Umami
For dineLA.com
From savory meat and veggie pies to sweet classics like apple, lemon meringue and banana cream, get the dish on LA’s top pies.
For many people, pie is a comfort food. Be it the chicken pot pie of American “TV dinner” childhoods or the shepherd’s equivalent from across the pond. Further afield are examples from more distant cultures, such as Moroccan pastilla, and even vegan versions of both savory and sweet pies. And, of course, there’s the whole bevy of desserts like Key lime pie and Missouri mud.
Downtown Irish pub Casey’s (613 S. Grand Ave., Downtown, 213.629.2353) chef/GM, Jeff Marino, says, “We may be one of the only places in LA that [consistently] uses lamb.” More delightfully gamey than beef—not to mention more authentic for a “shepherd’s” pie—it’s browned, ground, minced and cooked with herbs, carrots and peas. Next, the casserole-like dish is topped by garlic-mashed potatoes and finally finished with a layer of melted cheddar. Waterloo & City (12517 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310.391.4222) doesn’t shy away from mutton (let alone Prime beef and bone marrow in its pie!), but such hearty entrees are only found as occasional specials, not menu staples.
Maison Maurice (8620 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.967.0021) in Beverly Hills adds a Continental spin to a beef-based shepherd’s pie, with caramelized onions, parsley and Parmesan.
Britannia Pub (318 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, 310.458.5350) in Santa Monica also goes the ground beef route, though it does a steak and ales pie with Bass and Guinness as well.
The Village Idiot (7383 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323.655.3331) smartly turns the meat pie concept on its head, with silky artichokes, creamy spinach, earthy crimini mushrooms and just a hint of red chili flake for kicks. While the filling is addictive on its own, the pastry crust, made in-house with cream cheese mixed into the dough, is perfect. Regulars often order it with a fried egg on top. Thoughtfully, the rather rich dish is served with a small mixed greens salad. 
People “flip out” over Larchmont Grill’s (5750 Melrose Ave., Larchmont Village, 323.464.4277) turkey pot pie—literally. Presented upright tableside, then carefully covered and upended, the crust lands on the bottom of the plate, while the tender turkey and veggies take root in the homemade tarragon leek gravy, which is infused with a hint of garlic. There’s also a version of the dish with lobster, which was inspired by Michael Mina’s signature spin on the classic.
The chicken pot pie at The Grafton hotel’s Olive Kitchen + Bar (8462 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.650.1250) restaurant is a mix of white meat, carrots, potatoes, peas and nicely crunchy celery all bathing in a homemade gravy under a “golden dome” crust, which helps it retain heat. The classic American staple has also been a Thursday night special at Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323.467.7788), for as long as anyone can remember.
Though it’s referred to as “Chilean potpie,” aside from the use of jalapenos in the crust—a nice touch—and black olives mixed in along with peas and carrots, most diners will find Pan Am Room’s (3221 Donald Douglas Loop S., Santa Monica, 310.390.6565) version less exotic and more familiar than it sounds. 
At La Cachette Bistro (1733 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, 310.434.9509), the boyhood comfort food favorite of charismatic chef Jean Francois Meteigner, was tourte bourbonnaise, or more plainly, mom’s potato cream pie. Teasing about the dish’s humble lineage from central France, he jokes, “Imagine it with Osetra caviar on top,” in reference to the higher-end version he made famous at the original La Cachette. “It’s the $150 potato pie.” Fortunately, it can be served with or without the pricey accompaniment (now American Sevruga); either way, it must be ordered in advance—one of several “secret” menu items here. 
Chaya Brasserie (8741 Alden Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.859.8833) Executive Chef Harutaka Kishi explains his inspiration for the Hokkaido scallop and shitake mushroom pot pie: “I used to make a lot of pies when I was working at Gordon Ramsey. When I came here, I thought of making [one] with a Japanese and French influence.” Look for Kishi to experiment with lighter variations in summer, possibly using lemongrass. 
Koutoubia (2116 Westwood Blvd., Westwood, 310.475.0729) does a version of the b’stila (or pastilla) in which shredded chicken is substituted for traditional squab. The meat is roasted on a bed of onions and herbs till it falls off the bone, then minced and stewed with egg and almonds, before being stuffed into a perfectly flaky crust topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Owner Michel Ohayon emphasizes, “It’s complicated to make it correctly. There’s a way of doing it, and there’s a way of doing it correctly.” Located in Griffith Park, the aptly named Trails Café (2333 Fern Dell Dr., Griffith Park, 323.871.2102) serves up savory mushroom and cashew pie with herb gravy for a legion of vegan fans.
For a nice sampling of simplethings sandwich & pie shop’s (8310 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 323.592.3390) rotating selection, the itsy bitsy “cutie pies” are a great way to go. A must-try is the “banoffee,” a seamless blend of banana and toffee, though the Key lime is quite zesty. House signature Missouri mud, named after chef Carrie Cusack’s Ozark roots, actually came about as an accident. She recalls running out of chocolate pies before a big farmers’ market, “At [3am], I poured my flourless chocolate cake recipe into a nut crust and finished it with homemade marshmallows I had for whoopie pies. The rest is history.” For the best result, heat it in the oven for five minutes at 350. 
At Pasadena’s Pie ‘N Burger (913 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, 626.795.1123), a diner-style neighborhood staple since 1963, there’s a reason the “Pie” takes precedent in the eatery’s name (though the old-fashioned burgers are quite good as well). A rotating and seasonal selection is baked fresh daily, and the recipes haven’t changed in almost 50 years. The most popular is coconut meringue, which has a fun fizzy effect. Similarly, the name says it all at House of Pies (1869 North Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, 323.666.9961). While the menu includes a multitude of options like summer’s No. 1 seller strawberry, two of the more obscure draws are the butterscotch and the peanut butter pies.
The Fountain Coffee Room (9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.276.2251) serves cherry pie year-round; it’s fresh-baked daily and also available poolside. The prices are surprisingly approachable for the otherwise spendy Beverly Hills Hotel.
Du-Par’s (6333 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 323.933.8446) has been a Farmers Market landmark since 1938. Known primarily for pancakes and pies, of the latter, one of the biggest sellers is the blueberry cream, which is surprisingly, and thankfully, restrained in its use of sugar.
Cole’s (118 E. 6th St., Downtown, 213.622.4090), another LA classic, features two small menus worth of pie—a regular list of sweet staples, as well as seasonal specials. From the former, it’s nice to see a dark chocolate cream pie; off the latter, the strawberry rhubarb is hard to top. 
One would imagine The Apple Pan (10801 West Pico Blvd., West L.A., 310.475.3585) would be a shoe-in for its namesake pie—and it is—but many people actually prefer the banana cream. Everything is made in house, including the beloved crust and the fluffy whipped cream.
Umami (850 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, 323.931.3000), mostly known for high-end burgers, has teamed up with local bakery Cake Monkey to exclusively serve its apple pie. Roasted in brown butter, Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples line a cheddar cheese crust. For maximum effect, get it heated up and topped with ice cream. 
Kitchen 24 (1608 North Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 323.465.2424) also does a piping-hot, skillet-cooked apple pie—make sure to get it a la mode with vanilla bean ice cream. The coolness calms the heat. And should a craving strike at, say, 4am, no problem; it’s open 24/7. 
Speaking of the munchies, hit up old-school Valley Village coffee shop Four N 20 (4723 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Valley Village, 818.761.5128), where the selection may be slim at times, but it’s pretty much a sure thing they’ll have Dutch apple, or the banana fudge—basically chocolate pudding mixed with lots of whipped cream and fruit. 
Superstar pastry chef Roxana Jullapat has introduced a Meyer lemon fritter, aka “fried pie,” to Ammo’s (1155 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, 323.871.2666) dessert menu. The dish is presented with ice cream matching the pie, candied citron and a drizzle of honey. Inspired by a Southern co-worker’s story of fried roadside pies, she recalls, “[it] immediately brought to mind those crispy fritters that McDonald’s used to make when I was a kid.” Sadly, super-sizing is not an option. Among its multitude of offerings, Junior’s (2379 Westwood Blvd., West L.A., 310.475.5771) deli in Westwood serves homemade pies, such as lemon meringue, which actually come in two sizes: “individual” or large.
The Standard Hollywood’s (8300 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.650.9090) bourbon pecan pie is anything but standard. The boozy dish is homemade by the hotel’s pastry chef each morning, and is one of the more popular desserts at this late-night Sunset Strip favorite. Given the pie selection at Café Gratitude (639 N. Larchmont Blvd., Larchmont Village, 323.580.6383) on Larchmont, it’s hard to believe the menu is 100-percent vegan. For instance, the coconut “cream” pie derives its dairy-substitute from coconut milk, while seasonal pies consist of “cheesecake-style” fresh fruit, such as berries, mango or peaches, on nut crust with cashew-cream.
