When my husband and I were in out first year together I revealed to him my unwavering love of all things pies. Needless to say; he also expressed his love for pie. This was before he was diagnosed as a celiac, so we planned a day where we would create a “Pie Day” and created a “Pie Tour” of San Francisco. For all those who love pie and are looking for pie to sweeten a San Francisco trip; this post is for you:

We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.

Steve Jobs

 Pie Itinerary

Pig and Pie 2962 24th street

Pig and pie on 24th street between Harrison and Alabama is a place to mention on it’s own.

The Venue:

First they have all things pork, beef, and pie which naturally makes it a must go. They are environmentally friendly; recycling wasted oil with Got Grease LLC and Dogpatch Biofuels for alternative energy that has been used for the MUNI Transportation system and sustainable cars. Thank pig and pie for a healthy breathe of fresh air. The vibe is awesome. You walk in to soft Jazz and blues, order what you want a the counter, and sit down and wait for it to be sliced while smelling the sweet aroma of pork and apple

We had two pies. Classic dutch Apple and Mississippi mud pie.

Mississippi Mud Pie:
Wow. First it’s a pie that’s more like a brownie with pie crust. Very chocolate with a strong mint taste. The crust is very flaky and sweet. An awesome brownie pie. One of a kind. The chocolate is soft and goes very well with the flaky crust. It was served cold but I would recommend having it served warm. They also has a Green Tea Chocolate pie, which they said is a big hit. We were tempted to try it as well but remembered we had eight more pieces of pie to go.  I really can not describe it beyond a sweet, chocolate, mint brownie cooked in pie crust. The description itself says “you must order this and eat it…shamelessly”.

CLASSIC APPLE PIE
I really feel in love with this pie. I love sweet pies that remind me of home and this does it. Unlike other apple pies where you eat chunks of apple, this pie has shredded apple pieces. Almost like apple chips. The presentation is Beautiful with layers of finely cut Apple on top of one another. The aroma of the pie says “sweetness”. The crust is sweet and sugary.I’m assuming they put honey and sugar in the crust. You taste cinnamon throughout the pie. My boyfriend who is not a lover of anything apple said it was “a really good apple pie and I don’t usually like apple”. It really reminds you of a pie your mother or grandmother would make. With love and goodness. This has to be one of the best apple pies I’ve had. Immediately after finishing this piece of pie I thanked the Baker. I’m sure she gets it a lot. We both agreed that if you are a sweet pie lover we’d chose this pie.

Three Babes Bakeshop (2128 Folsom.) Nice People. Great Pie. Gluten Free Options.

The Venue:

Cute. Fun. Intimate.  Hidden. These are the words that come to mind when you stumble upon this cafe. You can smell the wood burning from the outside fireplace. You walk down an outside garden or walk through the Stable Cafe, and you can find two or three women standing outside next to a huge fireplace with 5 or 6 pies out on display. Each looking delicious. They explain each pie to you and you get to chose which one you want. Do know that the location varies so make sure to look them up before you go. Today they were attached to the Stable Cafe.

These girls run the cafe and bake the pies.

Honey walnut signature pie.

(Pictured to the upper right on the photo below. )You can understand why it’s the signature pie. Walnuts, honey, and custard combine to make this pie a perfect combination. It is similar to the design of a pecan pie. It looks like they combined the Walnuts, Custard, Honey, and other spices together in a bowl, poured the goodness into a crust that tastes just as sweet, and poured honey over the top and baked it. Often time with nut pies it is difficult to strike a balance between sweet and too sweet, but they achieved it. The crust can only be described as perfect as the crust and the filling blend so well together you can barley tell the difference. This is a pie you will always remember and a pie you must eat. They also sell pies through their website. Review the, on Yelp and most people say the same.

GLUTEN FREE key lime pie
(Pictured bottom left)Celiacs, just when you thought you were excluded from the pie experience they have two pies for you. Since some of our friends and family members are celiacs I had to try this one. Boy, did I get a treat. This is a very simple and sweet Key-lime pie. They make the crust from homemade gluten-free gram crackers.The filling has a very strong lemon overtone, which works well with the whipped topping and gram crackers.  The pie is extremely moisture and texture of the pie is superb. Usually when make gluten free desserts it’s hard to get the texture right, or create a dessert that tastes like gluten desserts do. But I could barley tell I was eating a gluten-free pie.

Tartine on Guerrero and 19th. Long lines. Great Tarts.

Peasant Pies off of 3rd Street, Near AT&T Ballpark 550-C Gene Friend Way

The Venue:

Upon walking in to the store you are greeted with a friendly face and an array of savory pies and sweet pies. You just want to try everything especially their savory pies. But since this is sweet pie day we opted for the blueberry pie and southern sweet potato pie. The associate told us that they have two locations, and that one is also in the mission district. I have yet to confirm this, but I believe it.  Each pie is made for one serving, so there’s a lot less guilt involved. We ran in right before closing. You can have the pie heated or cold. I promised myself I’d go back and try their savory pies.

Blueberry Pear Pie:

The pie is quite cute and very fresh. The crust is quite amazing and sweet. I really enjoyed it. The bottom is lined with chunks of cold pears, mixed with sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and possibly nutmeg for it’s a bit bitter. The top is full of fresh blueberries with seemingly nothing on top. It’s very fruity.  Not very sweet. It’s more like a pie filled with fruit with little sugar or spice. The textures do not really flow well. Crunchy pears with soft blueberries. It’s a nice snack and you feel healthy eating it. Again, I really enjoy sweet pies so this is less my style. However, it’s very fruity and fresh and for the pie lover of fresh fruit this would be a great match. Next time I’ll try the savory pies. (Pictured to the left.)

Southern Sweet Potato Pie: 

I am a lover of sweet potato pie. Every thanksgiving my mother slaves for hours in the kitchen producing he famous sweet potato pie which in my mind is unmatched. So this review may be a bit bias. The pie is not very sweet but it is certainly not bland. Following the trend of the blueberry pear pie, there is a strong taste of sweet potatoes and butter. They must not have used very much sugar, but rather cinnamon, sweet potato, butter on top of the pie, and nutmeg. Perhaps, they skipped on the heavy cream. Regardless, it’s a very straightforward taste.  It tastes and smells a lot more savory than one would expect. It stays true to the original potato and it’s a nice snack.  I do enjoy that each pie is individual sized. One thing I have to give the pie maker credit for is the crust. It’s delicious and I would love to have the recipe.

Chile Pies and Ice Cream on Baker St. A bit of Chilli with your Ice Cream?

The Venue:

Small. Quaint. Smells quite good. This is a bakery/restaurant completely dedicated to savory and sweet pies and ice cream. It’s very welcoming with bright colors or green and red, and a kitchen theme. It gives a feeling a home. I plan to return to try more of the ice cream and pies. Below is a picture of pies and the entrance.

The entrance to the Bakery….

It’s most notable for it’s apple chilli pie and it’s for good reason.

Apple Chilli Pie:

Sinking your teeth into this masterpiece is short of discovering heaven. The sweet cinnamon flavors of the apple couple well with the spicy chills used. I almost felt guilty adding ice cream to the pie because I do not want to miss one ounce of this pie. I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Lots of points for creativity! If you love all things apple pie then you must try this twist on traditional apple pie.

Candied Yam with Pecan Praline:

This a very surprising pie. It’s a complete mixture if texture from sticky to crunchy to smooth.  It’s absolutely beautiful and each bite shares something a little different about the pie. The caramelized marshmallows on top. The well done yams in the middle that stay true to yam’s natural taste.  The crunch of the pecan praline in the middle.  The crust is also sweet and goes along well with the pie. If you love candied yams you will love this pie that reminds you of thanksgiving.