Tartine Bread and Pies does pies, and it does them well

I attended my grandmother’s funeral last weekend. Funerals are moments of memory, a brief period of time to exist in the past, reminiscing about a person, their life and your connection to it. 

During summers, I would spend much of my time at my grandparents’ summer home, a cove on Cortez Island, off of Quadra Island near Cambell River. It’s about as magical as it sounds. There were gardens, trails, and endless beaches to explore.

A constant during that entire time was my Grandma’s pies. Rarely was there a visit that didn’t involve a tart raspberry, or sickly sweet apple pie, thick slices with a healthy spoonful of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Every pie I eat now, rightfully or wrongly, is benchmarked against my grandmother’s. Made, if I recall correctly, from cristco lard, it was always a denser pie, with a thick crust, usually stuffed full of sturdy apples grown from her orchard. It was my favourite dessert in the world. 

Tartine Bread and Pies, located at 770 Beach Avenue, is a little pie shop tucked into the corner of Beach Avenue and Howe Street. Grandma had passed a few days earlier, and it felt fitting to grab a slice.

The pies at Tartine are not dainty or delicate but robust stuffed desserts full of filling. You’ve got classics like Strawberry Rhubarb, Pecan and Sour Cherry, and playful takes on classics like Maple Apple and Salted Caramel Apple. Cream pie lovers take heart, they’ve got Banana Cream, Coconut and Chocolate Banana.

While my Grandma cannot chide me now, I can see her frown if I had chosen anything cream-based, so I opted for the Strawberry Rhubarb ($7.50). She never made this one specifically, but rhubarb pie was a staple of our dinners that usually involved prawns, clams and salmon, an odd pairing but one as I child I adored. 

More flaky and crispy than soft, Tartine’s pie crust holds together inside but broke apart a little on the flakey top as the crust rained down on my lap. It was certainly more crispy than my grandmother's version, but you can tell there is talent here.

Strawberry and Rhubarb are a match made in heaven, and this pie didn’t disappoint. It had the requisite balance of strawberry sweetness with sweet stewed rhubarb, with that tart taste you’d expect. It wasn’t at all runny and, in fact, held its form together very nicely. Bright red, it’s a pretty dessert to behold. 

Flavours rotate frequently and you can purchase an entire pie if your stomach is up for it. I didn’t try the lunch, but the menu is extensive, with sandwiches, soups and snacks.

Tartine is serving up a memorable slice of pie. It may not be the best pie I’ve had — that honour goes to grandma — but it’s the perfect everyday slice, a nice midday treat or a welcoming dessert for visiting friends. 

I think Grandma would approve.