Not too long ago, I was browsing some local Chicago food blogs and podcasts when I came across an article about a Chicago pie shop. The shop itself had only been open for a month or so, but the pie company had been selling delicious and popular seasonal pies for a few years. In spite of the cupcake shop craze, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that such a shop existed within the city limits. Then I saw a photo of the owner and pastry chef, and it turned out to be the pastry chef I used to work for years ago! And the name was Hoosier Mama Pie Company. I knew I was gonna like this place. I also happen to like me some pie. I’ve been known to take a few down without breaking a sweat. It’s very impressive, let me tell you. Sort of an homage to the hard boiled egg scene in Cool Hand Luke. It was only matter of time before I wandered into Hoosier Mama Pie Company, an adorable tiny shop on Chicago Avenue just west of Ashland. There are a few seats, but what takes up the bulk of the shop is the pastry area and the gorgeous display of pies. SO MANY PIES. A veritable forest of pies, if you will. A forest of pies I would like to run through with my mouth open, and perhaps with a glass of milk. I really only meant to go in for a slice, but I wound up leaving with three. I make no claims of self control, especially when it comes to pies. Or bacon. Or, you know, anything food-related. I went with a slice of coconut custard, a slice of tangy passion fruit meringue, and a slice of the shop’s signature Hoosier sugar cream pie (the recipe comes from a vintage 1965 cookbook).
I apologize right now–the photos for these pies just don’t do them justice. These slices were beautiful, and my poor dying camera pretty much screwed them up the butt. My apologies–I promise better pie porn in the future.
The coconut custard was the first slice I dove into, and it was heaven. Not as light as a coconut cream pie, but deliciously thick, custardy and chock full of shredded coconut. I’m a whore for coconut, so this was an obvious winner. Next was the passion fruit meringue pie.
This pie was crazy–the meringue was just sweet enough, and perfectly contrasted the super tangy, super tart passion fruit. If you like a good combo of sweet and sour, this is a great pie for you. The last pie I tried was the signature Hoosier sugar cream pie.
This pie was described as melted brown sugar ice cream, and it sure as hell delivers. The pie literally oozes all over the plate, melting into a pile of deliciousness. The brown sugar really comes through and combines well with the cream. Totally like a melted brown sugar ice cream cone. Most important…the crust. Now, I am typically not a fan of pies for the sole reason that the crust usually sucks. The filling can be super delicious, but if the crust does not hold up to the filling and have a nice, buttery finish to it, well, I might as well be eating pudding. I promise this review is not because I used to work for Chef Paula….but hot damn is this some good crust. Perhaps some of the only pie crust that has ever won me over. It has flavor, it is not just bland and soggy, and it stays really crisp against the filling. It is flaky, but not overly so, and the overall flavor really supports whatever flavoring it is holding. Conclusion–go to this pie shop. The pies themselves are pretty affordable, most of them around $20, the pies change seasonally, and a slice is only $4. The flavors are delicious, and each seem to have a slightly gourmet twist, which probably comes from Chef Paula’s background at such kick-ass restaurants as Trio (where current chef/owner of Alinea Grant Achatz used to work). Chef Paula buys her ingredients locally whenever possible, and can be found at The Green City Market in Lincoln Park, a great farmers market in the city. I love this shop, and not just because I used to work with the head chef. She just so happens to make a damn good pie. ~LTG! ************************************ Hoosier Mama Pie Cafe 1618 1/2 Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 312-243-4846 www.hoosiermamapie.com
