While Thanksgiving gatherings will be downsized this year, pie will remain on the menu for many celebrating the holiday.
Linn’s Easy as Pie Shop and Café in Cambria has nearly 20 different pie options on the menu. Thousands and thousands of their pies will be a part of the holiday spread for many families.
“Today I ordered an olallieberry, of course, and a chocolate,” said Viv Goff of Cambria.
“It’s the best pie I’ve ever eaten,” said Bob Cowne of Templeton. “I'm a bit of a foodie. I mean, I love their chocolate cream, their banana, their coconut, just keep coming back to the olallieberry. It's just incredible.”
With Thanksgiving just days away, Linn’s Easy as Pie Shop and Café is bustling with customers.
“We sell more than ever this week and it's a mad dash and it's a lot of hours but it's something, this year, out of all years, we can definitely bank on,” said owner Aaron Linn.
Linn says they prep months in advance for this week every year.
“Wednesday is the biggest pie pick-up day and that day we'll probably bake around 800 pies and then going into Thanksgiving day probably about half again of that amount,” Linn explained.
They ship the sweet treat all over California and even to other states.
The pastry is also in local grocery stores.
But if you opt to visit in person, wear a mask and it’s one-way traffic inside the shop due to COVID-19.
“Just to be mindful and providing a safer type or mechanism of pick-up for people. We even do curbside pick-up,” Linn said.
According to a survey by Crisco and the American Pie Council, nearly one out of five Americans prefer apple pie followed by a Thanksgiving favorite, pumpkin.
But at Linn’s, “Most commonly ordered are olallieberry, of course, we're known for, as well as our pecan, our pumpkin pie at the holidays and then the good old standby apple pie,” Linn said.
Long-time customers give it an A+.
“This pie speaks for itself,” Cowne added. “I can't talk enough about it. It's that good.”
And, trying to pinpoint what exactly makes the pie so delicious, “It’s kind of corny way to put it but I think the love that goes into it,” said James Loveless of Cambria.
According to the American Pie Council, approximately $700,000,000 in pies are sold in grocery stores every year. This does not include restaurants.
