Classic apple pie comes in mini and full size at Pie Sisters. Photographs by Jeff Martin.
Slideshow: An Early Look at Pie Sisters
“Charming” is the word frequently used to describe Georgetown, though impossible parking and crowded sidewalks can detract from the allure. If you feel disillusioned, stray from the busy heart of M Street to a stretch just across from Key Bridge, where Alli, Cat, and Erin Blakely have set up Pie Sisters, a sliver of a shop dedicated to the namesake confection.
The exposed-brick-and-wooden-floor design scheme seen at new restaurants all around town is on display here, but the feel is more rustic-meets-Georgetown chic than industrial, with splashes of pomegranate, high-top tables (the shop seats about ten total), and Mason jars filled with fresh roses and tulips, arranged by the Blakelys’ mother. The pies are just as picture perfect, and—thanks to flaky crusts made with vegetable shortening and a hit of sea salt—not overly sweet. “Cuppies,” cupcake-size pies, offer the most variety; you could grab a savory chicken pot pie for lunch and one of the seven sweet varieties for dessert. Those include coconut cream, apple, Key lime, or chocolate-pecan. Heartier slices and whole seven- or nine-inch pies are also available; place orders a few hours in advance to guarantee any whole pie of your choosing.
The sisters catered desserts for a year under the name O.B. Sweet before opening the storefront, and they’re still working out the brick-and-mortar kinks. You may find later hours and delivery service in the future, especially once the school year begins. Recipes—many of which come from friends, family, and years of reading Southern Living—are always developing and changing with the season. Steak-and-ale and barbecue pork pies are in the works, and when the weather warms, you’ll find blueberry, blackberry, and peach. Whichever you choose, all the pies can be heated to order, and served alongside a chilled glass of milk or topped with a scoop of ice cream.
The Pie Sisters. 3423 M St., NW; 202-338-7437; piesisters.com; Open Tuesday though Sunday 11 to 7.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
