Feta Salsa

 

There is nothing like fresh, fragrant herbs to invigorate the senses. Their scent requires a closed eyed, deep inhale which invokes a sort of calm, even for just a moment. I have a tendency to maniacally thrust a handful of fresh basil under Brandon’s nose and demand he tell me anything that smells better. He usually sniffs obediently and obliges, with some deserved eye rolling.

Each herb has a distinct personality, and I enjoy finding ways to use them to enliven otherwise boring, normal meals. Whether it’s the fresh crunch of parsley, the posh spiciness of tarragon or a crisp mint sprig, all can bring your meal to the next level. To an 11. I’m also a sucker for pairing herbs and fruit, like those scrumptious French Toasts  from last summer with strawberries and basil or rhubarb and mint. Just gives it that extra flavor layer for punch.

 

 

A few years ago, Chicago had it’s first Diner en Blanc and I scooped up two tickets just as they went on sale. Basically 1000 people dress up all in white, prepare a 3 course picnic dinner and are told where to meet the day of the event to sit down for a sort of gastronomic flash mob. You are supposed to bring your own small table and chairs , that must be white of course. Which meant we were frantically gluing white fabric on our black table and chairs that afternoon, because we are classy like that. Though our accessories weren’t elegant, I was determined that our food should be. But it also had to be transportable. We made a funky pasta dish for our main course and I wanted some sort of simple yet scrumptious spread with a crusty baguette for our appetizer. Smitten Kitchen’s Feta Salsa was just the ticket.

 

 

The Diner en Blanc was enormous fun. People, clad in white from all over the city, assembled under the Picasso statue in Daley Plaza and set up their meals for two. Some tables were quite plain while some had elaborate place settings with chandeliers and candlesticks. But I was quite happy with our table with a white sheet tablecloth and felt covered seats since we had this feta salsa. An entire bowl of this stuff was not nearly enough for the two of us. We devoured it, moaning our appreciations. Then, after the dinner I promptly forgot all about it.

 

 

It popped into my head the other day when I was at a loss for what to make for dinner. I wanted something simple yet flavorful that would leave me enough for lunch the next day. Greedily snatching up 8 different kinds of herbs, I wracked my brain for something to make that would use as many as possible. Somehow the dormant memory of creamy, spicy Mediterranean tasting goodness worked it’s way to the front of my mind and I was off to find the creamiest feta in all the grocery store.

 

 

 

To give this meal some crunch, I fried some za’tar spiced chickpeas while mixing up my feta salsa. Add them all to a warmed pita with some arugula and cucumber and that is dinner my friends! I do believe the flavors highlighted and melded and all the other requisite actions we require of food to give our taste buds pleasure. For my #notsaddesklunch the next day, I brought along an avocado to spread in the sandwich and ate the whole thing again.

 

 

 

 

Combine a healthy amount of creamy feta with about 2-3 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley and dill and 1-2 tablespoons of chopped mint and tarragon. Chop a couple scallions and throw those in. Taste as you go. You can always add more herbs so start with less. Rough chop anywhere between 1/4 – 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (depending on your preference) and add to mixture. I splurged a bit and got some packed in olive oil so they wouldn’t be dry.  Toss in some capers in. I’m not a fan of olives, but if you are, by all means use some kalamatas here. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper and a couple tablespoons of nice olive oil. Stir it up and taste. I chopped up 2 garlic cloves and just toasted them to add in as an experiment. You may want to drizzle some of the sun-dried tomato oil into the mixture as well. This is a very malleable concoction so make it your own!

 

Fried Za’atar Chickpeas

 

Heat up some oil (vegetable, grapeseed, olive etc) in a saute pan. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Once the oil is hot, throw in the chickpeas and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of za’atar and some salt and pepper. Fry for about 8-10 minutes, stirring every so often. Keep an eye on them. You want them crispy and browned, but not burned. Take off heat to cool for a couple minutes, then consume!

Farewell Chicago!

Boy, do I miss cooking myself a meal.

After a few weeks of apartment searching, packing, traveling and unpacking I’m definitely ready to go grocery shopping, cook dinner in my kitchen and eat it in my new apartment.

I left Chicago over a week ago after residing there for just about 3 years. It is a wonderful city and was very good to me. Since my self professed expertise is in food, I felt it only fitting to have my “Farewell Chicago” post be proclaiming my love for my favorite spots. Please visit them if you get the chance. Multiple times if you know what is good for you.

Brunch

Southport Grocery : Provides funky artisanal products, perfect red potato mash and my favorite cupcake.

Floriole Cafe and Bakery: Beautiful shabby chic bakery with killer quiches and they recently started Pizza Nights. T&C Photographie took some of our engagement pics here and we used it for our rehearsal brunch.

baked good galore! Rhubarb galette, I shall never forget you.

Lunch

Falafill: Love getting classic and curry falafel and piling on the toppings from the mezza bar. I practically drink their tahini sauce.

Pastoral: Fancy, pleasant sandwiches when you want something with a bit more craft than your usual.

Butcher and Burger:  Love this “create your burger” spot. I get the salmon with umami or the lentil burger with avocado and a runny egg on top.

Coffee

Intelligentsia: THE coffee roaster in Chicago. They’ve recently opened a few more locations and I really love the Logan Square and Broadway shops.

Heritage General Store: Great coffee and a chill vibe. Easy to spend  a few hours there reading or working. See more about it here.

Heritage coffee with a Southport cupcake.

Ch’ava Cafe: The best iced coffee in the city.  Another good spot to work for a few hours and there is usually a delicious soup, sandwich and salad on the menu. Happy things happen here.

Caffe Streets: Wicker park spot with great coffee and a nice Chider.

Dinner

Spacca Napoli: My favorite place to get pizza. Really fast and so very rich in the Neopolitan style.

– sobs with longing-

Native Foods : Vegan chain where I can order anything on the entire menu. I kill their Lavender Lemonade.

uncommon ground: Such a solid place, either location. This is the place I recommend most often to guestes as the food is approachable Americana but turned up to 11. Please get the sweet potato fries with goat cheese fondue.

aforementioned sweet potato fries with goat cheese fondue. NOT TO BE MISSED

Antique Taco : Favorite fish taco and kale salad in the city inside a pretty rustic setting.

Tiny Lounge: Great neighborhood spot if you want something a step or two up from your regular places. Spot on risottos, flatbreads and drinks. Celebrate happy events here like engagements, raises, promotions etc.

Dessert

Jeni’s Ice Cream: After paying $13 to purchase a pint at Whole Foods for years, you can now get as many scoops and varieties as you could ever wish for!

Bang Bang! Pie: Just delectable pie and biscuits. I love their shop and its been fun to see it expand over the years. Read more about my love for it here.

Glazed and Infused :  So dangerous to live around the corner from this doughnut place. My favorite is the blueberry lemon double glazed. Kill me with sugar.

Margie’s Candies:  Too many pints of chocolate peanut butter ice cream to count were purchased here. Under the Montrose Brown Line this spot is overflowing with ice cream, candies, pies and sweets of all sorts.

Cocktails

Billy Sunday: Funky drinks in Logan Square with really fun ingredients.

Barrelhouse Flat: Extensive menu, speakeasy vibe and they do things with Malort you never thought possible.

Violet Hour: Simple yet lavish cocktail lounge. Good for a dressed up evening.

Other favorite cocktail places discussed here.

Goodbye my cuisine friendly Chicago! I shall miss your food scene immensely and your idiotic weather not at all.

The Vegetarian and the Goat

Girl and the Goat is one of the top restaurants in Chicago which means it is very hard for riffraff like me to get a table.

BUT! I may  have discovered the key to getting in . Arrive just as they open (4:30 pm) on a weekday and they’ll most likely be able to squeeze you in before a real reservation. Or at least sit you at the bar or lounge.  We got there around 4:40 and they said we can grab a table in the dining room as long as we were done before 6.

Mega score!

Mama Foodie was in town and was eager to try Stephanie Izard’s restaurant. Last time she visited Chicago she tried to steal one of their paper menus. I thwarted her, of course. The audacity. It’s not like I have  Barrelhouse Flat menu on my bookshelf right now…

As you just saw, I didn’t need to be worried that my vegetarian stomach would have to subsist on garnishes alone. The menu is broken up into V (vegetables), F (fish), M (meat), Breads, Oysters, Goats, Desserts and Drinks. We looked through the whole thing and all 3 of us decided that we would feel perfectly happy sampling a few vegetarian dishes and, of course, a bread and spread.

D.B. Cooper cocktail and Zucchini bread with olive butter and hummus

A pretty boozy and slightly expensive cocktail, but I tell you, I’d pay much more for that bread. It was decadent, yet light and fluffy. WAY too little to share with 2 other people.

sweet corn goat cheese wontons
sungold tomatoes . apricot . ratatouille

Look! Popcorn on top! Miraculously it stayed crunchy while we ate. This dish was pretty sweet with the candy-like corn, juicy heirloom tomatoes and creamy goat cheese. The wonton element was just a tad doughy but the ratatouille definitely made up for it. Who doesn’t adore the right combination of savory and sweet?

roasted beets
green beans . white anchovy . avocado creme fraiche . bread crumb

I was lured by that “avocado creme fraiche” when it came time to select our dishes. But I don’t think I actually got that much as it was scooped up by my two fellow diners… thank you mother and spouse.

However I did enjoy the combination of roasted beets and breadcrumbs with the spicy frisee. I’ll have to try to make something like this sometime.

wood grilled broccoli
rogue smokey bleu . spiced crispies

Ok people. You have not had broccoli until you have this broccoli. It is out of control.

They had just the right crunch and a smoky woodsy essence that was just sigh inducing. THEN a crisp bleu cheese sauce type thing underneath it all and the whole dish was topped with spiced crispies. We were debating what we all thought these crispies would turn out to be. They turned out to be flavorful, toasted Rice Krispies basically. Added a great taste and texture element. Go eat this broccoli please.

Girl and the Goat was just the first stop on our mini West Loop tour as we had a gift card to RM Champagne and were saving room. Which I completely regret doing. I wish I would have tried that cauliflower and falafel at G&G.

Pretty candelit fireplace in RM Champagne

Honestly, RM Champagne was a bust. It is beautifully decorated and I’m sure it would be fun to sit outside on a cool summer night and enjoy a glass of good champagne under the twinkle lights. However, I know nothing about champagne and ordered a cocktail which was nothing special. The dishes we ordered were on the lower end of mediocre , especially following Girl and the Goat.  Their desserts looked pretty and tasted fine. However, A doughy bland leek tart and cold flatbread does not a happy food dance make. Sorry RM,  but in such a foodie town you really need to step up your meals.

Who, besides Marie Antoinette, can survive on champagne and cake alone?,

Heritage General Store

Apparently people demand bikes and coffee. A combination that never occurred to me, but works seamlessly at Heritage General Store.

Heritage has become my favorite spot in the city to sit and read or work for hours. Its atmosphere is incredible inviting, pretty and rustic. It serves Stumptown coffee and you can even get a growler of iced coffee to take home. Delish.

They carry a few Southport Grocery baked goods, little sandwiches, soups and a few types of quiches. On the weekends they carry a selection of Glazed and Infused doughnuts which is more than acceptable to me.

They also had a killer sour cherry lemonade a few weeks back. It may be a seasonal thing so be sure to try it before it disappears.

I absolutely love their support of small, artisanal vendors. They have a florist who brings her flowers by every so often, and a broken down vintage bus outside that has a new pop up shop seemingly every weekend. Last weekend there was a masseuse  with a tent and a few weekends ago was a vintage dress shop.  Totally hipster and completely rad. A good source tells me their wifi even reaches to both of their outdoor areas.

When my husband’s bike arrived without instructions on how to assemble it, (thanks Retrospec) the combo of coffee and bikemanship finally dawned on me as utter genius instead of just delightfully quirky. We brought the bike parts to them, grabbed a coffee and were assured that they would take it from there. And they did!

Whether you need to fix a flat tire or customize an entire bike, this is the place to do it. I love seeing all the crazy cool rides scattered around the shop.

There is a store in the back for all the bicycle gear your hipster heart could ever hope for. Seats, locks, baskets, bells, helmets, lamps and contraptions I don’t even recognize can all be found. You can purchase some online too.

There is even something for the little ones, and a photography studio.

Stop by Heritage, drink a coffee, eat a treat and hunker down for a few hours.

(You’ll probably see my brother and sister-in-law there as it is basically their second home.)

avec plaisir

Chicago foodies know that avec doesn’t really need yet another praising blog post, but since it is probably my last visit for a long time, indulge me.

Avec was my first gourmet food experience in Chicago and maybe ever. It was momentous for me and got me interested in reading and experiencing Chicago’s “food scene”.

My first visit was for my boyfriend (now husband) and my 2 year dating anniversary.

It was recommended to us by a barista friend of ours. I tell you, a quality barista is the best person to turn to for restaurant recommendations, besides me of course.

The second visit was when I took my mother, (an official Foodie) to show off a good, buzzed about, Chicago place. She loved it of course.

And now here is the tale of my third and final time (for now at least) eating at avec.

avec sour and a barrel aged cocktail

Avec is basically a wine bar with really delicious small and large plates. But they have 2 cocktails on their beverage menu so we tried them out. Mine was their take on a whiskey sour and was quite good, though it got watered down quickly. The barrel aged cocktail was really nice, boozy and bright.

There was a chef change or 2 since my last visit so the menu was revamped. However there are 2 staple items that they cannot remove from the menu, as customers literally refuse to let them.

I’m a vegetarian, but this dish at avec is my personal exception. Their meat is from local farms and I feel safe eating one meat item from such a prestigious place. Please eat these next two items together for the full effect.

chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce

“deluxe” focaccia with taleggio cheese, ricotta, truffle oil and fresh herbs

Mhmm, the truffle taste and smell just invades the table and the spicy, sweet chorizo stuffed dates with a tomato sauce is just a miraculous salty/sweet combination.

Their dishes are “family style” and meant to be shared with the entire table. Sort of a mediteranean-ish tapas if you will.

Sweet corn panzanella with nectarines, arugula and mint

burrata cheese with green strawberries, marcona almonds, peas and strawberry vinaigrette

The panzanella was bright and light. I loved the mixture of nectarines and mint.  Is there anything more heavenly than burrata? It really stood out here with the fresh crunchy greens and a light garlic bread. I don’t remember the green strawberries much though…

Before I go further I just want to point out that  there were 4 of us at this dinner sharing all these plates. Just so you don’t think we are gluttons or anything.

whipped brandade with garlic bread and chives

This was a delicious dish, but I think we got it a tad late into our meal, so it was too rich to eat much of. But the thick wheat bread toast worked perfectly with the creamy whipped fish. Like a fancy, mini fish sandwich.

Capricola pizza with red onions, figs, pistachio pesto and arugula

I only tried a bite of this pizza and a few figs since I hit my meat limit with the chorizo dates. But I loved the vinegary red onions and figs. I think figs on pizza is entirely too rare.

Finally, we all made room in our stomachs to share a few scoops of the special gelato of the day : Coffee Toffee.

Coffee toffee gelato

Sugary wafers on top added a jolt to the creamy, coffee goodness. A perfect treat to end the meal.

Thank you avec for providing me with my first grown up, gourmet meal in Chicago and for being consistently delicious and never pretentious.

Akin Cake

By no means was I a demanding bride for my wedding this past June. There was one element however, that I was unwavering on.

The food at my reception had to be absolutely spectacular. And I wanted to find smaller, local vendors that really enjoyed and thrived on creativity while making a quality product.

Antique Taco catering our taco bar was  a quick and easy decision. But where to find a heavenly, decadent cake? There is no end to bakeries in the city and they probably all make wedding cakes.

But so many places concentrated on just creating a spectacle piece. I can just hear their brainstorming:

“A hipster-ey wedding? How about a burlap layered cake, with owls and ribbons and thick framed glasses and a pipe and mustaches with a mason jar topper and the flavor is … Irony and Lace .”

Yeahhhh, no thanks.

photo by T & C Photographie

I wanted to support a smaller business so I emailed my venue contact at Kitchen Chicago. Surely a rental kitchen space will have small catering recommendations!

It’s a Bingo!

She told me about Charin from Akin Cake. Check out her incredibly charming description here! Her mission statement spoke to my soul:

Food, taste, and flavor are delicate arts that should be partaken of and enjoyed by all.  If you remember biting into that first fresh strawberry of the season, the mouthwatering taste of mom’s apple pie, or the bonbons you ate after a bad breakup, then you know food has the uncanny knack of expressing emotions along with taste and sustenance.  Food creates long lasting memories by uniting us, capturing our thoughts, and evoking emotions words fail to describe… My goal, passion, and mission is to bring the art of taste and flavor exceptional foods offer to each and every cake I make so it will turn moments both grand and small into unforgettable memories.

After quickly skimming  her cake flavors, and mouth-watering photos,  I sent her an email. Charin was amazing to work with! She wrote back promptly, brainstormed with me and above all else, created astoundingly delicious cakes.

For an extra $150 she provides a wedding “package” that includes delivery of the cake(s), extra decor, a cake on your 1st year anniversary and a tasting of 3 cakes to help you decide. 

“mini” cakes for tasting.

With classic flavors and a few of her own inventions, you just know she is in love with creating the perfect cake. We settled on a small tiered Ramona Allison ( named for her late grandmother) and two sheet cakes, a  Vanilla Bean and a gluten free Hazelnut cake that was so fudgy and luxurious it was gone in minutes.

I love her descriptions, don’t you!?

Mint Mocha -quirky, intriguing, mysterious

S’mores – fire, goo, artistry

Peanut Butter and Jelly -mirth, playtime, yummy

Vanilla Bean – decadence, exotic, heavenly

If you are looking for a cake for an event visit Akin Cake and shoot Charin an email.

Your sweet tooth will be indebted to you.

Mixologie

Whether they are called bartenders, mixologists or victuallers, Chicago drink professionals know how to concoct  a killer cocktail.

Here are a few of my favorite cocktail spots in the city:

Billy Sunday

A new Logan Square spot with funky combos and they actually have some cocktails on tap. Get some artisanal bread and be sure to try The Cocktail and Grapes, Rice and Wrath.

Barrelhouse Flat

Their cocktail menu is extensive and arranged according to spirit so its easy to navigate, assuming you know what you are craving. Though they have a few rotating originals, be sure to get familiar with some of the old classics. Oh! Be brave and try the Malort and tonic. It is surprisingly delicious I promise!

Violet Hour

Slightly pretentious with their various ( not quite tongue in cheek) rules, The Violet Hour is gorgeous and still a fun experience. It isn’t really the place to chill for more than a drink, maybe two. But their highbacked chairs, luxe decor and almost costumed bartenders  make it an impressive place to takes guests. I loved the Juliet and Romeo.

The Whistler

This “bar, gallery, record label and venue” was listed as one of GQ’s top 25 cocktail bars in America. Funky cocktails that aren’t over priced ( rare in Chicago let me tell you) they have events happening constantly so be sure to check out their website to plan the best time to go.

Scofflaw

Specializing in gin cocktails, this place has super well priced drinks. The bar is impressive and the second room is full of Versailles-esque mismatched furniture which makes me want to sit in all the chairs. They’ve got some yummy  fancy snacks to pair with your refreshment.

Longman and Eagle

Eat.Drink.Sleep. This whiskey focused restaurant/bar has a classy hipster vibe. Another Logan Square spot, it’s got “farm to table”,  gourmet “regional American fare”. Outside while you are waiting for a table, grab a drink at their “Offsite bar”. The Hills like White Elephants is super strong and memorable. If you can’t make it home, then I suggest staying in one of their uber-hipster hotel rooms upstairs. Cassette tapes and whiskey tokens included.

Tiny Lounge

This is a restaurant a couple blocks from my old apartment. It got progressively better with each visit. We’d get their risotto special which was always absolutely delectable. Their cocktails are $10 and change seasonally. My very favorite is the Dear Prudence which has pink peppercorns and gin.

The Aviary

Ok so if the Mad Hatter had a cocktail lounge, this would be it. It’s started by Grant Achatz ( of Alinea and Next ) so you know that absurdity is inevitable. These cocktail creations are incredible. If you can score a reservation, and are willingly to  splurge on $20+ drinks, it is most definitely worth at least one visit. We tried 3 cocktails the other night.

In the Rocks was an iced sphere with an amazing old fashioned inside, which you cracked open with a small slingshot.

Ford’s Model Tea was served in a dainty teacup while a teapot filled with dry ice fumes enhanced the bergamot essence while you sip.

The third was a Pap Finn, which came out in a siphon and full of small beads that melted theatrically.

This was then put into a pot which contained an iced cube of lemon juice, one of huckleberry and one of tea. They were absolutely fantastic. Over the top? Of course. But look at it as a cocktail event!

For more imbibing info check out : Chicago Eater’s Where to Drink Now Heatmap

Farmer’s Market Caprese

Returning to Chicago after our feta filled Grecian honeymoon, we were excited to finally create a meal for ourselves.

Don’t get me wrong, Greek tavernas are fun and absolutely delish but it is a great feeling to come home, wander the food aisles and brainstorm the perfect lunch.

A mile from our new apartment is the Green City Market. As far as I know it is the largest farmer’s market in the city. It’s got kid’s entertainment, ready to eat food, many options of local artisan foodstuffs and of course farmer’s veggies, meats and breads.

Inspired by some gorgeously fragrant purple basil, I decided what I needed was a caprese sandwich. It’s your basic caprese, with an added bonus of avocado.  If you are inspired to make your own, be sure to use buffalo mozzarella so it is creamy and soft.

Toast the ciabatta lightly. Spread out the avocado and sprinkle some sea salt and crack some black pepper on it to make that avocado sweat a little.

Slice up a few wedges of mozzarella and a hearty tomato slice or two, and add a healthy dose of purple basil (or regular I suppose).

Drizzle with olive oil, maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar, black pepper and crunch away!

Antique Taco

Chicago has a ton of taco places. Each place I’ve visited creates them a bit differently but mostly they follow the same basic format:

2 or 3 corn tacos with a meat, fish or veggie and topped with funky sauces and re-purposed ingredients in varyingly odd combinations, ie: Hibiscus tortillas, coconut custard, rhubarb chutney, pistachio salsa, pineapple puree, mango aioli etc.

My hands down favorite place for tacos in the city is Antique Taco.

Created by Rick and Ashley Ortiz, Antique Taco serves simple, light, delectably made tacos and a hellsyeah! kale taco salad. Their decor is shabby chic with pretty antique details for sale scattered about and hardy wooden farm tables to sit at. Rick is passionate about his menu while Ashley is amazing at presentation,  creating a beautiful, calming atmosphere.

For my wedding last month, I knew I wanted the meal to be delicious. None of this “Chicken or Beef” 3 course nonsense either. Being vegetarians, my husband and I knew we had to find the perfect meal for our guests where they wouldn’t even miss the meat. Thank God Antique Taco caters a taco bar! Just what I was looking for? At my favorite taco place? Can you believe it?! It’s a sign!!

We had a tasting and Rick went above and beyond what we could have wished for in a reception meal. I’m a slightly difficult vegetarian, not liking mushrooms , which was the only vegetarian taco option Antique Taco has at the restaurant. However, Rick had gone to the market that morning and invented 2 types of tacos for us. Not only 2 types but a variation with each type just to make sure we were completely happy with our tacos. Uh Rick, I  was happy after just the description… see for yourself:

photo by T & C Photographie

When  you are next in Wicker Park and feel peckish, stop by Antique Taco . My favorite is the Antique Taco Salad or the Corn off the Cob Salad.

To. Die. For.

Bang Bang Pie

“Bang Bang he shot me down, Bang Bang I hit the ground , Bang Bang my baby shot me dowwwwnnnnn”

I always get that song from Kill Bill stuck in my head after visiting Bang Bang Pie, for obvious reasons. It is a deadly place. The glorious varieties of pie change daily. Their very names will seduce you. The sugar rush afterwards will most assuredly  incapacitate you. And it is so worth it.

Bang Bang Pie is in Logan Square and actually started as a food truck. The owner’s Kickstarter campaign raised over $10,000 to fund their storefront. The place is charming and rustic, with brick walls, clean hardwoods floors and flashes of bright, circus red scattered around. The baking is done right behind the cashier so you can see the various stages of the pies. They usually carry a fruit, a cream and a chocolate pie which you can purchase by the slice for $5 or the whole pie for $26.

They also carry biscuits that are extraordinarily buttery inside, with a nice, crispy crust. You can choose from a few different quirky spreads to lather on top. But I’m warning you, this place is RICH. Its hard to choose between a biscuit and a slice of pie, but it is difficult to finish if you choose both. Definitely get a cup of their in-house roasted coffee to offset the insane sugar rush you are about to have.

I love small , independent businesses that obviously love and take pride in their product.  This place does pie dreamily. Visit and follow them on twitter and prepare to start salivating.

Bang Bang Pie