I’ve never met a pie I didn’t like. But not in a million years would I have guessed that I’d pedal my bicycle hundreds of miles across 35 Kentucky counties scouring the Commonwealth for pies. Not the best-tasting pies, because in my mind they’re all the best, but rather, as many different kinds of pies as I could find.
Boyle, Mercer, Washington, Marion, Nelson, LaRue, Hardin + Spencer Counties
The Pie Ride began at a downtown Danville shop perfectly named Pies for You. A homey, welcoming place, it felt as though I had walked into my grandmother’s kitchen. The aroma of fresh pies filled the air as did owner and baker Wilma Brown’s friendly banter. Wilma warmly greets customers and presents a menu that offers an extensive variety of pies “like the ones Grandma made.” Wilma and I decided that a slice of old-fashioned Buttermilk Pie would be the best selection, since I’d never tasted buttermilk pie. Other pies were calling my name too, including a blueberry-strawberry pie that had just been taken from the oven. I immediately regretted my decision to limit myself to one serving of one pie at each stop. This stand was made necessary by the inconvenient fact that it would take 90 minutes of vigorous biking to burn the calories that each piece of pie added to my system.
I had been to my next stop, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, before but had not tasted its famous Shaker Lemon Pie. While enjoying both a serving of pie and the elegant beauty of the Shaker Trustees’ House, a red-brick hostelry on the campus of this 200-year-old restored Shaker settlement, I recalled that the Shakers were a simple and thrifty folk well-known for not throwing anything away. Their lemon pie is a perfect example. They used the entire lemon, including paper-thin sliced peels, sugar and beaten eggs, to make a tasty pie.
Heading north of Harrodsburg on U.S. Hwy. 127, I came upon a roadside fruit and vegetable stand that also offered baked goods and enjoyed a piece of Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. I was pleased to discover that it was heavily tilted in favor of rhubarb, my favorite fruit. When asked why she was selling pie at a roadside stand, the elderly lady minding the outpost said, “I love to make people happy!”
Friends had told me about Ceconni’s Restaurant in Springfield, so I stopped for a slice of fresh, glazed Strawberry Pie. I smiled while reading a sign above the counter: “Warning: We can only please one person per day. Today is not your day and tomorrow is not looking good either.” Kentucky’s eateries are full of these amusing signs.
I was soon on my bike again pedaling to Henning’s Restaurant in downtown Lebanon, where I enjoyed a warm slice of Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. Eventually, I tore myself away from Henning’s warm ambience to continue the bike ride through Loretto and past Marker’s Mark distillery and its huge warehouses of aging bourbon.
A couple hours later and still full of angel’s share, I arrived in New Haven and K’La’s Cookies and Cakes Shop. It’s a simple place, but baker and co-owner Lila Carlen is one of the kindest individuals I met on the entire Pie Ride. During our visit, I mentioned I had never tasted a grape pie but would love to do so. I listened with amazement as Lila invited me to find something else to do while she used grapes from vines at her home to bake a Grape Pie with a delicious crumb topping. If there were words more flattering than “perfectly wonderful,” I’d use them to describe both Lila and the delectable grape pie that she made especially for this ride.
Whistling a merry tune, I took off for Hodgenville and Paula’s Hot Biscuit Café, where I enjoyed a mouth-watering Blackberry Pie covered by a lattice crust. It was then on to Glendale and the busy Whistle Stop Restaurant. I arrived at the exact same time as a lengthy freight train that barreled through Glendale at 800 miles per hour. Everybody seems to know about the restaurant’s award-winning Banana Meringue Pie. I was told that the Whistle Stop bakes 26 of them on a typical day. Given the opportunity, I would eat them all!
My next stops were at Mammy’s Kitchen in downtown Bardstown across from the Jailer’s Inn, where I enjoyed a serving of fresh Peach Pie, and the Tea Cup Café on Main Street in Taylorsville, where I was served a slice of tangy Lemon Pie topped with thick whipped cream. I was amused by the sign at Mammy’s promising that “Country Cookin’ Makes ya good lookin’!” We’ll see.
Jefferson County
It’s only natural that a city of Louisville’s size would offer the state’s most varied selection of pies. My first stops were at The Bakery at Sullivan University for a Caramel Apple Pie and Ditto’s Grill farther up the street on Bardstown Road for a serving of its popular Summer Berry Pie. The day I stopped at Ditto’s, owner and pie chef Dominic Serratore had used blackberries, strawberries, tart cherries and blueberries to make the pie.
An unexpected toothache forced me to stop at the nearby Arts and Crafts Dental Office, where Dr. Allan Linehan was available to treat me … in more ways than one! My tooth was soon OK, and during our visit, I discovered that Dr. Linehan enjoys baking pies for his family. To my delight, after learning about my bike ride, he offered to bake one for me using a family recipe. At his home the next day, I enjoyed a serving of his scrumptious Cranberry-Cherry Pie, which he normally makes only at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dr. Linehan’s homemade crust and the pie’s lattice top were among the best ever. Who would ever have guessed that I’d find pie while visiting a dentist’s office?
Then it was on to the west side of Louisville and the legendary Big Momma’s Soul Food Kitchen at 46th and Broadway. Big Momma’s is known for serving some of the city’s best traditional Southern food and, momma oh momma, what a popular place it is. There are only five stools and a counter for those who want to dine in, so most of the business is carryout. On Sundays, after nearby church services are over, a line of customers extends from Big Momma’s front door far down the block. The schedule of desserts is a bit erratic, but owner Jessie Green had agreed to make sure that a plain Chess Pie would be waiting when I arrived. I had never tasted a chess pie as flavorful as this. Made from sugar, flour, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla extract, it’s called “chess,” I learned, because it’s “chess a very simple pie to make.”
Eastward on West Broadway to 18th Street and then over to Muhammad Ali Boulevard I biked, stopping at Sweet Peaches for a serving of Sweet Potato Pie. I asked owner Pam Haines about the origin of the term “soul food.” Her answer: “It’s called soul food because the foods we serve at a place like this are all made with bare feet!”
Continuing east to Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood, I dropped in at Copper & Kings Distillery. You might ask: Why would a guy looking for pies stop at a distillery? The answer is simple. The distillery specializes in making brandies but also operates the Butchertown Pie Company that makes small hand-pies from un-aged brandy and seasonal fruits and berries. The pie available the day I stopped by was Brandied Apple Pie. It was as enticing to the taste buds as you can imagine.
I then headed for Kentucky’s largest pie shop, the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen. On the day I was there, 24 kinds of pies were listed on the menu. I requested a serving of a rarely found Mince Pie, made from a mixture of raisins, currants, apples, citrus peels, brandy and spices. Possessing no restraint whatsoever, I broke the ride’s rule and selected a second pie, a slice of Red Raspberry Cream Pie. It was rich and delicious, and well worth the penance I would need to perform when the Pie Ride was finished.
Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Franklin, Anderson + Woodford Counties
After biking in Louisville for three days, I was ready to venture north. Between Skylight and Sligo on U.S. Hwy. 42 is a road that takes travelers through 3 scenic miles of hilly, forested terrain to the Ohio River town of Westport. Westport is a small town, and while there’s a post office and church there, the Knock on Wood Country Mercantile and Café seems to be the only active business. But what a place, and luckily for me, it serves pie! Owner and chef Lea Nachtman is a congenial soul. I was invited to sit at the bar while Lea told me about Westport, and I enjoyed a stupendous serving of Kentucky Bacon Pie. I love bacon, so to be served a large slice of pie with bacon bits liberally sprinkled throughout (along with maple, chocolate chips and walnuts) was one of the Pie Ride’s more enjoyable moments.
From Westport, it was on to LaGrange and then over to Eminence and a piece of Coconut Meringue Pie at the Chat-n-Nibble Café. Above the counter is a somewhat reassuring sign: “Many have eaten here. Few have died.” Five more miles of biking, and I arrived at nearby Smithfield and its popular Our Best Restaurant. I had heard about Our Best and was eager to try its satisfying serving of Peanut Butter Pie that included a huge topping of meringue.
The Pie Ride kept calling, so my bicycle and I soon headed south on State Route 55 to Shelbyville, where I enjoyed a wonderful slice of a warm Praline-Pumpkin Pie at the elegant Science Hill Inn Restaurant. Next was Rick’s White Light Diner near the Singing Bridge in Frankfort for a serving of Kentucky Bourbon Pie that contained a strong hint of Buffalo Trace, and the Heavens to Betsy Café in Lawrenceburg, where I enjoyed a refreshing slice of Strawberry Cream Pie.
When I began to plan this adventure, the town of Midway was included for two reasons. First, I wanted to experience the highly regarded Midway Bakery where, as I arrived, a rack of 12 freshly baked Apple Cream Custard Pies was being moved from the oven. The entire room was filled with an irresistible aroma. My nose has never been happier. When I discovered that the Bakery also makes a Bourbon-Buttermilk-Chess Pie, I had no choice but to give it a try, even though once again I was breaking the ride’s rule.
Scott + Fayette Counties
I enjoy biking in this scenic part of the Commonwealth, so the 12 miles to Georgetown didn’t seem far. When I arrived, as was my custom during the Pie Ride when entering a town I hadn’t been to before, I asked residents where I could find “a really good, homemade pie.” I was enthusiastically directed to Fava’s Restaurant, where I was warmly welcomed by the wait staff. To my disappointment, though, I noticed that Fava’s pie menu for the day listed chocolate, coconut, lemon and butterscotch pies—all pies I had already been served during the Pie Ride. I explained the situation and turned around to leave. In less than a minute, an excited waitress shouted that she had found an overlooked piece of pie in the kitchen, and that she would be delighted to serve me a slice of Mounds Pie. I returned, sat down, and enjoyed the last serving of a pie that tasted much like my favorite candy bar.
It was late morning and time to pedal to Lexington, where my first stop was Magee’s Bakery. Magee’s Transparent Pie is much like chess pie with a caramelized topping. It was so good that I found myself shamelessly agreeing to a piece of a second pie, the bakery’s Bluegrass Pie. My “one piece limit” had been breached yet again!
I biked to nearby Missy’s Pies. Missy’s had long been on my list of places to visit because I had seen its amazing menu of pies online and was aware its customers have promoted Missy’s as the Commonwealth’s No. 1 pie shop. Missy’s is small and completely focused on pie-making. Six employees, including owner Barb Pollitt, are busy baking the 150 pies that are prepared on a typical day. Barb took time to describe each of the 13 pies listed on that day’s menu. I asked for Missy’s best sellers and was presented with servings of longtime customer favorite Black Bottom Banana Pie and Missy’s famous Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie Pie. Missy’s fantastic reputation is totally deserved. Truth be told, I thought about giving in to my worst demons and indulging even further. Believe it or not, I didn’t.
Instead, I biked to Azur Restaurant and was greeted by owner and chef Jeremy Ashby, who kindly invited me to sit at the bar so I could stretch my legs. There was only one pie on the menu, but it was a doozy: a fabulous Blueberry Custard Pie generously sprinkled with fresh blueberries and covered with a liberal portion of whipped Chantilly cream. The crust was tasty and light; the topping was much like a streusel. This was one of the most attractive and tasty servings of pies of the entire Pie Ride.
Madison, Jackson, Lincoln, Casey, Pulaski + Adair Counties
With fresh blueberries still dancing on my ecstatic taste buds, I took off for Berea, eager to experience the historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. When I arrived, everyone was preparing for a wedding reception. Nonetheless, a member of the wait staff kindly informed me that the only pie served at Boone Tavern is Race Day Pie, and yes, he would be pleased to provide a slice. I thankfully acknowledged his generosity, accepted the pie in a takeout box, and walked across the street to visit with Berea College students and enjoy a pleasant afternoon snack.
I then biked 18 miles over challenging terrain from Berea to McKee in the mountains of east-central Kentucky. It was apparent on that arduous bike ride that the biking gods were getting back at me for all the pie-eating enjoyment. I arrived at Opal’s Café on McKee’s public square mere minutes before its Saturday afternoon closing time. The two people working welcomed me as though time did not matter. A hot roast beef sandwich smothered with gravy and mashed potatoes and a huge and wonderful-tasting piece of cinnamon-flavored, traditional Egg Custard Pie provided my exhausted body with needed comfort and energy. My time at Opal’s and the soothing custard pie were more than worth the exhausting bike ride.
After resting, it was time to move on to downtown Stanford, where I met the most engaging wait staff of the entire Pie Ride at the Bluebird Café. I was served a slice of an elegant White Chocolate and Strawberry Pie over which I lingered for as long as possible to extend my stay in this congenial Main Street café. Stanford residents are fortunate that the Bluebird landed in their town. I was near McKinney, a small community 8 miles south of Stanford, so I biked to the McKinney Depot Restaurant for an afternoon snack of delicious Key Lime Pie.
With Key Lime in my tummy, I headed to Liberty in Casey County, which is known as the Apple Capital of Kentucky. The county’s annual Apple Festival in late September is a big deal, as is its centerpiece, a 10-foot apple pie. Dozens of volunteers peel 50 bushels of apples, all the ingredients are placed in a specially built 10-foot stainless steel pan, and the pie goes into a custom-made oven, where it bakes for 12 hours. When it’s done, a forklift takes the huge pan from the oven to a serving area, where 10,000 people receive a helping of apple pie and ice cream. It’s an amazing occasion, and the best part of all? Kentucky’s largest and most famous pie is free to the public.
Knowing how important apple pie is to Casey County, I had made a point of waiting until I was in Liberty to check Apple Pie off my Pie Ride list. I stopped at the popular Bread of Life Café outside Liberty and enjoyed one of the best apple pies I’ve ever tasted.
From Liberty, I biked over lightly traveled roads to Somerset and Amon’s Sugar Shack on South U.S. Hwy 27. I was cheerfully welcomed by owner Doug Stephens, son of Amon and Rosemary Stephens, who founded Amon’s Sugar Shack in 1951. At my request, 40-year Amon’s employees (and sisters) Patty Dinsmore and Elaine Whitter brought to the table a colossal serving of a scrumptious Boston Cream Pie. I realize that Boston cream pie isn’t actually a pie. It’s a cake and a very good one. But I consider anything that has “pie” in its name to be fair game for the Pie Ride, so it was included. Amon’s Sugar Shack is the ultimate neighborhood bakery and gathering place. It was buzzing with gaiety.
The day was still young, so I headed west on State Route 80 to Haney’s Appledale Farm. Haney’s sells a variety of fruit pies, and when I arrived, they also were baking Apple Dumpling Pies. Nothing comes close to warming my heart as much as an old-fashioned, cinnamon-soaked, doughy dumpling loaded with juicy fresh apples. I was transported back several decades to my grandmother’s kitchen and the best apple dumplings the world has ever known. “These might not be better than the dumplings your grandma made,” co-owner Don Haney told me as we visited, “but I couldn’t be happier that they remind you of hers.”
It was time to pedal westward, and I was eager to taste Betty Ollestad’s celebrated Sand Pie at Betty’s OK Country Cooking Restaurant near Columbia. In spite of persistent inquiring, I still have no idea why Sand Pie is named as it is. It is made of cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream, vanilla pudding and pecans. Thank goodness it looked and tasted a whole lot better than I thought it might. In fact, it tasted heavenly.
Green, Metcalfe, Barren, Hart, Warren, Logan + Butler Counties
The next stop was on Greensburg’s public square, where I enjoyed a delightful ambience and a slice of Oreo Bash Pie at the Longhunters Coffee & Tea Company. The ride to historic Sulphur Well was over hilly and curvy roads. But the reward, a serving of Butterscotch Pie at the Lighthouse Restaurant, made it all worthwhile. I also stopped at Sweetheart Bakery in Glasgow, where I was warmly greeted by owner Linda Young and enjoyed a fabulous Kentucky Nut Pie. This indeed was a memorable day: many miles of scenic biking, servings of five awesome pies, and pleasant visits with several new friends.
My next destination was the R&S Grocery between Horse Cave and Munfordville. Located off U.S. Hwy. 31W, the R&S Grocery is owned by an Amish couple, Robert and Susan Miller, and includes a bakery that makes pies. Lots of them. Really. Good. Pies. So once again, I asked for two: Shoofly Pie and Raisin Cream Pie. Shoofly is a gooey molasses pie named by Pennsylvania Amish who, it is said, placed them strategically around the house to draw flies from the kitchen! This grocery store and bakery is an Amish version of a combined Kroger and Walmart, providing both German and non-German-speaking customers with one-stop shopping.
I needed to move on to Bowling Green for a midday serving of Chocolate Sundae Pie at the busy Smokey Pig BBQ and a delicious slice of traditional Pecan Pie (pronounced pee-kon) at Judy’s Castle Café. A slice of a very different kind of pie, pronounced pee-can, would make an appearance later in the Pie Ride.
My next stop was Auburn, just west of Bowling Green, and an eye-catching historical site named Federal Grove, a B&B with an upscale restaurant. Federal Grove had its beginnings when Gen. Jonathan Clark (eldest brother of William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition) was awarded 10,000 acres of land for his Revolutionary War service. The property was developed into a plantation, and by 1835, travelers moving between Louisville and Nashville would stop at Federal Grove for a short stay. I stopped by because I had heard about Federal Grove’s extraordinary Chocolate Fudge Pie. From its superb crust to the topping of warm chocolate drizzle, and everything in between, this is a fabulous pie.
I moved northward to Morgantown, where I stopped at the Farm Boy Café for a serving of Pecan Pie (pronounced pee-can). This is not a repeat of the pie I had the day before in Bowling Green. The two pies tasted as different as they are pronounced.
Hopkins, Caldwell + Livingston Counties
I have a friend in New York who adores pineapple pie, so throughout the Pie Ride, I was looking for one. In Dawson Springs at Ms. Becky’s Place Restaurant, I came upon a Pineapple Pie. When I asked what had prompted the concoction, I was told that leftover pineapple had been found in the refrigerator, and they decided this would be a good way to use it. I couldn’t have agreed more.
It was a pretty day, so when I discovered Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park was a mere 7-mile bike ride from Dawson Springs, I was on my way to see what kind of pie the park’s restaurant was serving. I discovered that Pennyrile and each of Kentucky’s 17 State Resort Parks offer the famous Kern’s Derby-Pie. I realize the pie I enjoyed wasn’t baked at Pennyrile, but since it’s such an iconic piece of Kentucky lore and I was making a 14-mile round trip to taste it, Kern’s Derby-Pie was added to the list.
Onward to Princeton, where I had the good luck of being directed to the Black Patch Grille. There was only one pie on the day’s menu—Muddy River Fudge Pie. I love thick, gooey chocolate filling, so this pie, with its crispy caramelized top, was a home run.
One destination remained. The Pie Ride would end at Grand Rivers on the north end of the Land between the Lakes. It was late afternoon when I took off on narrow roads that wind through rich agricultural countryside.
There was a stretch of road where I encountered more Amish horse-drawn buggies than motorized vehicles. Waving to everyone seemed to be the thing to do, so I always exchanged a friendly wave.
The reason I was eager to bike to this destination is because my heart—and stomach—were set on ending the Pie Ride at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement Restaurant in Grand Rivers. Patti’s is popular for many reasons, but surely one of the most compelling is that it serves 16 different pies. There couldn’t be a more appropriate place in all of Kentucky to end this adventure.
Patti’s offers three pies I had not yet tasted during the ride: Peanut Butter Chess, Sawdust and BooBoo. How would I determine which pie would be the ride’s final indulgence? The solution: three slips of paper were placed in a cup. A guest at a nearby table agreed to draw one. The winner: sawdust pie. I was told by General Manager Anita Williamson that sawdust pie was the first pie baked by Patti Tullar in 1977 after she and husband Bill opened a small burger joint in Grand Rivers that later would become Patti’s 1880’s Settlement. The pie is made with unbeaten egg whites, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, pecans, coconut, sliced bananas and whipped cream. It looks like baked wet sawdust and tastes wonderful!
To the surprise of no one, I was unable to leave Patti’s without trying one of its famous “mile high” meringue pies. From chocolate, lemon and coconut, I selected the Coconut Meringue Pie, which was topped with 8 inches of fabulous toasted meringue. The mountain of meringue is a striking sight, significantly taller and prettier than one could ever imagine.
By the time I finished eating the 69th serving of pie, I was ready to end the adventure … and begin a serious diet. Day after day, Kentucky’s pie-makers produce a remarkable variety of pies. Every single one is mouth-wateringly delicious. I realize that there are many more kinds of pies baked in Kentucky’s kitchens than those I had the good fortune of finding. When you come upon them, Enjoy!
Pie Superlatives
Pies most worth a long bike ride: Chocolate Fudge at Federal Grove B&B, Auburn; Blueberry Custard at Azur Restaurant, Lexington; Coconut Bavarian Cream at Sweet Lilu’s, Versailles.
Most unusual pies: Grape at K’La’s Cookies and Cakes, New Haven; Shoofly at R&S Grocery, Munfordville; Mince at the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen, Louisville.
Prettiest pies: Blackberry with lattice top crust at Paula’s Hot Biscuit Café, Hodgenville; Caramel Apple at The Bakery at Sullivan University, Louisville; Coconut Meringue at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, Grand Rivers.
Pies with the strangest name: Sawdust Pie at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, Grand Rivers; Sand Pie at Betty’s OK Country Cooking Restaurant, Columbia.
Favorite meringue pie: Any pie at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement that is topped with a mountain of toasted meringue.
Favorite fruit pies: Caramel Apple at The Bakery at Sullivan University, Louisville; Black Bottom Banana at Missy’s, Lexington; Cherry at Heitzman’s Bakery, Louisville.
Favorite berry pie: Summer Berry at Ditto’s Grill, Louisville.
Favorite pies with nuts: Cranberry Walnut at Sweet Surrender DessertCafé, Louisville; Praline-Pumpkin at Science HillInn Restaurant, Shelbyville.
Favorite cream pie: Coconut Bavarian Cream at Lilu’s in Versailles.
Most interesting ingredient: Bacon, in the Kentucky Bacon Pie at Knock on Wood Mercantile and Café, Westport.
Favorite pies with chocolate: Chocolate Fudge at Federal Grove B&B, Auburn; White Chocolate & Strawberry at Bluebird Café, Stanford.
Most welcoming place to enjoy pie: Amon’s Sugar Shack, Somerset.
Most surprising place to find pie: Arts and Crafts Dental, Louisville.
Kentucky’s unsung heroes: The countless homemakers and professional pie-makers who have an amazing passion for baking the most delicious and pleasing pies.
Greatest regret: Not being at Casey County’s September Apple Festival to enjoy a serving of the community’s giant 10-foot apple pie.
Greatest challenge during the Pie Ride: Resisting a second serving of every pie Kirk was served!
Kirk’s proposal for an official Kentucky State Pie: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan