What is Cincinnati's Favorite Pie? (Dayton, Mason: homes, restaurants, shops)

[kjbrill]

A discussion in another thread prompted me to think it might be fun to have a debate on what is Cincinnati's favorite pie.

I will kick it off with it is hard to top a good old fashioned apple pie, particularly one made with a from scratch crust and in a deep dish pie plate with plenty of filling. It is that from scratch crust which the technique is being lost. If the pie is warm I like a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it, if cooled I like a slice of cheese, any hard yellow cheese will do.

From there, I like creme pies, banana creme, coconut creme, chocolate creme, I just like them tall and fluffy. That leads us into the meringue, there is nothing quite like a homemade lemon meringue pie, where the meringue falls over every bite you take.

One of my absolutely favorite pies is a rhubarb pie, especially made with fresh rhubarb from the garden. And if you want to kick it up a notch, make it a strawberry-rhubarb pie.

Another one of our family favorites is mincemeat pie, usually prepared around the holiday season. It absolutely has to be drizzled with warmed wine sauce.

A pie we can eat year-around is pecan. We just love pecan pie.

Didn't mean to omit such as the peach and berry pies. If you can get a bucket of fresh blackberries early in the year you are in pie heaven. A good cherry pie falls in there also.

And what is my favorite pie topping, why whipped cream of course. And I don't mean that plasticized stuff they put up in tubs. I mean real whipping cream taken home and whipped.

OK, I have kicked this off. Now let's hear from you, particularly anything special you do while making pie, or serving it. In particular, how many recipes for homemade crust do we have floating around? I would post my wife's but she still uses tons of stick butter in hers, which she got from my mother. Maybe why it still comes out golden.

Oh, and I forgot to say let's exclude pizza pie or we will be here until Christmas.

[CarryOn]

I'm not really a big pie person. I do agree about the whipped cream, though, and I think that's half the reason I have a stand mixer, just so I can make fresh whipped cream at a moment's notice. I really like flavoring it with amaretto (great on blueberries) or Bailey's, triple sec, whatever.

[goyguy]

I sometimes enjoy watching a good-sized piece of humble pie being served to certain politicians.

Does pizza count?

The Golden Lamb has gone through several changes in ownership, so I have to wonder if they still offer their delicious Sister Lizzie's Shaker Sugar Pie. The Grand Finale was named as a nod to their desserts, and recently while back in town I once again savored a wedge of Limelight Pie there.

Whether you say "pi-cahn pie" or "pee-can pie," that dessert never fails to please goyguy. Throw on some whipped cream and be prepared to cut a second, third, fourth...piece!

Lucky me, I was born into a Southern family so there are many crusted creations that have been enjoyed in the homestead. Chess pie, anyone?

[progmac]

man, do i love pie. my wife makes an apple cranberry bourbon pie that is just out of this world. i think it is my favorite pie. it is rare for me to find a restaurant that serves pie even approaching the quality of a good homemade pie.

growing up, the sugar cream pie was a staple around the house. i think it was born out of the great depression. it is basically milk, sugar, and flour. it is a flat pie, with a gelatinous consistency.

[5thgencincy]

"Yes please!" (to more pie). With vanilla ice cream? Yes. Cake or pie? Pie.
Chocolate cream pie is my favorite. Pecan pie takes over for Thanksgiving.
I'm usually more hungry than adventurous, so I tend to stick to the tried and true, but always open to higher quality or variations on those themes.
One of the amateur gourmets in the family makes chocolate pies based on homemade mousse, whipping cream, cocoa powder etc. just makes you shake your head the flavors and textures are so good.

[CarryOn]

I was just at the Jungle Jim's in Eastgate, and one of the side stores at the entrance is a fried pie/coffee shop. Pies are big for fried pies, but they're about $3.50 each, something like that. I got a peach one for the wife and a coconut one for me.

Not very good, IMO. A fried pie needs to be a bit greasy and have a little sugar glaze on it. These had neither, and the filling was lacking.

[5thgencincy]

^ good to know.

[kjbrill]

^^ There is a bakery by the name of Sweet Sensations in Mason. As the name implies they serve up some sweet concoctions. Very good cakes and pies. In fact all their fare is good.

My wife can still stir up a good pie. I have commented her crust is at least 50% stick butter.

When strawberries are in season, she makes a real good shortcake. Not a pie but close enough for me. Shortcake plus strawberries plus whipped cream, name something better.

OK, I can try. A good crumbled graham cracker crust makes a really good pie. But frankly I prefer a cheesecake filling, so I guess it is a cake more than a pie. But the cheesecake can be outstanding, and to me it still looks more like a pie than a cake, names notwithstanding.

[5thgencincy]

^ good stuff, and I'll take intent over semantics any day.

[SWOH]

Nothing beats a good pecan pie IMO.

I was trying to think of "pie restaurants" and none came to mind, anywhere really. Kinda surprising to me.

So I did a Google search quickly and didn't find anything easily there for Cincinnati. Although Brill's tip above for the shop in Mason looks good. And I'm sure you guys know of plenty of other pie shops too. Around Dayton, there is one place that specializes in pies: Mehaffies

I actually did not know about them before my Google search tonight, but it looks like they have a loyal following. Might not be too far of a trek for a pie-seeking Cincinnatian haha. The new trend seems to be designer cakes and cupcakes now, along with cheesecakes.

I know pies are harder to make and don't keep as well so that may be some of the reason why they appear to be not as popular anymore. Maybe Pinterest will bring back some interest in pies.