when pie sales reached 2000 …

01 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by home, garden, life in Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet, celebration with food, life, pie

Tags

"Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet", Charlottesville, Citizen Burger Bar Charlottesville, food, home renovation, key lime pie, one woman operation, restaurants, Virginia

I quit counting. Yes! At last annual count, two-thousand of the best key lime pies on the planet have left my inspected kitchen, made by moi, a one-woman operation since 2000— the pie was introduced in 2005!

Now mind you, I never planned this occupation. However a love of memorable food is what I exploited — in order to manage contractors during a long, and often painful 6.5 year home renovation — and delivered me to this point in life. Presently, a growing, discerning following quietly blooms in my hometown, while these pies have traveled as far north as Maine and as far south as Georgia, lovingly tucked into coolers by guardians of my KLPie.

named by locals--the best Key Lime Pie on the Planet...

named by locals as The Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet…made one at a time, every time.

It seems to be the crust that hooks them first, then customers order repeatedly, and then tell their friends. Then their friends become customers.
As a humble one-woman operation, I do not advertise, yet I am the first hit on Google when key lime pie Charlottesville — is searched. Ahem, awesome!

Last July one local restaurant (Citizen Burger Bar) began carrying these pies, and they continue to be the only dessert on their menu. As of last week, weekly orders increased, taunting me with the fantasy that perhaps I can stash enough pie money to 1) take a real vacation, or 2) replace my 13 YO MPV, or 3) really retire, or 4) hire garden help.

This same restaurateur plans to open a sister eatery in Clarendon (Arlington) in 2014, and already inquired if I could keep up with demand. YES! Until my final breath.

So folks, if you are reading this for the first time, and crave some of the best key lime pie on the planet, you are close. Stop by the restaurant in Charlottesville, or contact me (info on Facebook page) and order your very own. My inspected kitchen is open year round and folks come from all over the state with coolers to fill.

the crusts hook them

Those of you who follow my blog might like to see photos of the completed kitchen countertop renewal. Nice huh?

completed countertop restoration

oh so sleek and baby bottom smooth

my reward for all my effort, grilled Irish cheddar cheese with Irish butter. Yum!
Where is the Guinness???

Life in the foothills of central Virginia is blissfully peaceful, allowing creativity to flow.
My mission is sustainable, my food goal memorable.

a day away

17 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by home, garden, life in Lifestyle, photography, Virginia

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

battles of the civil war, Colonial Beach, Fat Freda's, food, Fredericksburg, fredericksburg city, frozen custard, Potomac, restaurants, The Fredericksburg City Cemetery, travel, Virginia, Wilkerson's Seafood Restaurant

I fantasize about getting away. I envy those who live on the road—exploring, tasting, living large. For the most part I stay close to home as daily chores consume my waking hours—the gardens, birds, and monarchs wait for no one.

In a desperate attempt to change gears, I found another who could take a few hours off for a day away. The trip involved a two-hour drive east and ended up in a small village called Colonial Beach. It was neither colonial nor a beach. Despite the blazing hot sun, the town and shoreline were deserted. And it is still August.

The beach was the shore of the murky, dank, smelly Potomac. A brief stroll to the end of the fishing pier satisfied my curiosity. There was one family on the beach and one person was actually bobbing in the filth. A storm drain from the streets empties directly into the Potomac, only yards from this swimmer. I say, WHAT is wrong with this scenario?

The antique/junk store was closed, so we began looking for lunch. We stopped at a small dive named Fat Freda’s where the menu offered panini sandwiches of little merit. What sent us out the door was the fried bologna—the way your Mom used to make. Hardly!

Further out-of-town, another restaurant perched on the mighty Potomac. Wilkerson’s Seafood Restaurant, family owned since 1946 offered a nice view, clean tables, and a pleasant ambiance. The broiled crab cake and fried hush puppies were memorable, yet pricy.

I knew what I wanted for dessert, so we headed to Carl’s frozen custard over in Fredericksburg. Carl’s opened in 1947 and the machines were built in 1940. They gleamed from behind the glass, as the sullen dipper and cashier passed their day. The custard was smooth and eggy, and did not disappoint, although the unknown ingredients is shipped in from the mid-west.

The Fredericksburg City Cemetery, ca. 1844, rests behind high brick walls, providing a final resting place for over 3400 community members, including 300 Confederate soldiers who died during the 1862 battles of the Civil War. Some of the larger civilian monuments bear the names Ficklen, Toppitzer, Brulle, and Crookshanks.

During all my years residing in Virginia, this part of the state eluded me until this day. Other than for the frozen custard, I shall not return. Decades ago, this place was quite the holiday spot for DC residents, yet those days are gone and merely ghosts remain.