Banana Vs. Banana - An Epic Tale of Pie in Los Angeles

Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers:

Sometimes you just need a piece of pie.  But sometimes your waistline really does not need a piece of pie!  

When I went to Los Angeles for a mini vacation, I decided I was going to lift the caloric restrictions and have a piece of banana cream pie.  I love pie in general.  I can't think of a pie flavor that I don't enjoy on at least some level.

I was near the La Brea tar pits when the pie craving hit.  Right next door is Marie Callender's (a.k.a. Callender's Grill) - which most people know only for the frozen food brand with the same name.  Growing up in the Midwest, we did not have Marie Callender's.  It reminds me of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery.  Callender's is known for their pies, so I decided this was fate telling me to take a break and have dessert.    

Bakery section of Callender's Grill

The restaurant was packed with happy families.  It's a homey, lovely place.  I ordered a slice of banana cream pie from a waiter who looked like actor Chris Evans' stand-in.  He brought me a slice of pie.  I looked down at it and said "Um, I think this is coconut cream not the banana cream pie I ordered."

The waiter looked at me like I was nuts and then said: "Why do you think that?"

"Um, because it is covered in coconut?"

He picked up the plate, held it eye level and stared at the pie like a cop interrogating school kids.  

"Hmmmm…. maybe?"  He said as he stared down the pie.  "Let me check."

After a few minutes, he came back with this piece of pie.  He said reassuringly "You were right.  That was coconut."

I, never doubting my pie sleuthing skills, just gave him a smile.

I didn't expect a high class piece of pie from Marie Callender's.  It is after all an inexpensive restaurant chain.  But I was disappointed because I remembered them having much better pies when I used to live in Los Angeles.  This piece of pie was just OK.  It was certainly not worth the calories though.  (However if you are craving really awesome "steak" wedge fries, do stop by Marie Callender's because they can't be beat!)

My pie craving was not satiated by this sad piece of pie.  Sigh.  More calories would need to be ingested before I could get this pie monkey off my back.

I had previously been to the "The Original Farmers' Market" complex on Fairfax.  This is one of my favorite places to go on a lazy weekend day.  It's especially good if you want to grab something to eat with a large group of people who all have different tastes.  You want donuts?  We got you covered.  You want Malaysian food?  Yep!  It's a lovely space with tables around food stands.  There are also several regular style restaurants around the "food court" like area.  

One of the restaurants is DuPar's Restaurant and Bakery.  It is an old-school style comfort food diner delight.  I knew that if I wanted a decent piece of pie, I needed to head back to the Farmers' Market.

So the next night, after attending the 10th Anniversary Lost TV Show Reunion at Paley Fest, I headed to Du-Par's.  I ordered the banana cream pie and was actually brought a piece of banana cream pie.  

This is what my stomach had been waiting for.  Light, custardy, filled with bananas and topped with an avalanche of whipped cream with a buttery flaky crust.  Banana Cream Pie craving officially satisfied!

The best banana cream pie I have ever had was at a wine store in Des Moines, Iowa.  On weekends the wine store opened up their back room and did a set meal with selected wines.  My friend was living in Des Moines at the time and I was in town for a visit.  I remember being served a pork chop as big as my head.  Hello Iowa!  

For dessert, we were served a banana cream pie tartlet with a chocolate chip cookie crust.  The cookie had been brushed with a rum glaze.  Layers of banana with the richest pastry cream ever were next.  Then a generous layer of sweetened whipped cream.  I have tried to duplicate this tart many times over the years and have failed miserably.  It seems so simple and yet I just can't get it right.

If I am craving a really decadent piece of pie, I will head to the Capital Grille.  They have a coconut cream pie tart that is to die for.  It is a vanilla cookie-like tart shell filled with incredibly rich coconut cream and whipped cream.  One of these days I am going to sneak a banana into the restaurant, slice it up and cover the Capital Grille's coconut cream tart with banana slices.  Then I would REALLY be in Heaven.

Ummm… perhaps I have said too much.  

I really like pie.  What can I say?