Between ice cream collabs and an influx of dessert cocktails, we've already had a lot of sweet news this summer. This month, we get yet another slice of good things to come: in just a few weeks, Winston Pies will open in Brentwood, serving family-recipe pies with a side of Southern hospitality.
Toward the end of August, Carolinian Brianna Abrams is set to open her first brick-and-mortar pie shop at 11678 San Vicente Boulevard, and the avid home baker behind ButterCrust Pies hopes it'll be a place Angelenos come to slow down for a slice of pie, a scoop of ice cream and a sip of something from her full-service espresso bar. Those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth will find plenty of options here, in various forms: 11-inch whole pies, slices, 5-inch mini pies, 4-inch square hand pies and "PieBites," tiny circles of flaky pies that disappear in two or three bites.
“Growing up in North Carolina, baking took on a whole new dimension for me," says Abrams. "In the South, everyone is very deliberate about taking time to sit and enjoy each other’s company over a slice of pie—something that I really missed once I moved to Los Angeles."
To bring some of that Southern comfort to L.A., Abrams is opening a 1,600-square-foot shop designed to slow you down for a quick minute: take a seat on an indoor porch swing, watch as that family-recipe butter crust gets made behind the counter or simply stop to enjoy the blue, white and copper décor. But of course the real centerpiece is the pie.
Find seasonal flavors involving fresh, local and often organic fruit—the Dixie Classic Cherry, utilizing whole dark cherries; Blue Ridge Blueberry pie; stone-fruit pie made from peaches and nectarines—plus a rotating selection of cream pies and the classics: pecan, pumpkin, chess, Key lime. What's more, most of these pies are available gluten-free, upon request. They say that life moves slower in the South, and maybe, just maybe, Abrams has figured out the cause: savoring life one slice of pie at a time.
Winston Pies is set to open in late August at 11678 San Vicente Boulevard, serving daily from morning to evening.
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