Search this site

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

 

House of Pies, Los Angeles

1869 N. Vermont Ave. (at Franklin)

 Los Angeles, CA

 (323) 666-9961

 

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

As we drove into Los Angeles from Santa Barbara on Hwy. 101 in March 2011, we

could see the strawberries in the fields: big, fat, ripe strawberries, just waiting to be put in a delicious cream pie.

     At the House of Pies, we saw those strawberries, nearly the size of our fists, on our plates between a thick, crumbly crust and a tasty filling. Whole strawberries by the handful in each slice, served on a big plate because your pie parts are going to go every which way when you bring your fork to bear on this beauty. Our plates were a mess within seconds.

     As we entered the HOP, a somewhat stark and unadorned standby just south of Griffith Park, we were confronted by a small pie case but five big signs: Specialty Pies, Cream Pies, Cheesecakes, Fruit Pies and Other Goodies. Then we stepped around strong further evidence: five people in line to buy pies, cheesecakes and other sweet goodies.
     We were there for lunch, too, from the menu of salads, burgers and breakfast, but no one was in line to eat a meal. Oh, sure, a few tables and booths were filled, but we ate quickly to get to the star attraction.

     We heard another customer answer, “Oh, no,” when asked if he was having pie after

his meal. And we were thinking, Eating in a place called House of Pies that serves strawberry cream pie and strawberry cheesecake that will stand with any of their kind, and some numbskull’s saying, “Oh, no” to that. Maybe he goes to the Getty and ignores the art, who knows? Hey, people are funny.

     There’s nothing funny about the pie at the House of Pies with its straight-back chairs and attentive service. Some of those strawberries could be cut into four large bites but they weren’t tough. With a squitch of filling, a splotch of whipped cream and a chunk of crust in the same forkful, each bite was a wondrous, dreamy

experience, even if the cream had the appearance of coming from a can.

     Now, for our return visit, what time of year is chocolate season?

     

Sign in|Report Abuse|Print Page|Remove Access|Powered By Google Sites