As you walk into Pie Gourmet, you’re met with the aroma of delicious pie filling, ranging from blackberry peach to coconut cream. A beautiful assortment of ornate, buttery crusts and beautiful whipped cream topped pies amaze the eyes, and the best thing is that you’re just scraping the surface.

I’ve been a steady fan of Pie Gourmet throughout my life. It was a staple at most holidays throughout my childhood, and its 38 year history in the Vienna area lends credence to their consistency and excellence.

However, many places get complacent. They don’t innovate, they lose their charm and eventually, their customer base. Pie gourmet has managed to defy the test of time, and stand strong against the sloth that comes with long lasting success.

I walked into pie gourmet on a Thursday evening. The first attendant who served me was incredibly kind, and the lighting and environment was comforting and inviting. The shelves were stocked with an array of cookies, ranging from peanut butter kiss cookies, as well as seasonally decorated sugar and chocolate chip cookies that looked incredible.

However, the main objective was the pies, and there they sat. Immediately, my eyes were drawn to the cream pies on the left side shelf. Coconut creme, key lime, chocolate cream and banana cream took precedence on the top two rows. On the right side, there was an assortment of fruit pies, varying from blackberry peach to pecan. The sheer number of choices made it difficult to select an appropriate two to purchase. However, after much deliberation, I ended up with a chocolate cream and a blackberry peach.

Immediately what stood out was the presentation. Perfectly placed whipped cream, topped with little chocolate flakes adorned the former. The blackberry peach was beautiful as well, with a well crimped crust. I proceed to cut myself a slice of both, deciding to take a bite out of the blackberry peach pie first. Immediately, I was met with the sweet, slightly balmy flavor of the peach, paired perfectly with the more bitter blackberry. The texture of the crust was amazing, slightly crispy buttery, but at the same time light. I finished the slice in swift fashion, and decided to move on to the chocolate cream.

As I bit into the slice, I savored the unbelievably smooth, rich, chocolate mousse with the delicious, flaky, buttery crust. The chocolate was not too sweet, sustaining some bitterness and depth of flavour, but it was still unbelievably delicious. I was blown away.

It was an undeniable 5 star performance from Pie gourmet, and I will without a doubt return.