Nations Burgers in San Ramon

Pie #19-21

Nations Burgers is a pretty popular place in the Bay Area and apparently have pretty good burgers. We didn't stop to try the burgers; we just wanted pie. They have a refrigerated case full of pies at the front of the store. On Yelp! and other internet sites, the pies were lauded as being pretty dang good. It was difficult to pick which ones I wanted because they ALL looked good. We settled on three of them. Coconut Creme, Fresh Strawberry, and the Pumpkin tart. They were all pretty tasty but let me focus on the Fresh Strawberry. It was delicious! I love California strawberries. Some of my favorite memories of California include stopping by many road-side fruit stands and picking up a flat of freshly picked strawberries (along with the cherries...so good!). I wasn't disappointed in this pie. The strawberries were sweet and the cream complimented it well. I would go back to get this seasonal pie. The coconut creme and pumpkin were average. Not bad but certainly not something I would travel out of my way again to get. 

Boldly Me and pie!

Pie #17-18

I graduated from middle school in June of 1986. Summer of 2016 was the 30 year anniversary of that graduation. I LOVED middle school. I made some of the best friends that have had huge impacts in my life. It was also a growing time for myself as I learned who I was as a person. There were lots of things I didn't like and I have tried to change that in the last 30 years. I reached out to one of my very good friends that I haven't seen since we graduated because we ended up going to different high schools and drifted apart. She is doing an amazing thing with young girls and teens who are struggling with self-esteem. She created a non-profit organization that travels to schools and other locations teaching self-confidence. Her organization is called Boldly Me. She was having an event in California and invited members of our class of 1986 to come and help celebrate. It was such a great event. She is doing amazing things. 

While out there, we took the opportunity to find the best pies in the area. We were directed to a small farmer's market in San Ramon called Windmill Farms. They carry locally made pies from The Pie Company made with locally grown fruit. OH MY GOODNESS! They were delicious! We picked up the Nectarine and Peach Cobbler pies. The Peach Cobbler was overly sweet for me because of the crumble topping but the Nectarine was so, so good. Warm it up with a little vanilla ice cream and it is heaven.

Arshels Cafe- Beaver, Utah

Pie #15-16

I didn't get a picture of the cafe and I probably should have. The pie was forgettable so I would need the picture to remind me of where I got the pie. I am not a huge fan of chocolate pies. Most of the time, it seems like chocolate pudding in a crust. I need more effort than that. I haven't had one for this challenge and so I thought I would give it a shot. It was not good. The chocolate pudding was rubbery. The peanut butter crumbles on the bottom were pretty good but overall, it wasn't a good pie. The Apple Cranberry was better but still not a pie I would go out of my way to get again. 

We stopped in Spanish Fork on our way back to Salt Lake to share some of our to-go pies with my brother and sister-in-law. They missed out on the beauty of the road-trip but enjoyed the spoils of our labors. It was a fun trip and I am thankful my husband was willing to tag along to help me find good pie. Our next Utah road trip will take us to St. George and Veyo. We hear the pies there are amazing! We shall see...

Golden Hills- Mt. Carmel, Utah

Pie #14

Across the street from the Thunderbird Cafe was the Golden Hills restaurant. They advertised pie in their window so we thought we would give them a chance. We came from a packed restaurant to an empty one. That should have been a clue. We should have just turned around and walked out. But I was there. They saw me...I was committed. So we ordered the Banana Cream pie to-go. Not impressed. Banana pudding with some banana slices and A LOT of whipped cream. It was too much sweetness and I wasn't particularly fond of it. I wouldn't recommend it and I wouldn't go back. 

"ho-made" pies in Mt. Carmel, Utah

Pie #12-13

Have you heard of the Thunderbird Restaurant in Mt. Carmel, Utah? It is home of the "Ho-Made" pies. The legend (and history) has it that the restaurant was opened back in the '40's when metals were scarce due to World War II. Scarcity of supplies and the desire to make it sound more welcoming, the founder shortened "home-made" to "ho-made". The present-day connotation of "ho" and the buxom cartoon lady wasn't added until later but they certainly didn't miss a chance to capitalize on the new meaning. We had some lunch while we were there and then took the pie slices to-go. The Apple Pie with Rum Sauce and the Strawberry Rhubarb were recommended. The pictures below don't do the flavors justice. We heated up the pies and sauce at home and they were delicious! The crust was flaky and light. The point was yummy! 

Bryce Canyon Pines- Bryce, Utah

Pie #10-11

 Just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, is a little restaurant with lots of motorcycles parked outside. It the perfect place for travelers to stop and have a bite to eat and a delicious treat. The place was packed with a huge family reunion so we just sauntered up to the bar to get a couple of slices to-go. We asked the waiter for his recommendations and he said we couldn't pass up the Strawberry Banana and the Lemon Raspberry. I was getting a little full of pie and I hadn't had anything savory to counter-balance the sweet. I opted to just take a bite of the pies and save the rest for later. The best part of a pie is the point. I fight for the point. I much prefer the filling to the crust and Zane prefers the crust. We make a good team...and I always get the point. Win-win! These pies were pretty good. Nothing spectacular. I wouldn't go out of my way to have them again. But if you are in the area and you need a fun treat, Enjoy!!

Burr Trail Grill- Boulder, Utah

Pie #8-9

We continued our Utah pie road trip and headed south to Boulder, Utah. It is a small town on the Utah Scenic Highway 12 about 27 miles northeast of Escalante. This town wasn't originally on our route but it was recommended to us and I am so glad we stopped. It was my favorite pie of the trip. The  Burr Trail Grill is a hip, upbeat environment that specializes in locally sourced ingredients, gourmet burgers, and homemade pies. We were looking for a savory snack to offset our sugar intake but they were out of the fried green tomatoes. We opted to go straight for the pies. The Ginger Berry and the Cherry Spice were divine! It's definitely worth the trip and I will be going back again in the future. Hopefully, the fried green tomatoes will be available, too. 

Ginger Berry pie (amazing crust!!)

Cherry Spice (it left a sweet/hot aftertaste that was so good!)