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Quirky and a little remote, the pies from Mary’s Good Eats, Toronto (Scarborough), Canada, are certainly great. The place is on the Pickering Town Line, north of Old Finch Avenue, and south of Steeles Avenue East. They have cherry, blueberry, apple, and I bought a blueberry peach yesterday. $8 per pie. If you need change you go up to the house and knock on the door.
I found this place from a chance conversation with Dale Reesor, owner of the Sweet Ridge Farms, who sells delicious corn. Thanks again, Dale!
One would think that something as simple as a pie would be easy to find. This is not so. Maybe because I live in the large city of Toronto with 3.5M people, that pies must be manufactured in a factory, and injected with preservatives so it won’t go bad for 6 months. This is the pie I find at the big box grocers. One taste reveals a sickly sweet and, to me, a very artificial flavour. The crust can be stiff and with little taste. Call me picky but I would like to eat a pie that tastes like the fruit it is supposedly made from. What is the dollar value of the health of your kids and yourself?
Mary’s pies are fresh, tasty and flavourful. When you eat an apple pie slice it truly tastes like apple. The crust is flaky and pleasing. The pies come wrapped in two layers of plastic film, and often are still warm when you pick them up. The apple pie is a little runny, leaving a thick juice trail when you cut a slice for yourself. My aunt has told be that this juice trail is the mark of an authentic apple pie. You learn something every day. As for needing preservatives, the pies don’t last very long in our house, so if you snooze, you lose. For those with food allergies, an ingredients list is posted beside the pies.
The Mary’s Good Eats location does not scream “retail establishment”. It whispers quaint and quiet cottage. In fact, if you were not specifically looking for the sign, you’d miss it. If you are southbound on the Pickering Town Line, the sign is on the opposite side of the road and may be partially hidden by nearby weeds. Slow down or you’ll miss it. The sign, 3′ by 2′, white with black lettering, is on the east side of the road, and the house is on the west side. The sign is hand painted in 3″ letters, and is pretty plain. As you dodge potholes and badly patched asphalt, maybe it’s best to have a spotter help you. As you exit your vehicle, many small beagles might come round and sniff you out. Don’t worry, they are really friendly and pretty cute. They don’t even bark much.
You’ll need to time your pickup to get a tasty Mary’s Good Eats pie. Arrive too early and there will be none ready, too late and none left. A 3:00pm arrival time should get you a pie. Did I mention that Mary’s pies sell out pretty quickly?
I did go up to the house and meet Mary. She’s a lovely old lady with a great big smile. She does seem a little frail, but I do like her pie.
This Mary's Good Eats blueberry peach pie won't last long
The inevitable demise of a Mary's Good Eats apple pie. Delicious.
