Pie Trip II is nearly upon us. As the trailer hinted, our primary destination this time is Wisconsin. Specifically: Oshkosh, where our friends Dan and Alison are getting themselves hitched. What the trailer failed to mention (because plans were only tentative at the time) is that, in true sequel fashion, we’ve upped the ante this time. We will have two full weeks with almost nothing to do but drive halfway across the country. We will really and truly (I promise) eat more than two pies. We will save valuable money by camping whenever possible instead of splurging on hotels. And to top it all off, we will be joined by Brunslo’s better (and far less hairy) half, Anna. No, not that Anna.
Leg one of the journey will be a fairly straight shot starting in Oregon around May 17th and crossing Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota before finally arriving in Wisconsin on the 21st for the wedding. The return route has yet to be decided, but since we’ll have an entire week to kill before we need to be back in Portland, America is our oyster.
Just like last time, we’d love to hear your suggestions. Know of a good pie place between Portland and Oshkosh? Tell us! Better yet, do you live between Portland and Oshkosh? Will you make us pie? Can we sleep on your floor? In your back yard? In your driveway? We promise to make you famous on wonko.com. For free!
Comments
pie pie pie pie pie
Alison and I will be leaving Bozeman for Wisconsin on the 14th so we can prepare and get properly crazy and stuff like that. I've already talked it over with Alison and we'd be glad to have you stay in our empty apartment while we're gone; our extremely porky and wacky cats (Mac and Annie, aka Turbo, aka Sprootie) will enjoy the company. Also, we'll be driving back to Bozeman on the 24th; if you're coming through on the way back, we can actually be around to be proper hosts and feed you some pie.
In Wisconsin, I don't know if you're planning on camping or staying at the hotel or not, but the wedding rate is $80 a night + tax; most people are staying Friday and Saturday night. Friday night at 8:30 we're having a co-ed hotel party instead of any sort of bachelory thing; so it's a good way to meet a lot of nice people. That, and the pool is open 24 hours. Pie and hot tubbing at 4 AM? Is it not decadent? Hmmm? You could split a room three ways to make it a little more affordable.
But now to what you really want to know: where is the pie?
Cafe Latte
850 Grand Ave, St. Paul, Minnesota
Repeatedly voted Best Dessert in the Twin Cities, it's affordable too. Some of the best dessert, bakery and coffee drinks I've ever had. Tons of bakery, especially pastries and cakes, but they usually have a pie or two out as well.
Frontier Pies
7th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana
This would be a significant pie experience for a lot of reasons. One - it would be probably be the most authentic Western kitch experience you can have in Bozeman that still involves pie; it might explain to you why we're trying to move out of Bozeman; and you might experience the mysterious Frontier Pies effect. Every time Alison and I have gone to Frontier Pies, the food as been awful, the help has been absent or a downright hindrance, the ambiance has been obnoxious and the furniture has fallen apart. And yet, we are always possessed with this strange urge to come back. Weird. Lucky for you, pie is definitely the safest thing on the menu, and they do have a dozen or so to choose from all the time.
Bozeman runner up: The Stockyard Cafe. This is the most ghetto restaurant I have ever patronized. It is almost more rustic than if you cooked over your own campfire. It actually is a SHACK next to the STOCKYARD and someone painted "Cafe" on the side. Like, you can hear the cattle mooing while you eat a big juicy hamburger. There's only five or six tables, all within blasting range of the drafty screen door. This is the authentic Montanan restaurant experience, and somewhat surprisingly, the food is actually pretty good. Not actually sure if there is pie or not. Oh well.
Door County, Wisconsin
Door County is basically a vacation spot north of Green Bay in Wisconsin that is pretty similar in composition to the towns on the Oregon Coast (read: lots of galleries, you can buy kitchy crap, pretty good food, etc.) But what Door County is legendary for is their cherries. Yes, this is where you want to get cherry pie. And you thought you were coming to Wisconsin just to watch some yahoos get married!
Car care
Since Yahoo! Maps tells me that there are 1999.1 miles of driving between Portland, OR and Oshkosh, WI, it is my duty to remind you to change your car's engine oil in a timely and responsible manner.
Re: pie pie pie pie pie
In Oshkosh, we'll be staying at the hotel with everyone else Friday and Saturday night, then we'll leave Sunday morning to drive Steve to the airport in Green Bay. We'll probably split a room four ways with Steve to save even more dough. We'll definitely be at the party.
Your pie stop suggestions have been noted. Hooray!
Re: Car care
Thank you sir. The WRX currently has fresh oil in it that will be plenty good for the duration of the 4,000+ miles I anticipate driving. It also has a new driver's side window mechanism, a new windshield, and will soon have a brand new sparkling clean air filter and fresh air in the tires. With luck, it might even get a new camera mount or two.
Walla Walla, WA
Clarette's
15 S Touchet St
WALLA WALLA, WA 99362 - 2009
However, Walla Walla is off the beaten path a bit. I posted it anyway because you laddies are serious about ferreting out the pies.
On the bright side, being off the beaten path, its small-town charm is intact. 40 miles from Tri-Cities and 400 times as aesthetically pleasing. Clarette's has excellent breakfast in addition to the pie. For any other meal, please consult me for restaurant recommendations (to be followed by Clarette's pie.)
Re: Car care
Ever think of doing any work to that WRX? I have always liked the WRX, I also really like that new R32 by Volkswagen. Someone refereed me to http://www.spomotorsports.com/ for WRX stuff. btw. what are the quarter mile times on your WRX (assuming you have taken it down the strip...)?
Re: Car care
Nah, I've never bothered doing anything to the WRX other than replacing the stock tires. It's plenty fast as is, and I've got more important things to do with my money. Like buy pie. Haven't taken it to the track either.
Frontier Pies worst place I ever worked
While going to school in Bozeman I worked at Frontier Pies.
It was the worst place I ever worked.
The food was awful and over priced But the pie was ok.
The owner on the other hand Jerry McAuther was a crook. He would talk behind your back but to your face everthing would be good. He usally treated his employees with little or no respect.And if you didnt fit into his little mormon church
click you were nothing more than white trash.
I only hope someday he will look back and remember what he did and how he treated people. I may have only been a cook but I am still a person.