Finding Keepers

not-so-humble pie

Whether you enjoy your pie at breakfast or a more conventional hour, New Mexico eateries serve up a sweet selection of desserts that look as lovely as they taste.

Story and photography by Julie Dean

This article first appeared in Summer 2008 Su Casa

Recently someone told me that eating pie for breakfast is a Southern tradition. For me it’s a southern Colorado tradition. My grandparents owned a café there, and each morning my Gram would start her day in the pie room. It held a huge mixer, a towering pie oven, and a large wooden board that served as her work surface. Her pecan pie was famous. The banana cream flew out the door.

Watching her work, I learned the ritual of pie baking—pulling the exact amount of dough from the bowl, rolling it deftly and quickly, wielding a pie peel to slide the shells in and out of the narrow-shelved oven.

In our family, perhaps because of our history of diving into a just-out-of-the-oven pie, we always eat our pie warm, especially the cream pies. Carlos’ Gosp’l Cafe in Santa Fe serves a real treasure, warm lemon meringue and coconut cream pies. Carlos White says the pies are baked each morning and served that day at lunch. Any leftover pie goes to some lucky recipient, and the process begins again the next day. If you wonder how the pie tastes, let’s just say I try to have at least one piece each week.

At Harry’s Roadhouse, the pie sits in the display behind the counter, calling to you as you eat nearby. Co-owner Peyton Young’s strawberry rhubarb and pecan pies look beautiful and taste delicious. Served with a scoop of whipped cream on the side, they make a great finale for any meal. Peyton characterizes today’s example of my grandmother, an unwavering and talented baker.

Pratt Morales, owner of the Golden Crown Panaderia, bakes the New Mexican version of pie, empanadas. A pocket of tasty fruit fills these delicious stuffed pastries, the crust a perfect blend of recipes—not as flaky as a traditional pie and lighter than what you might find in a Mexican empanada. The result, like the bakery, is a savory treat you won’t find anywhere else. This bakery epitomizes everything we love about New Mexico, including delicious food.

If you’ve been in one of the eight Flying Star Cafes, you know they are proud of their desserts. Upon entering the café, you shuffle past the alluring case on your way to order. Flying Star’s executive pastry chef Willem Blom makes a mean pie—Flying Star has good reason to be proud. Light crusts with crisp tops brim with delicate, flavorful filling. Flying Star Cafe offers a great variety, from key lime and chocolate silk to peach raspberry and classic cherry, all meticulously crafted to deliver a delectable treat.

If you find yourself in northern New Mexico craving a tasty dessert, drive straight to the Dragonfly Café in Taos. Owner Karen Todd’s pies and galettes look as stunning as a piece of art. The apple pie features a layering of crust shaped like flaky oak leaves edged by golden-brown stars sprinkled with sugar. The equally lovely galette has a freeform crust wrapped around a medley of pears, red grapes, and candied oranges, making these treats as scrumptious as they are striking.

Pie represents the ultimate comfort food, bringing to mind fresh-picked fruit on balmy summer days and generations of baking tradition that warms your soul. Are you in the car yet?