A while back, some friends of mine suggested that we go on a pie run. It was going to be an adventure...with pie (which is always the best kind of fun). We made the trek out to West Vancouver and over to the much ballyhooed pie joint, Savary Island Pie Company. It seemed prudent to line my belly with something wholesome before embarking on a pie free-for-all. I ordered the daily soup special, a hearty chickpea-vegetable medley , served with a slice of their homemade salty Italian bread . Once that was eagerly gobbled up, my slice of pie arrived with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Out of the many pie choices available (including apple, pumpkin, rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb, blueberry lemon buttermilk...shall I go on?), I chose the raspberry-rhubarb . The crust was flaky and light and the filling was fresh, tart and not overly sweet. Pie perfection was achieved. This past weekend, I made the trek with my husband, a bona fide pie lover. Again, we needed to prime our stomachs, so my husband ordered the Savary Scramble – a plateful of ham, softly scrambled eggs, grainy toast and blueberry jam. He gave his breakfast a thumbs up with extra points for the homemade preserves. Me? I went double-decker on pie and chose the tourtière (pictured above) , a traditional Quebecois meat pie, to start. On my first trip to SIPC, I snagged a forkful from my friend and thought it was pretty fantastic – almost as good as the one my French Canadian mother would make. This time around, my slice was missing out on flavour. The traditional cinnamon and clove spices were too subtle and my slice was in dire need of salt. The tourtière misstep was quickly forgotten with a slice of lemon buttermilk (above) . Creamy and rich, it tasted like something served to you by a kindly Southern grandmother. I loved it. My husband, on the other hand, chose the strawberry-rhubarb, which was tooth-achingly sweet. Unfortunate, since I did bring him home a slice of strawberry-rhubarb on my first visit and he declared it perfection. This time around, we bought a loaf of their multi-grain bread to go. It’s dense, packed full of grains and delicious. As you can see from the photo, it’s also bigger than my head and well worth the $6.95 price tag! While there were some inconsistencies with Savary Island Pie Company, I'm eager to cross the bridge again for more pie and to try out more of their menu. You need to upgrade your Flash Player to 9 or greater Savary Island Pie...

I was very excited to check out Just like Mom’s Pastries’ whoopie pies , voted the best in New England by Yankee Magazine in 2008. Whoopie pies are made with two large cookies with a sweet creamy frosting filling. Woopie pies apparently got its name because when folks found the treat inside their lunch sacks, they would cry, “whoopie." Karen Car, the owner of Just like Mom’s Pastries , started the bakery out of her home in 1987. Due to growing demand, she opened a retail location in 2004. Following her mother’s recipes, Karen bakes a medley of whoopie pies fresh daily in 60 different flavours, including vanilla, peanut butter, pumpkin, orange , and the aptly named Sex in the Bowl. That one is filled with Kahlua, chocolate mousse , and Heath chocolate ba r pieces. When visiting, I had the opportunity to taste a vanilla-mousse whoopie pie fresh out of the oven. The large cake-like cookie, dense with chocolate flavor, melted in my mouth, and the vanilla-mousse filling was delightfully sweet. Karen, a graduate of the Johnson and Wales Culinary School, worked as a pastry chef at some of the region's finest establishments prior to opening Just Like Mom’s Pastries. Her homemade pies and cakes are served to locals at her shop, catered events, and some of the best restaurants in Manchester, New Hampshire. You need to upgrade your Flash Player to 9 or greater Just Like Mom's Pastries 353 Riverdale Rd. Weare, NH 03281 603-529-6667 Parmjit Parmar is a publicist and foodie-at-large. Related: Photos: Cassava Bread-Making 101, Belize Photos: Organic Veggies Flourish in Belizean Hotels