They had me at a la mode. I was standing completely overwhelmed before the display cases at the St. Matthews location of HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND PIE KITCHEN 3737 Lexington Road, 893-3393). Rows of fresh-baked pies, cakes, cheesecakes, cookies and cupcakes called out to me. I selected a slice of Dutch apple with caramel pie ($3 a slice, $15 for a whole pie). When the server suggested that it be served warm with fresh-churned homemade vanilla ice cream for $1.70 more, I couldn’t resist.
From the candy-colored chalkboard menu, corner jukebox, wooden booths and signs directing where to “order” and “pick-up,” the new-location Pie Kitchen, which opened in November (the original store is on Bardstown Road), capitalizes on nostalgia and playfulness. It’s also no surprise that the Dutch apple with caramel is its best-selling pie. The store’s caramel-colored walls, red-hued display panels and framed photos of pies past subliminally suggest the all-American dessert.
A honey-colored, thick caramel icing blanketed the pie. Rich and sweet, the icing concealed the flaky and buttery crust and a warm filling of soft apple chunks peppered with cinnamon. The milky white scoop of lush vanilla ice cream refreshed this decadent slice of comfort. Of the shop’s seasonal pies, I recomm/files/storyimages/red raspberry cream. With its white, meringue-like icing and magenta-colored, tart raspberry-and-cream filling, it reminded me that summer is almost here.
