A Slice of Fruit Pie and a Cup of Coffee. Where in NOVA?

[alkapal]

Last evening, after dinner, I was wanting to go to a spot where I could get some good coffee and a fresh home-style blackberry pie. I'd have been happy with a fresh peach pie, blueberry, or strawberry -- heck, mango or pear.*** You get the picture.

I wanted pie, but I would've been happy with a really good cobbler or fruit crisp. It would've been especially nice served warm, with some nice custard-based vanilla ice cream.

What restaurant offers these, where the quality is top notch?

Also, who makes the best fruit pies at the local farmers' markets?

Thank you!

<I know I need to make one myself, but I am loathe to crank up the oven this summer.>

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***
extra credit points awarded for a great coconut custard pie referral, too ;-).

[perries]

The Pie Gourmet on Rte. 123 in Vienna. No, no, you don't have to thank me, though once you taste their pie, you will want to. I tell you as a public service, in a civic spirit. Hooking people up with good pie increases the total happiness of the world. ;)

But it's a takeaway shop, so you will have to supply your own ice cream and coffee.

[chowser]

Ditto--this is the best pie I've had in the area from a commercial vendor. The crust is nice and flaky. Mom's apple pies mentioned above are okay, but I find the crusts a little tough (I think I've liked the free samples of pies I've had from Costco better). I'd head here first even if you have to brew your own coffee, which is probably better anyway.

[MikeR]

Stalcup Hardware in Vienna, just a couple of blocks from Pie Gourmet, gets pies from an Amish bakery that are pretty good. Odd place to go for pie, but you can get something nice to cut it with while you're there.

[Indy 67]

There's a story behind this odd fact. The Stalcup family is an old McLean farm family. The family residence used to be on Park Rd in McLean near the Chesterbrook Elementary School. The family owned lots of acres in McLean including the site of the Arleigh Burke Nursing Home and a lot of land along Kirby Road. The generation that would now be in their 60s used to set up a card table each morning and sell the corn from their land. I've never tasted corn as sweet as Stalcup corn that was picked no more than an hour or two before purchase. At some point, the family sold off all the acreage to developers and Justin ran a farm stand next to the BP gas station in Chesterbrook Shopping Center, selling what he purchased from farm wholesalers including prepared products like pies and Graves Mountain jellies. Then, he established two hardware stores: one in Vienna and one in Chesterbrook. I guess the Amish pies are a hold-over from the farm stand days.

[HokieAnnie]

Let me add to the chorus of those recommending The Pie Gourmet. They indeed have a wonderful coconut custard, fruit pies and other yummy pies such as chocolate silk and chocolate pecan.

[Bob W]

I forgot about Pie Gourmet -- yes, very good pies too. They also have good savory pies, IIRC. Better for cooler weather, probably.

[perries]

This topic motivated us to visit The Pie Gourmet weekend. We picked up a small banana cream and a chicken pot pie. Both are absolutely delicious.

[chowser]

My first experience w/ Pie Gourmet was when my niece gave me a piece to bring home to eat. In the car, I took a little bite, just to try it. I wolfed it down w/ my fingers since I didn't have a fork and it never made it home. That was an apple pie.

[bhein]

This is a little bit of an odd recommendation, and perhaps it reflects my love of Twin Peaks, but I get a kick out of having a slice of pie and coffee at the Metro 29 Diner in Arlington (corner of Lee Hwy. & Glebe Road). Of course, I have to sit at the counter where the pies are displayed. I once tried the apple which is alright, but then I tried the banana cream pie. I can't say what the other offerings are (there are quite a few) because once I met that banana cream, there were no others....

If only I could remember the name of the vendor at the Falls Church City farmer's market- they do a mean mixed berry pie. They look like hell, but taste great!! Very flaky crust. They are always set up close to the entrance on Park Ave., on the left hand side.

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Metro 29 Diner Restaurant
4711 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA 22207

[Indy 67]

Tomorrow is the Falls Church Market, so I can confirm what I'm just winging based on memory. I think the vendor you're referring to is Valentine's. What's weird about the stand is that is very bi-polar. The central section is filled with coolers filled with frozen meat. Ringing the meat coolers are long tables covered with baked goods. The choices skew towards the old-fashioned, homey variety. I've only bought their mini-pies. The crust was good, but not life-altering. Happily, the strawberry-rhubarb filling in the one pie I tried and the peach filling was really excellent. Right now, we're enjoying a bag of their gingerbread cookies.

[Indy 67]

Update: On the left at the Park Ave entrance, there are two vendors selling cobblers and pies. The first one you'll encounter is Potomac Valley Vegetable Farm stand that includes tables featuring Gracie's Kitchen products. There were no fruit pies for sale today, but there were a couple of fruit cobbler options.Somewhat farther into the market is the previously mentioned Valentine's. Lots and lots of fruit pie choices available today, both full-sized and minis. No coconut custard pies.

[woodleyparkhound]

Just last night I had a lovely warm apple pan dowdy a la mode at Central.

[Bob W]

Mom's Apple Pies makes great pies, including many fruit varieties and several in the delectable chess family too.

[alkapal]

thanks, bob. is that a restaurant somewhere, or is that a farmers' market vendor? which farmers' markets -- arlington, falls church? <i haven't been to the ballston farmers' market, and not the clarendon one in years>.

[Bob W]

alka, Mom's has two locations. The one we used to go to was on Shaw Road in
Sterling but that one appears to have closed. According to their website they still have their locations in Leesburg and Occoquan, and they do sell pies by the slice as well as whole pies.

Another source for "homemade pies" -- and one that I know has tables and coffee -- is the Little Apple Pastry Shop in little Aldie, VA. You can combine that with a visit to the Middleburg Farmers Market on Saturday morning. And a stop at Mello-Out in Middleburg for homemade marshmallows. Yum.

Coconut custard pies available from both. 8>D

[alkapal]

thanks, bob.

road trip, anyone?

[MikeR]

Geez, you shouldn't have to go 25-30 miles from home for a pie! Wegman's has good pies, and the Fairfax one is only about 12 miles from Arlington. Does that Bake Shop in Clarendon that Steve (and others) rave about do pie? Or how about the Northside (or is it Easside) Social Club that's where Murky Coffee used to be? They must have pie from a decent bakery.

I'm guessing from your original post that you want someone to serve you "coffee and dessert" and not buy a do-it-yourself kit (got a favorite source for coffee, too?). So look for a bakery that serves slices. They probably have acceptable coffee. Probably a better shot than trying to find a coffee shop that gets decent baked goods.