A lot of us have grown up with parents who used to invariably stick to last-minute grocery shopping for Thanksgiving. You probably remember the brick of a pie they always had at the store, which could be one of three options: apple, pecan, or sometimes pumpkin. This came encased in a plastic-aluminum cage that had a white sticker label on top to announce to the world that no one made anything at home, and that what you were having cost precisely $6.99.
Those days aren’t fully past for some people, and thank goodness for that because the pie did taste excellent. That said, the business of pie-making has certainly become a lot more involved. You have syndicated newspapers these days dedicating entire spreads to the making of homemade pies right from scratch, and bakeries galore taking pride in showing off wares that have ingredients of completely organic variety – not even a little bit of corn syrup there.
It’s natural to have these thoughts pass through your brain when you step into Pop Pie Co. The neon sign proudly declares “In Pie We Crust”, and there’s a bunch of carefully stacked cardboard boxes leaning against the main wall. This isn’t one of those places which deal in the brick-in-plastic-cage kind of pie. What you get here instead are handheld pies that are fresh out of the kitchen.
Established by chef Gan Suebsarakham and Steven Torres, this place is an expansion of the mini phenomenon which initially began in University Heights in San Diego, with regular lines creeping out the door in the early days. The recently finished Costa Mesa outlet that’s on 17th street used to house the Pie Not, a place that followed a similar concept. At Pop Pie Co., the specialties are mainly handheld savory meat pies, such as the Green Hog and Cheese featuring braised pork shoulder. That said, the vegetable-forward options aren’t too bad either.
You have the vegetarian risotto-mushroom pizza pot pie, made with copious amounts of perfectly cooked onions, olives, and mushrooms, plus light dustings of mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. The crust comprises a hand-rolled affair that’s both buttery and hearty, as well as flaky. This robust and compact pie, at first glance, would generally create images in the mind of a long nap afterwards, but the dish is amazingly light.
Vegans can find something they’re prone to like too; even though there’s only one option, it’s superbly done. There’s a yellow-curry-and-roasted-veggies-pie which houses a surge of herbs and spices, coming alongside an aroma that’ll cause necks to turn in the direction of your table. It has cauliflower roasted with smoky and soft sweet potato, as well as squash, mushrooms, and coconut milk to create a base that soaks up the curry spices and covers the entire thing inside a creamy layer.
Then there’s a brilliant vegan apple crumble pie, although if you can manage to try it, also go with the key lime, which is something that goes in as smoothly as silk and lands a perfect balance between sweet and tart.
For those with plans to stop by the supermarket on their way to dinner on Thanksgiving, the place also has freshly made pumpkin and pecan pies. These days one of these is bound to cost well over $6.00, but chances are your dinner guests won’t mind the taste.
