Central Montana’s Pie a la Road has taken me to local restaurants I didn’t know existed. My latest pie sampling though was at Brooks Market and Deli on Lewistown’s Main Street and I had been there several times…I just hadn’t tried the pie.
That was about to change.
Three of us met for lunch on one of those beautiful spring days you wish you could experience every day. We walked in to Brooks Market and the first thing I saw was a chalkboard sign that said We Have Pie! On the counter where you place your order there was a sign telling the kinds of pie available that day.
Signs about pie always get my attention and I was pleased to see one of our latest additions to Pie a la Road proudly touting their pie.
Although it was just 11:30 it was lunchtime on my schedule and I was hungry. For a few seconds I thought about ordering pie first but I decided a small salad followed by pie would be just right.
The atmosphere at Brooks Market is relaxing with a décor that I like. Individual tables are decorated, colors are appealing, and it’s cozy but doesn’t feel crowded. When you combine that with friendly staff, well, you have a good formula for success.
Our entrees were delivered and my chicken salad was yummy. I believe I ate it all and in just a few minutes the most delightful pieces of pie arrived. Between the three of us we tried two different kinds of pie. Mine – strawberry rhubarb, the other marionberry.
My lunch buddies were ready to dig in but I spoiled their fun by saying they had to wait until I had photos of each piece!
To top that off, we had ordered our pie “topped off” with vanilla ice cream, the pie had been warmed (oh, yum!) and my scoop of ice cream was starting to slide to the edge. That just made it look more tempting!
It wasn’t long before we were all savoring the flaky crust (look closely at the crust in the photo), the warm fruity fillings and the delicious ice cream.
Needless to say, there was no leftover pie from any of our orders.
I spoke with the owner and she said her pie crust recipe was from her mother. The rhubarb in my pie was from a nearby Hutterite colony. The Hutterites also pick berries in late summer and, when possible, Brooks Market will create a pie from them.
Making pie, especially the crust, is hard work and I appreciate a local restaurant keeping the tradition of homemade pie alive. Kudos to Brooks Market and Deli in Lewistown for doing this.
Brooks Market – welcome to Central Montana’s Pie a la Road. I’ll see you soon for another slice of something delightful from the pie menu.