Close your eyes and picture what you’ve always loved about your family’s sacred pie recipe. Now, add a dash of creativity and the best crust you’ve ever tasted, and you have A la Mode Pies. This week, we’re thrilled to feature A la Mode Pies on UberEATS. We’ll feature a different flavor each day for your enjoyment.

Not only is A la Mode Pies a treat you’ll want to return to again and again, the owner, Chris Porter, is an absolute delight. We recently sat down with him and quizzed him on all things A la Mode.

You went from journalism to PR to pie… How’d that happen?

I grew up cooking alongside my mom in the kitchen. If I had a day off from school, I baked a cake, pie – or maybe both. Baking became my main hobby – the one activity that I looked forward to every day. But life has a plan. As a young TV reporter, I mastered the art of being creative and spontaneous on air. As a PR director, I helped major brands grow through crazy promotions. A la Mode Pies is the classic American story. I was at a crossroads in my career and decided to reject the obvious path in favor of pursuing a lifelong dream – a life of pie.

You’ve been in business now for 8 years on Phinney Ridge, what’s your favorite thing about serving pie in that neighborhood?

I never imagined that A la Mode Pies would become a neighborhood meeting spot – a pie shop people seek out and make a part of their daily routine. Customers like Marilyn, who comes in once a week with her best friend Gladys for pie and coffee.  Marilyn has enjoyed more than 800 slices of pie – so much pie, we consider her our “Best Customer” and mounted her picture inside the café. I’m continually humbled by examples like this. The fact that my passion for pie is being celebrated so enthusiastically in this area, the city I grew up in, is extremely gratifying.           

Why are you excited about being a part of UberEATS?

A la Mode Pies was the first Seattle bakery to offer handmade pie delivered to your doorstep, so partnering with UberEATS is the natural next step. No waiting in line at the food truck parked outside, no frigid downtown walk to the nearest sandwich shop – just a simple tap of the Uber app and you get fresh-from-the-oven pie delivered in minutes. Boom!     

Any baking tips you’d like to share?

Biggest tip: butter bits. When preparing pie dough, don’t over mix. The dough should look like it’s marbled in butter – not shortening (sorry, Grandma). As the pie bakes the butter bits in the dough melt, leaving small pockets, which explains why our pie crust is so flaky. Pie-making isn’t easy. For anyone looking to hone their skills, we offer pie-making classes every Tuesday (and yes, the class includes a full-tasting inside the café).      

If you were to magically turn into a pie, what type of pie would you be, and why?

A la Mode Pies Mexican Chocolate – chocolate graham cracker crust, light-as-air chocolate mousse, spiced up with cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper, then topped with freshly whipped cream. Like me, this pie aphrodisiac is smooth, bold and expressive; delightfully approachable and decadent; sinfully sweet but spanked with spice; with a heavy dose of fluff.   

You want to be his best friend, don’t you? Us too.

A la Mode Pies

We’ll see you this week for #5daysofpie!

Cheers,
Your UberEATS Team