I am just not an apple pie kind of gal. I have been asked to bring one for thanksgiving.. where can I find a good one?? Help!

(DONT anyone ask me to make it... unless you are offering to come and make it for me )

Thanks folks.

I know you are probably in the District, but Mom's APple Pie Company in Herndon makes great pies. It is all they do. I don't know if they sell at any of the farmer's markets but you may want to call them. They are seriously good.Moms Apple Pie Co.

I second the Mom's recommendation, particularly if you get the crumb-topped versions, and Potomac Vegetable Farms on Route 7 carries the pies (assuming they're still open this late in the year.) Otherwise, they've got locations on Van Buren St. in Herndon, and on Sterling Blvd off Route 28, where the pies are actually made.

The Vermont Apple Pie Company sells their frozen, all butter crust apple pie at Whole Foods Market around the area and all you have to do it pop it in the oven for 45 minutes and BAM, homemade, yummy apple pie. It's very, very, very yummy!

Heck, do that and pass it off as your own. It's pretty reasonably priced and very tasty with some vanilla ice cream.

Mom's is a good choice for sure. They also have a location in Leesburg, right across the street from Galetta's, which I still have to check out.

Also very good is Pie Gourmet in Vienna.

For something a little less homey but always welcome, Costco's caramel apple pie is gigantic and very good.

I also recommend that you serve it with some cinnamon ice cream. Haagen Das used to sell it, but I make my own. It goes really, really well with apple pie.

It may not seem like an obvious choice, but I am a really big fan of the apple pies at Balduccis. I count them among my favorites in the area.

Thanks folks - This is really very helpful. I appreciate it -- I will post here on what I end up doing.. I may even taste some of it

I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my wife this year, and figured that I would spare myself the hassle of baking and order a pie. The best two pie companies I have found are: The James River Pie Company - http://www.jamesriverpie.com/ or Dangerous Pies - http://www.dangerouspies.com/

If anyone has tried either company and can offer feedback on preference, or suggest another route, I would be grateful.

Thank you.

I love Dangerously Delicious Pies, chocolate chess is my fav. It is a small operation and I have heard in the past that he gets quite overwhelmed during Thanksgiving. Perhaps he is better prepared now (this was a few years ago) but I must admit that it would give me pause. Rodney does make a kick ass pie, though.

You may want to check out the recommended pies in this earlier thread

Apple Pie

Many people know Mom's Apple Pie in Herndon. What many do not know is that Mom's has a special order "butter crust" apple pie that's about $20 which is the equal of any Rubanesque grandmother's that I've ever had.

Also, K-Paul's will ship you their sweet potato pecan pie by UPS.

http://shop.chefpaul.com/index.asp?PageAct...PROD&ProdID=152

Please note that the K-Paul's website notes that they are only up to partial capacity of what they were before the hurricane but they are able to fill most orders. K-Paul's itself has not yet reopened.

If anyone does order this IT IS SERVED OVER CHANTILLY WHIPPED CREAM IN THE RESTAURANT. This is the recipe for Chantilly Whipped Cream from Chef Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU MAKE THIS FROM SCRATCH AND SERVE A "POOL" OF IT UNDERNEATH THE SLICE OF PIE.

For 2 cups:

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Courvoisier or brandy
1 tsp Grand Marnier
1/4 cup sugar
2 tblsp. sour cream

Refrigerate a medium size bowl and beaters until very cold. Combine cream, vanilla, brandy and Grand Marnier in the bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium speed 1 minute. Add the sugar and sour cream and beat on medium just until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. DO NOT OVERBEAT.

Until K-Paul's introduced their fresh cracked coconut cake on special order this was their signature dessert.

I realize it's a little late for Thanksgiving, but Kingsbury Chocolates in Alexandria does special order pies around the holidays that I've heard are good. Chocolate pecan and chocolate cream pies...

Tis the season, I'm having daily cravings for pumpkin (or sweet potato) pie. I don't think I can hold out til the weekend, when I'll have time to actually make one ... any recommendations of where I can buy a good one?

I confess to being rather fond of the pumpkin pie from Costco. I don't eat the crust though, I just scoop out the filling, add a little whipped cream and pretend it is a healthy breakfast.

Balducci's is decent, and they use butter in the crust.

I would call Reeve's at 1306 G and see if they have any on the shelf.

Whole Foods cranks out some surprisingly good ones. They have a traditional, a cheesecake bottomed number, and one with a pumpkin mousse.

Kathy Reid has been baking them at Reid's Orchards at the Mount Pleasant Farmers' market on Saturdays. They had them last week and they were very good looking although I have not tasted them

In the mail today, I recieved "The Consumer's Eye" local flyer. On the back there was an add for
Mom's Apple Pie Company in Occoquan. They have 30+ pies and claim to grown thier own ingredients on a farm in Loudon County.

Haven't tried the Mom's pumpkin pie, but both the apple and cherry are worth the money.

My husband loooooves blueberry pie and I want to get him one for his birthday in lieu of a cake. We live in the District so the closer the better. I would be willing to order one from Mom's if that is the consensus. Has anyone tried the pies from Heidelberg? Would love any recs.

I have to confirm the Mom's Apple Pie Co. recommendations. I am acquaintences with one of the family members who own the business. Yes, they do grow their produce on their own farm near the river in Leesburg. Very nice family and great pies. The fruit pies get a great balance of sweet to tart. They were featured recently on the Food Network show with Paula Deen's sons. Can't say much about that TV show, but the pies are something special. And local is always a plus.

I need to find a good Key Lime Pie for delivery or pick-up in DC. I checked with Best Pie Company (which was one of the featured bakeries today in the WaPo --click ) They may do it as a special order at a later date, but I need it for Tuesday next week. Reeves is gone, and I plan to check with RTS to see if they can offer a suggestion. (I didn't check the VA bakeries, as I wouldn't have anyone to pick-up from those locations.)

Anyone have any other suggestions? TIA

See if Landrum would sell you a whole pie? I'd be surprised if any of the bakeries do a better one.

Yes. he was on my list to call (see RTS) I called RTC earlier in the day, and he was not there yet. I left a message as recommended by the person who answered the phone, and she said she'd get back to me.

I just got off the phone with WF and they have one...I'm going to pick it up tonight and I'll report back on how it is. Has anyone else had anything from the WF bakeries?

Have you tried Buzz? Their stuff is really good.

Their website says they only have maple pecan and apple crumb...but I'll keep the rec in my file for the future, as I'm often in need of a good bakery. Thanks!

Key lime pie is one of the easiest pies in the world to make. You could do it in about 20 minutes with a pre-made graham cracker crust or add about 15 minutes if you make the crumb crust yourself. Just buy a bottle of "key lime" juice (most large grocery stores carry it) and follow the recipe on the back. You just blend the lime juice with sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, pour it into a prepared crumb crust and bake it for about 12-15 minutes. You can get fancy and add some grated lime zest, if you want. After it has cooled for a bit, squirt some Reddi-Whip rosettes on top. Voila!

We absolutely loved the rhubarb pie we got here

http://www.dangerouspies.com/about.html

It was tart and tangy -- none of this soupy, strawberry-y mess that you often get!

I also agree with everyone about Mom's Pies -- the sour cherry with the crumble crust is one of my greatest pleasures.

Speaking from experience, inveigh upon Porcupine for her award-winning key lime pie recipe and you'll be golden.

Speaking from experience, as someone who grew up in South Florida, please skip the bottled key lime juice, and find yourself a source for key limes (NOT persian limes) ...

Thank you for this! My great aunt in Kentucky used to make rhubarb pie from rhubarb she picked on her farm. That's one of my best childhood memories and I've looked for years for a good pie, not the combo pies that are so common. I'll definitely try this one.

Someone asked about WF (Whole Foods?) bakeries. Occasionally we buy a WF criss-cross cherry pie. Very good, one of the best commercial pies I've had. And some of the juice pies from the Amish stores in Burtonsville and Germantown are hard to beat.

It is not likely that many will get a chance to try these, but there is a pair of bakeries in Georgetown/Litchfield, South Carolina--Kudzu Bakery--that makes the best pies I've eaten anywhere. If you are ever in the South Carolina Low Country, do not miss these, especially for the pecan pie, which may be the best pie I've ever tasted.

Dangerously Delicious Pies is one of my favorite places. The guy's cool, his pies are fantastic ... almost worth the drive to Baltimore If I remember correctly, he was talking about selling his pies at Dean and Deluca in DC the last time I was there.

Why, thank you! I'll post the recipe later today when I have more time.


Speaking as someone who's been known to go crazy looking for authentic ingredients*, don't bother. It's been a few years since I tried, but finding decent quality Key limes in the greater DC area will be a wild goose chase. If you do find them, often in a one or two pound bag, you'll then have to go about squeezing the little buggers for a teaspoon of juice each - if you're lucky - and then you'll find that some of the juice is too tart, or sour, and half the limes are rotten and most of the others aren't ripe enough yet, and you'll end up spending something like twenty bucks for a half-cup of iffy-quality juice.

I'm not sayin' it isn't worth it if you can get good Key limes - I'm sayin' good luck gettin' 'em. Of course, there's the internets to help you...

*ask Mr P about the time 18 years ago when I dragged him through multiple tiny grocery stores in Adams Morgan looking for palm oil

I have to testify, following zoramargolis' suggestion yesterday afternoon, I made a perfectly good pie for the first time in my life and I could have done it blindfolded. Thanks for the heads up!

You're welcome and congratulations! You can make it with lemon juice and lemon zest, too. Next, you can get a pre-made frozen pie crust and make an open-faced apple pie -- easy-peasy style has a crumb topping, which you can make with softened butter, brown sugar, a little bit of flour, cinnamon and granola. Or get the refrigerated packaged crust that's located with the tubes of biscuits and make a double crust pie. Just toss slices of peeled apples with a little lemon juice, sugar, flour or corn starch, cinnamon and a few small chunks of butter. And don't forget to cut a few slits in the top crust to let the steam out. Or just use one of the dough circles, pile the prepared apples in the center, and fold the edges of the crust up around the sides of the apples to make a simple rustic tart.

Pretty soon, you'll be making pie crust from scratch. =;-D

On the subject of shortcut pie crust; Trader Joe's has frozen pie crust that is as close to homemade as I've ever tasted. All my pies this summer were made with this product and all were excellent!

The best pies in the area are the ones at the Galesville Market in Galesville, MD. However, I was just told that the market closed but the pies are now for sale at the liquor store 3 doors down towards the water. If you're ever out that way (it's a great place for biking), these pies are are unbelievable.

Sorry for the delayed follow-up...

The WF key lime pie was not bad, and did fine in a pinch. The office loved it. I, however, thought it needed more tartness and the whipped cream suffered from "refrigerator" taste.

I ran out of time to get a pie from RTC..althought the offer was enticing. Since they are not open on Sunday or Monday, and I needed the pie for Tuesday, I was unable to work out the logistics to get the pie in time. I had an Edison moment, however, and went to the Burtonsville Amish Market on Saturday. Now we're talking some good pies!

The Key Lime and Pecan Pies I purchased, both from Pellman Bakery, were fantastic. The office consensus was while the WF pie was good, this one was far better. The Peach Pie was also said to be good, but did not go over as well as the other two. I can't recall the name of that specific bakery)

Website for Pellman foods--interestingly the peach pie was a local bakery, yet did not fare as well as the pies from Pellman.