Playboy magazines in barbershops, and endless refills of watery brown coffee. The promise of pie could ameliorate most culinary abominations of the pre-oughts: baked cod on Fridays, Hamburger Helper, spaghetti made by non-Italians, and Van de Kamp’s frozen Mexican dinners.
Maybe I’m looking at the past through star-spangled glasses, but it seems that pie is the most quintessential American dessert. France has tortes and eclairs; Italy has gelato; England has puddings-that-aren’t-really-puddings; and much of Latin America has brilliant variations of flan. But sometimes, American pie isn’t dessert; it’s its own food group and its own course.
A friend of mine spent many youthful summers working in the cornfields of her family farm in Illinois. She said work started when it was still dark and lasted until around 8 a.m., when the farmhands would come in for breakfast. Before eggs, bacon, ham steaks, potatoes, grits, and biscuits were served, each worker would consume half of or an entire fruit pie with their first cup of coffee. The pies were not an appetizer, definitely not an amuse-bouche, and not a breakfast dessert. My friend said dessert was usually cornbread or pancakes drowning in syrup. So, those hardworking farmers consumed entire eight- or nine-inch fruit pies simply to satisfy their enormous appetites.
The Washington Post The Washington Post via Getty Im
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 29: Blueberry pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream served at Founding Farmers in Washington, DC on August 29, 2025.(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Where did all the pies go? At one point, they surrounded us. Even the most dilapidated, withering roadside diner proudly featured an acrylic column on the counter that displayed at least four delectable varieties of pie, including lemon meringue, Key lime, banana or coconut cream, apple, apple/rhubarb, pecan, pumpkin, mince, and chestnut.
Most berries can be found in pies: strawberry, cloudberry, boysenberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, and lingonberry. Pies can be regional, such as Boston cream pies and Southern peach, pecan, and chess pies. (The latter is a favorite of Dolly Parton.) And don’t forget cheesecake – which is not cake. It has a crust. It has a filling. Properly, it falls in the pie subgenus called custard pie. Any blathering from cake defenders will fall on deaf ears.
It’s estimated that pies originated in Egypt around 9500 BC. So, Egyptians were eating pies several thousand years before they built the pyramids – probably to gain strength. Historians think they used barley for pie crusts and honey for pie filling. Spray on a little Reddi-wip, and you’ve got pie.
Though I’m a product of LA’s suburbs, pie was a big part of my life. Whenever my water-polo team won, my dad took me out for pie on the way home. I usually chose coconut cream pie, but occasionally I’d go for cheesecake with strawberry compote or boysenberry, à la mode. If it wasn’t too far out of the way, we’d go to Du-Par's Restaurant and Bakery, also known as "House of Pies.” If they served anything else, I was not aware of it.
Du-Par’s was founded in 1938 and is an LA institution. There’s still a Du-Par’s location at the Los Angeles Farmers Market, in the Fairfax District. But, the emphasis there is on pancakes, not pies. They should have a sign that says, “Beware: Hipster Carbo Loading Only.” The only place better than Du-Par’s was my grandmother’s house near Brand Library. My great-grandmother grew up on a dairy farm near Echo Park, so she made sure her daughters, Myrtle and Mabel, knew their way around a pie tin. Those ladies made some badass pies.
Though you probably shouldn’t sing “Bye-bye, Miss American Pie,” the famed dessert lives on in a few select spots in the Valley. Listed below are a few faves.
Carousel Bakery & Cafe, Palm Springs
Inexplicably, this little coffee shop and bakery on the corner of Ramon Road and El Cielo Road is often overlooked when it comes to pie time. But, it shouldn’t be. Though a small display case in the store is crammed with various goodies, the pie selection is not evident (though single-serving tarts might be). Because the cafe’s bakers work from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.,you must order a day in advance to get a pie. And it’s worth it.
Over 20 varieties of pie are listed on the menu, based on availability. Standout pies include Dutch apple, pineapple, Key lime, coconut custard, pumpkin/cheese swirl, bourbon pecan, and chocolate custard. I can vouch for Carousel’s traditional apple pie. I bought one to compare to my own – and came in second by a country mile. The bakery’s banana cream pie is superb, as is its bourbon pecan pie.
I’m anxious to try the tropical fruit pie, and I’m thoroughly intrigued by the banoffee pie. Evidently, it’s a British style of pie with a graham-cracker crust and a dulce de leche layer, topped with sliced bananas and whipped cream. If I ever make good on my threat to host an all-pie Super Bowl party, Carousel will be my one-stop shop.
Billy Reed’s, Palm Springs
At one time, you almost had to drive out of Palm Springs to get to old-school Billy Reed’s, a cavernous diner near the once-again Riviera Resort & Spa. Humongous breakfast specials for one person are placed on large platters. If your Midwestern relatives are in town for the weekend, take them there for breakfast. They’ll think they died and woke up in heaven that looks a lot like northeastern Iowa. If you have a hangover that a combo plate at El Mirasol Cocina Mexicana can’t cure, go to Billy Reed’s for chicken-fried steak, home fries, and two poached eggs on the side. Let it settle a few minutes, then order some pie.
Billy Reed’s bakers make approximately one dozen styles of pie on the premises. Usually, all of them are available. Standout pies include strawberry/rhubarb, pecan, boysenberry, and chocolate cream. However, the Boston cream pie is hands-down the best slice of pie this side of paradise. As it says on the menu, “It’s more than a Boston ever thought of being.” A layer of white cake sits on top of the crust. Then, it’s topped with vanilla custard, whipped cream, buttercream, and chocolate shavings. I once told Billy Reed’s late co-owner, Robbie Lemley, that I would write an article about its Boston cream pie if he showed me how to make it. He laughed and slammed down the phone.
Sherman’s Deli & Bakery, Palm Springs and Palm Desert
I know what you’re thinking: people go to Sherman’s for cakes – red velvet, lemon dome, seven-layer rum, and tiramisu – and homemade pastries like black and white cookies, rugelach, Linzer cookies, and pralines. However, Sherman’s also offers a small but highly select pie corner that includes Key lime, lemon meringue, coconut cream, and Dutch apple pies. By the way, the difference between a Dutch apple pie and a traditional apple pie is that the former has a streusel or crumb topping, while the latter has a pastry cap. Some diners think this pastry cap holds a scoop of vanilla ice cream better. But, I think a crumb topping provides another layer of texture.
We’re not going to Sherman’s for either of those pies. We’re going there for a coconut cream pie. I feel it holds up most strongly to my treasured memories of Du-Par’s. First, the crust is flaky and light, and it doesn’t try to take over the spotlight. The reason you order a coconut cream pie is not its crust or whipped-cream topping; it’s the coconut custard. Sherman’s custard is light and not too sweet, and it holds its shape. The coconut flavor is strong but not overpowering, and doesn’t have that slightly metallic aftertaste that you get from artificial coconut flavoring.
I can’t guarantee that it’s 100% natural coconut. When I attempted to ask the waitress about the pie’s ingredients, she rolled her eyes and sarcastically said, “Oh, I’ll go check right away.”
One last note – I’ve tried the cheesecake at both Sherman’s locations several times. It’s good, and I can stand it. But, it’s not New York-good. Frankly, if you can make the drive, the cheesecake at TKB Bakery & Deli in Indio might be the best in the Valley.
