At the end of Father's Day Weekend, pie pans are being picked at during the late night refrigerator visits all across America.
There is something about pie that says "man-dessert". Fruit pie, cream pie, close cousins of pie such as crumbles, crisps, or cobblers- pie is man-dessert. Chunky drop-style cookies might be a close second, and ice cream a third. Cakes and delicate, fancy desserts just don't translate well in man-world. What is it about pie that makes it so perfect for men?
For starters, the summer hosts many masculine holidays to celebrate. Memorial Day, Father's Day, July 4th, and Labor Day all fall in the summer and each holiday has a primarily masculine undertone. They celebrate war veterans, fathers, America's forefathers declaring independence, and the rights of American laborers in the 1800s; all of these primarily focus on the male given stereotypical gender roles of the past. The classic dessert for these celebrations is an apple pie, though there are so many other flavors to choose from.
Another attribute that makes pie the perfect man-dessert: all truly delicious pies start with a flaky yet tender, buttery crust. They are generally then filled with chunky fruit fillings or custard fillings. Pies aren't a very delicate dessert. You can't (or really shouldn't) drape a pie with fondant and top it with gum-paste flowers. Its sensibility appeals to masculine logic and its simplicity enhances its man sugar-love factor.
Like Bubba in Forrest Gump talking about the different ways to use shrimp, one could sit and list the different types of pie you could make. One could also go over the differences in pies, tortes, and tarts. Given the fact that the more you see the word pie, the hungrier you become for pie, let's skip right to the part about where you can purchase the best pies in all of Pittsburgh.
Nestled near the Border's bookstore in Upper St. Clair you'll find The Pie Place. Unlike most of the specialty item bakeries popping up around town dedicated to cupcakes or wedding cakes, the Pie Place pays homage to the pie and all of it's close cousins, like the cherry crisp or apple strudel. You can even find a Boston Cream Pie on a daily basis, even though a Boston Cream Pie is actually a cake, not a pie. Beyond their pies, you'll find a wide variety of cakes, cookies, ice cream, and coffee.
To indulge your man-dessert craving, the Pie Place is does offer the largest daily variety of fresh fruit and cream pies you'll find in Pittsburgh- not to mention the flakiest, most tender pie crust in the city.
On the Sugar-Love scale, the pie crust would get 5 hearts overall, but Sugar-Love evaluates a whole product, not just a crust. Pie enthusiasts of Pittsburgh, you must make haste to the Pie Place.
The Peach Tart, warmed and served a la mode on the Sugar Love Scale
Taste ♥♥♥♥♥
Texture ♥♥♥♥♥
Appearance ♥♥♥♥♥
Overall ♥♥♥♥♥
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