5 places to get pie on Pi Day in Boston
Written byThough pi never ends, Pi Day is celebrated on March 14, and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious baked treat? It’s a great excuse to indulge in pie (as if you even need an excuse), and Boston has plenty of pie shops to indulge in. Hopping from bakery to bakery is easier with Uber in Boston, and it’s a perfect transportation option for those looking to hold onto their pie the entire ride home. Here are five must-visit Boston places where pie takes center stage:
1. Petsi Pies
Petsi Pies is a bakery where pies—both sweet and savory—are truly the main draw. Renee “Petsi” McLeod opened Petsi (it’s pronounced “peet,” not “pet”) Pies in 2003 with family recipes that never disappoint. Sweet flavors like cherry crumb, Mississippi Mud, and Bourbon chocolate pecan come in three sizes, including a five-inch that’s big enough to satisfy but small enough to not feel guilty when you don’t share. Bacon, leek, and Gruyère is a favorite savory flavor, and seasonal flavors rotate every few months. A limited number of Petsi’s coveted chicken pot pies are sold at the Beacon Street location, but call ahead to check on availability.
2. Flour Bakery + Café
Local celebrity chef Joanne Chang is behind the Boston darling known as Flour Bakery + Café, which has won a lot of praise for its sweets. Pie flavors on the menu include chocolate cream, coconut cream, and Mile High lemon meringue. A Pi Day honorary mention goes to a cake with the soul of a pie, the heavenly confection that is the Boston cream pie: layers of vanilla cream, chocolate ganache, and sponge cake with a healthy serving of coffee syrup. And even if you’re there for the pie, there’s nothing wrong with squirreling away one of Chef Chang’s famous pecan sticky buns for tomorrow’s breakfast.
3. Clear Flour Bread
Clear Flour Bread, a tiny gem tucked away in the residential streets around Packard’s Corner, sells two delectable varieties of fruit tart every day. The rustic-style tarts come in varieties like apple, cherry, blueberry, or cranberry-raspberry, all enveloped in Clear Flour’s buttery, flaky crust and often with a crumb topping. Also on offer are some of Boston’s best loaves, croissants, and morning buns. Get there early, or you might not stand a chance—the line on weekend mornings can stretch down the block—but you can enjoy the delicious smells while you wait.
4. Mike’s Pastry
The North End institution Mike’s Pastry serves up classic Italian-style sweets like biscotti, torrone, cannoli—and, of course, ricotta pie. Their luscious, creamy ricotta pie sells by the slice, beside flavors of apple, lemon, custard, blueberry, and cherry. Mike’s is constantly mobbed by both tourists and Bostonians so get ready to throw some elbows, or else head across the street for a slice at the quieter Modern Pastry. The “Mike’s versus Modern” is a favorite debate around Boston, but with a slice of ricotta pie, you’ll win either way.
5. Lyndell’s Bakery
Lyndell’s Bakery, which opened in 1887, serves a little slice of history along with each sweet treat. Swedish immigrant Birger Lindahl opened the bakery and owned it for 45 years, and though Lyndell’s has had a few owners since, it still uses many of the same recipes. There are over a dozen flavors of pie, including apricot, rhubarb, mince, pecan, and the ultimate comfort food, chocolate pudding pie. When you pick up a pie, don’t forget to stock up on the six different varieties of moon cookies (otherwise known as black-and-white cookies), one of Lyndell’s specialties.