Pie is the new cupcakes, Las Vegas CityLife magazine 4/11

April 21, 2011 Not so humble anymore Pie is making its move. Lisa Ferguson wonders, should cupcakes be worried? What's not to love about pie? It emerges from the oven warm and smelling sweetly of childhood -- visits to Grandma's house, picnics, country fairs. Its fruity goodness peeks out from delicate steam vents in a buttery, flaky crust flecked with sugar. You've also got to admire the unassuming way in which pie is attempting to crumble the cupcake's reign of dessert domination. It's quickly becoming a culinary force to be reckoned with, as out-of-the-tin thinking about its possibilities has transformed the dessert's rep from homey to haute. Pie's coolness quotient was upped considerably late last year, when national restaurant consultant Andrew Freeman predicted pie would be a food to watch in 2011. "Decadence is endless," proclaimed a press release touting the trend, "with everything from savory, sweet, individual deep-fried pies, bite-sized minis and even pies blended into shakes." Eateries specializing in pie, as well as mom-and-pop pie shops, have cropped up in major cities, taking pie and its devotees where they've never been before. The proof is in the filling: Bakers are combining unusual fruits with herbs and other flavors (bitter-orange rhubarb, apricot and lavender, or strawberry-balsamic, anyone?) and serving slices during "pie happy hour" events. Don't have time to linger over a piece of pie? No worries: Bite-sized (baked in mini mason jars) and other single-serving sizes have made pie eating, well, as easy as pie. And, for those averse to using a fork, pies are available in handheld varieties (think turnovers), and even as "pie pops" on sticks. In some circles, pie has bumped cake off its pedestal as the wedding dessert of choice. Why pie? Most theories point to the nation's economic crisis. You can't split a $3 cupcake with friends, and a dozen can cost $20 to $30-plus. A standard 9-inch pie costs as little as $8 to $10 locally, and easily serves six to eight people. Also, pie's nostalgic nature pairs perfectly with the recessionary trend of getting back to the basics. No wonder that last November, the New York Times ran a story headlined "Pie to Cupcake: Time's Up." The pie trend is, unfortunately, taking its sweet time catching on here. Sure, it's a staple at many area bakeries, and at local outlets of the Marie Callender's restaurant chain. But so far, only one small shop has dedicated itself to the art of pie-making. Pies Unlimited opened five years ago in Sun City Summerlin, long before others were attempting to get a piece of pie's pie. Owners Mike and Treasa Teliska -- he does the baking, she runs the business -- are not surprised by pie's proliferation. Even in a down economy, they report an uptick in business this year. "People like to splurge on themselves once in a while," she says, "and they want to do it in the way of a dessert." Pie is "heartier, it's more filling than a little, tiny cupcake with tons of frosting on it." (The couple does bake an assortment of cupcakes, full-size cakes and cheesecakes that are also sold at the shop.) They offer more than 90 varieties of pie, and Mike estimates he and his crew produce upwards of 800 pies daily. Besides retail customers, the couple peddles wholesale pies to hotel-casinos, assisted-living facilities, caterers and the like. The most popular flavors are apple, strawberry-rhubarb, lemon meringue and chocolate cream. Although they're not yet dabbling in any of the trendy flavor combinations found at other big-city pie shops, the Teliskas say they have received a few unusual requests, including one for a split-down-the-middle, half-apple, half-cherry creation; and a raisin pie packed with a pound of the shriveled fruit. "It was overwhelming with raisins," Mike recalls, but says the customer loved it. Glenda Nelson can attest to Pies Unlimited's offerings: The chef buys more than 15 pies each week from the shop to serve at a local private dining room where she works. Occasionally she has them add one of her favorites -- a coconut cream pie -- to the order, which she purchases herself. Pie is a staple in Nelson's family, as her mother-in-law was for years the pie baker at The Coffee Cup restaurant in Boulder City. In recent months Glenda has attended three weddings where pie was served in place of cake. "Pie is elegant. It's pretty on a plate," she says. "It's not something that people always make for themselves or buy for themselves, and it's more of a treat than a piece of cake is anymore." None of this is news to the folks at the American Pie Council (yes, there really is one). "We think pie has always been America's favorite dessert," insists Executive Director Linda Hoskins. Earlier this month, the council hosted its annual APC Crisco National Pie Championships in Orlando, Fla., which boasted more than 900 entries. Among the ribbon-winners in the new "Innovation" category: something called "My Big Fat Italian Strawberry-Basil Wedding Pie," as well as a Red Velvet Cream pie and a Blueberry Pomegranate Cheese pie. "Pie has always been an interesting dessert," Hoskins says, adding, "I think people are bored with the cupcake." Them's fightin' words to cupcakes fans like Lydia Toscano-Corbett. She buys cupcakes from her favorite local outlet, The Cupcakery, at least twice a month. At $32 per dozen, she admits it's an expensive habit. Still, you won't catch her visiting the pie shop anytime soon. "I can see where it's a feel good-type of food with pie, but I think there is a certain nostalgia with cupcakes," she says. "I do like pie ... but The Cupcakery has coconut cream (flavored) cupcakes, so they've got that covered for me." Kari Haskell, owner and self-proclaimed "head of cupcakes" at Retro Bakery in northwest Las Vegas, welcomes the competition. She says her cupcake sales are "even better than when we opened three years ago," and doubts pie will ever overtake cupcake's celebrated -- or celebration -- status. "For birthdays, you generally don't hand someone a pie. I just don't see pie as a celebratory dessert, whereas cupcakes can pretty much cover everything." she contends. Besides, "You really can't frost a pie pink. And there's no sprinkles. If you're lacking in sprinkles, it's a problem." Maybe. Although judging by the direction in which pie seems headed, that likely won't be a problem for much longer.