Best Pies in Kingston

October marks the end of the season for Ontario grown berries and fruits, however many of which are still being baked into delectable treats ranging from cookies and muffins, to pastries and loaves. In spite of my best efforts to stay away from such sugary delights, on certain special occasions such as holiday dinners, I’ve been known to indulge my sweet tooth.

As I was digging into my second “sliver” of pie over Thanksgiving, I came to the realization that pie may be one of my all-time favourite types of dessert.  The high ranking stems from cherished memories of my grandmother, who was an expert baker, and always had pie on the menu for dessert at family get-togethers. She would use whatever was in season, from rhubarb in May to blueberry in July and apple and pumpkin in October, needless to say we all looked forward to our favourites.  Of course mine was cherry, which she made especially just for me every year on my birthday.

While I’m sure you’ll agree that nothing beats a slice of traditional homemade pie, and that your (insert talented baker here) made the best pies you’ve ever tasted, the harsh reality is that we sometimes have to defer to store-bought varieties just to get our fix. Luckily, there are a number of top notch bakeries in Kingston, many of which have baked more pies than my grandmother and yours put together. With these local options in mind:

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Knowing where to find the best pies in Kingston could be a dangerous thing for those of us without will power. Even so, such knowledge is undoubtedly handy when you find yourself in a situation where you’ve been asked to bring dessert, or otherwise don’t have time to bake something up for a meal you’re hosting.  Just what makes pie good?  Is it all about the crust, or does it really come down to the filling?  And what about the age-old debate about which is better for baking: butter or shortening?

Which local bakery deserves to be recognized for making the best pies in Kingston?  More importantly, what variety of pie do they make better than anyone else – excluding your grandmother of course!

Photo credit to Melinda Stuart.