As ‘Cuse gets colder, there’s no comfort food better than a big ole slice of pie. To help you find the perfect slice, Pulp visited five spots around Syracuse.

Criteria: 

It’s boring to try five pies of the same flavor, so we ordered the pie each bakery recommended, or whichever one looked the most delicious. 

Pie ordering options (5 points): How many different types of pie does the bakery offer? 

Portion size (5 points): Will you get your money’s worth?

Crust (5 points): Is the crust crisp and crunchy or soggy and soft?  Does it have a subtle flavor, or is it bland?

Distance from campus (5 points): Is the drive worth the reward?

Filling (5 points): How generous and scrumptious is the filling?

 

Biscotti Café and Gelateria: Apple Pie

Ordering options: 4.5.  Biscotti offers seven ordering options, ranging from classic to more unique options. Almond raspberry or key lime tart, anyone?

Portion: 4. At $10.95, Biscotti’s apple pie was pricey but so full of apple filling that you could be satisfied after one piece. 

Crust: 4 points. Although the crust wasn’t as crisp as I would have liked, it was flavored with cinnamon and had an ideal thickness. 

Filling: 4.5 points. Filled with big apple chunks and less gooey than most apple pies I’ve had before, it was delightful. The apples were very fresh, and the baker added generous amounts of cinnamon.

Distance from campus: 5 points. Located at 741 North Salina St., this was the only bakery possible to visit via the Centro bus system. Only 2.5 miles and a seven-minute drive from College Place, it’s definitely worth the voyage. 

Ranking: 22 points, second place. 

 

Lyncourt Bakery: Pumpkin Pie

Ordering options: 5. Lyncourt boasts a solid variety. It has basic fruit pies and several cream pies, including coconut, lemon meringue, chocolate and banana. 

Portion: 4.5. For a mere $8, this pie was big. Pumpkin pie is filling, so unless you served it at a party, it could hang out in your fridge for several days.

Crust: 3 points. Very generic tasting, the crust had a slightly soggy texture.

Filling: 3.5. The pie had hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, but the pumpkin flavor could have been more powerful. The texture was too grainy, but the filling made up for it.

Distance from campus: 3. This bakery, located on 2205 Teall Avenue, is 3.7 miles and a 12-minute drive from College Place. It’s not worth the drive when the closer Tops Friendly Markets carries pumpkin pies. 

Ranking: 19 points, fourth place

 

Harrison Bakery: Blueberry Pie

Ordering options: 3. The bakery offers four fundamentals: blueberry, apple, cherry and pumpkin. 

Portion: 4. For $9, you get your money’s worth — no more, but certainly no less.

Crust: 3. It was very sweet and too soft, but the thickness provided a redeeming factor. 

Filling: 2.5.  The very thick filling tasted like an overzealously sweetened jelly. It didn’t taste like real blueberries, and after two bites, my tongue felt smothered in sugar. 

Distance from campus: 3.5. Situated at 1306 W. Genessee St., Harrison Bakery is only 3.3 miles, a nine-minute drive, from College Place.  

Ranking: 16 points, fifth place

 

Pappas Bakery: Cherry Pie

Ordering options: 3.5. Visitors can choose from five different options: pumpkin, blueberry, cherry, apple and raspberry. 

Portion: 5 points.  It is tied for cheapest pie with Lyncourt’s pumpkin pie at $8. This pie is definitely the best bang for your buck. 

Crust: 5 points. This crust had what I was looking for: crispness and crunch,no sogginess whatsoever. As an added bonus, there was a light layer of sugar across the top, giving the crust a sweetness that complemented the filling. 

Filling: 5. Unlike Harrison’s blueberry pie, which was overly sweet, the cherry pie tasted tart but not bitter. Whole cherries dotted the filling, neither too thin nor too viscous.    

Distance from campus: 4.5. Although Pappas Bakery, located on 408 Old Liverpool Road, is in Liverpool, it’s only 4.9 miles from campus. The owner is an SU alumnus, so that, combined with the pie, makes the drive worth it. 

Ranking: 23 points, winner of the ‘Perfect Pie.’

 

Mario’s Bakery: Chocolate Cream Pie

Ordering options: 5. When I asked the boy working the counter what kinds of pies Mario’s offers, he asserted that the owner, Mario himself, would make any pie a customer ordered as long as they gave him prior notice.

Portion: 4.5. Although this pie was the most expensive at $12, it was gigantic. Go before your next birthday celebration to feed a large crowd for cheap. 

Crust: 4. To me, crust doesn’t matter as much for a cream pie. Still, this one could have used a bit more flavor.  

Distance from campus: 3. Located at 505 N. Main St., this was the farthest hike from campus at 9.1 miles from College Place. Although the pie was delicious, the amount of red lights I hit on the 16-minute drive dragged the commute just a little too long.

Filling: 4.5.  If you’re addicted to chocolate, you will love this pie. Drizzled with chocolate syrup, the light, fluffy whipped topping tasted vaguely of mocha.

Ranking: 21.5 points, third place

jidonfro@syr.edu

Published on November 2, 2011 at 12:00 pm