by Nicole Arnett | ‘Tis the season to turn our attention towards pie. If you’re feeling the need to get down with some Dutch Apple or just adore any food that comes encased in pastry, allow us to present our favourite pies from in and around Vancouver for your ranking consideration, just in time for a weekend devoted to stuffing your face.

The Pie Hole | 401 Industrial Ave. (pre-order pick-up only) | 778.838.8954 | Some of the prettiest and most satisfying pies we’ve ever tasted have come from The Pie Hole. They make everything from “Ol’ Apple” to “Turkey Dinner Pie” (genius) and these babies sell out quickly. Sadly, they finished with their Thanksgiving pre-orders as of Monday at noon but some of the smarter retailers in town carry a selection of their offerings, so all is not lost.

Her Majesty’s Pie Company | 107 Bowser Ave. | North Vancouver | 604.990.4848 | We stumbled on their frozen Sunrise Sour Cherry Pie at a Farmer’s Market last year and brought the dinner party to a stand still that night when we baked it up. No walk in retail space of their own yet but HMPC delivers fresh and frozen pies to the North Shore (Vancouver delivery coming) and they even offer a pie of the month club. Anyone looking to score one of these beauties in time for Thanksgiving can find them this weekend at the Trout Lake (Oct 8th) & Mount Pleasant (Oct 9th) Farmer’s Markets. Race you there.

Aphrodite’s Pie Shop | 3598 W. 4th Ave (Pie Shop) | 604.738.5879 | 3605 W 4th Ave (Cafe) | There have been many rainy days in Vancouver when I want nothing more than a slice of the gooey raspberry rhubarb pie and a cup of tea from this cozy little cafe. Always organic, and optionally gluten-free, this is pie for the (somewhat) righteous.

Acme Cafe | 51 West Hastings St. | 604.569.1022 | Excellent pie served in its natural habitat – a downtown diner counter. Acme Cafe nails their pie game on every level by sticking with the classics, baking them right and even having a pie happy hour from 2-4pm, Monday through Friday. Not that you need an excuse, but there you go.

Black Rook Bakehouse | 2474 East Hastings St. | 604.563.5094 | Imagine being slowly dipped into a warm chocolate pudding bath and drifting gently off to sleep. That’s what it feels like tackling a piece of the Black Rook’s awesome Chocolate Brownie pie. The pies here incredibly delicious and comically large. If you do make the excellent life choice of taking one home for the holiday weekend, gather 12 of your hungriest friends and by the end of the dessert course everyone will be feeling the “pie high”.

The Pie Shoppe | 1875 Powell St. | 604.338.6646 | You can’t go wrong with The Pie Shoppe’s lemon-buttermilk pie. Its heavy, brulee-browned innards are the ideal fill for their denser style of crust. For something more seasonally appropriate, try their Heirloom Pumpkin & Spice or Walnut & Bourbon pies — both are sweet strokes to end an otherwise savoury Thanksgiving meal.

Savary Island Pie Company | 1533 Marine Dr. | West Vancouver | 604.926.4021 | In prepping for this list I needed to revisit my favourite pies in the city to make sure they still had “it” and the first stop was this West Vancouver institution/dream factory. Their apple pie is better than anything I’ll ever come close to making and their chicken pot pie is like a warm hug from a dear friend while you’re wearing that sweater grandma made you. You may have to cross a bridge to get there, but hot damn is it ever worth it!

Chilliwack Airport Coffee Shop | 46244 Airport Rd. | Chilliwack | 604.792.0894 | That’s right. Go to Chilliwack, folks. For pie. Do it. Do it now. Because if you truly love pie, then you need to see this place to believe it. This is pie that could end arguments, inspire poetry and will always make solid instagram fodder. You can order whole pies to take away or round up a convoy of friends and spend the day trying slice after slice from their menu with over 30 flavours. Time well spent.

Honorable Mentions: Lime & Moon Pie Company, Sweet & Savoury Pie Company.

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