Thanksgiving Pie Guide 2011

Don't lose heart. The apple of your pie is out there somewhere.

Photo: J.B. Spector

This just in: Due to overwhelming demand, Hoosier Mama Pies is no longer taking orders for Thanksgiving pies (though you can try your luck at their storefront). But do not lose heart yet. Hoosier Mama is hardly the only pie game in town. 

Call today to place your order for pies from Sarah’s Pastries & Candies, the very same bakery, which, just this past summer, took home top prize for Best Extreme Dinosaur Cake on an episode of Food Network Challenge. Sarah’s pies are dainty rather than ferocious, but this is to her advantage since a Sour Cherry pie is much more holiday-friendly than a buttermilk-frosted stegosaurus. Pick up a variety of Thanksgiving pies, including pumpkin, apple-sour cream, and chocolate chess by Wednesday 23 (Sarah’s is closed on Thursday). For delivery, orders should be placed ASAP (by this Sunday at the latest).

Café Selmarie, aside from vending seasonal tortes, cakes, breads, pastries, and confections, is also offering up pumpkin, pecan, and double-crust apple cranberry pies for your Thanksgiving table. Blue Sky Bakery & Café offers apple, pumpkin, and chocolate pecan pies, and a pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust—plus, they'll deliver the things. Order from Lincoln Park bakery Floriole stat (i.e. by Sunday) to get in on the maple bourbon pecan pie and French apple pie goodness before ravenous DePaul students devour it all.

First Slice Pie Café is also accepting orders through Sunday (pick-up only) for a wide range of pies including traditional apple pie, vegan (or not) pumpkin pie, sweet potato praline pie, and a highly recommended pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust. Or, keep your Thanksgiving table topical and order First Slice’s new “Occu-pie,” based on a Depression-era recipe, filled with brown sugar custard, dried cranberries, cherries and oats. If you sleep through Sunday altogether, you’ve still got until Monday to order sweet Potato, honey cream, praline, and banana rum pies from Jimmy Jamm.

Really behind in ordering your pie? West Town Tavern needs only 24 hours to prepare a pie for you to pick up. Choose between Bourbon pecan and lemon chess.

For (even) more pie, check out the sweet (and savory) beauties that the staff of Time Out Chicago Kids taste-tested.