We are excited to have Pie Bar Woodstock as our newest pick-up location! We recently had the chance to catch up with Lauren and you can learn more about Pie Bar below. If you haven't tried one of Cody and Lauren's delicious pies, check out their offerings on our website.
Tell us how Pie Bar came to be!
Pie Bar
started as a dream. I was working for the State of Georgia and was not happy
with the way things were going. I began thinking more about cooking and baking
and spent the majority of my free time in my kitchen at home.
I started
baking pies specifically and loved the idea of creating something that people
have such a deep connection to, specifically in the South. I would bake pies
for friends and co-workers in exchange for feedback on how to make the pies
even better. I began selling pies at local farmer’s markets, antique shows,
breweries, and really anywhere that would allow me to sell pie. After a couple
of seasons of markets, my husband, Cody, and I opened our first shop in
Downtown Woodstock in September 2015.
Since then,
Pie Bar has grown and now has a shop in Downtown Woodstock, a shop in the
Marietta Square, and our Commissary Kitchen is in Kennesaw, Georgia.
What is your first memory of baking?
My Mom had a
copy of the Better Homes and Garden cookbook with the red checkered cover. I
loved pulling that cookbook out and flipping through the baked goods
section.
Each
Thanksgiving she would make one Traditional Pumpkin Pie (recipe off the side of
the Libby pumpkin can) and one Classic Apple Pie using the recipe from the
Better Homes and Garden cookbook.
The first
time I made a pie by myself was using those very same recipes and I felt
incredibly proud to have baked something that my family enjoyed. When I started
Pie Bar, my Classic Apple Pie recipe was based on that same BHG recipe and
anytime I see a red checkered cover I cannot help but smile.
Tell us about your shops in Woodstock and Marietta! What do you offer?
Our shops
are open daily and serve a rotating menu of sweet pies. Some of our most
popular flavors include Apple Streusel Pie, Key Lime Pie, and Brown Sugar Chess
Pie.
We also have
Take-and-Bake Savory Pies like Rosemary Chicken Pot Pies and Roasted Veggie Pot
Pies. These are great to keep in your freezer at home for an easy dinner, or a
lot of guests will purchase them as gifts to share with friends to celebrate a
new baby or bring comfort during a season of loss.
What is your #1 favorite pie you’ve ever made?
Over the
almost 10 years that Pie Bar has been in existence, we have made hundreds of
varieties of pies. Some have been unexpectedly popular (MoonPie Pie!) while
others have not been as beloved as I would have hoped (Hummingbird Pie.)
If I am
baking at Pie Bar, I love to make a custard pie filled with a fruit compote.
Our best-known flavor of this type of pie is the Blueberry Buttermilk. We
haven’t had it in a few years, so it may be time for it to make an appearance
in our pie case sometime in the future.
If I am baking at home, I love making a Cranberry Apple Pie Crumble Pie with my daughter, Rose. She and I love baking together and seeing her sneak bites of sweet apple and then tart cranberry jam make me laugh.
Are there any surprising or fun facts about pies that you can share with us?
I find that
the majority of Pie Bar’s guests have some sort of deeper connection to pie
besides just enjoying a bit of dessert.
Pie has a
way of seeping into the fabric of people’s lives and creating a sense of
connection between memory and food without them ever noticing.
It is not uncommon for us to hear stories of pies from people’s childhoods or have guests share their family recipes with us. Pie holds memories for many people and is about so much more than the ingredients that make them up.
What are a couple of your favorite places to eat around the Woodstock and Marietta Squares?
I love being
a part of a Downtown Community. I spend the majority of my time on “Main
Streets,” floating between the Downtown Woodstock Pie Bar Shop, the Marietta
Square Pie Bar Shop, and living in Downtown Canton.
Starting
with The Marietta Square, I love to visit The Local Exchange to pick up locally
made items. This shop is owned by a woman named Marion, and she and her team
curate locally made food, art, and gifts. It is not uncommon for me to grab
something from their coolers for a quick lunch while working at Pie Bar
Marietta, but I also love to peruse their dried goods section to see what local
small food businesses are coming up with!
Two Birds
Tap House in the Marietta Square is a great place to enjoy a cocktail or beer
plus their appetizer menu is fantastic for a quick snack.
In Downtown Woodstock we love to walk next door to Queenie’s BBQ inside Reformation Brewery for pulled pork and pork rinds that you dip in pimento cheese. If I am looking for something a bit lighter, Eden is a smoothie bar that serves classic smoothies, bowls, and toasts.
