I can relate to Yogi Berra. My family is not one to eat modest slices of anything. My mother is a fantastic and resourceful baker and chef–learned from years of serving five kids and a husband. My general love of food I owe partially to her. And my Dad–he LOVED sweets. Candy, cakes and pies. I’m pretty sure I got my sweet tooth from him. And I’m grateful. ‘Cause man, I love pie. I even started out the year with this yummy cherry pie. It was divine with coffee on a chilly New Year’s Day.

My favorite place in this world(so far) to eat pie is at Yoder’s Amish Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida.The food there is excellent, but I would skip it entirely to eat the PIE. Every kind I’ve tasted–fruit pies, cream pies, hot or cold–has been delicious, but my favorites are coconut cream pie and peanut butter pie. I love that place so much that I have souvenirs that I use/wear often. It made a real impression on me. The place is not fancy, but they do what they do so well. Each year, during our beach vacation on Anna Maria Island, we make the drive over to Sarasota to eat pie–I mean–have dinner. For me, it’s all about the pie.

A close second is Johnnie’s diner in Oklahoma City, OK. I’ve been there twice with my sister. Here’s a glamour shot of their INCREDIBLE coconut cream pie. I “suffered through” a slaw dog before hand, just to be polite.