice and sweet stories. You can find all of their reviews linked from the home page.  Here's to good eating and good reading.
"There are lots of jokes involving pies; they’re funnier than other foods, somehow."
-- The New York Times, June 15, 2009


OUR RATINGS





One slice: You’re in danger of suffering pie withdrawal, and no alternatives in sight.



Two slices: You used to think this was good pie, before American Pieways set you straight.




Three slices: If pies came out of your oven this tasty, you’d start a bakery.




Four slices: Buy another slice to go, ’cause this’ll still be good in the morning.



Five slices: Whoa! Redraw that vacation itinerary to include this pie.





Six slices: Member of the Holy Church of the Flaky Crust.

CONTACTS

 

Helen's Restaurant, Machias, ME



U.S. Highway 1
Machias, Maine
(207) 255-8423
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Road  food, Maine style, is the specialty at Helen’s, a Highway 1 mainstay since 1950. Seafood, of course, is the most popular line of entrée choices. The clam roll comes with the bellies on the clams. The Maine shrimp are lightly fried. The fish and chips were, frankly, mushy and out of a bag, respectively.
   
There is some disagreement in the Maine dining community over the quality of the food at Helen’s, formerly associated with the Helen’s Restaurant in Ellsworth. And we can see why. But the pies, in our estimation, were another matter, as the framed articles on the wall just inside the front door attest. Our peppy waitress enthused about the desserts and how they had all been made fresh that morning. There’s not just one pie baker at Helen’s; it’s a team effort.

Chloe likes pie, too



Our dog travels with us and is a pretty good judge of pie, too.
    We sat in a booth directly in front of the pie case so we would be aware if any one flavor or another began to disappear during lunch, indicating its popularity and possible pending extinction. The mile-high lemon meringue spoke to us from the right side of the case, and the strawberry seemed to be shaking its cream layer at us from the left. Slices of coconut chocolate graham cracker, Grape Nut, banana cream and banana split also appealed.
    In the end, Jennifer couldn’t resist the strawberry, which is one of Helen’s big sellers. The many strawberries, sliced thin for easy stacking in the crust, tasted ripe and fresh. John went with the graham cracker cream, a subtle pie that depends on its crust for much of its taste. They were perfect cappers for a acceptable road meal. If you’re taking the U.S. 1 to Eastport for a sunrise viewing or going west toward Schoodic Point, like we were, Helen’s is a requisite stop.

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