Dear Yelp, I'm sorry, but it's over between you and I. I have little use for reading and writing reviews anymore as I am no longer able to fairly give any other place an honest rating. My heart knows that nothing will ever be good as The Pie Maker.
Within the winding, narrow streets of Galway, Ireland, I found The Pie Maker. Tucked away down a tree lined cobblestone avenue, coming upon it was like finding a four leaf clover in a grassy meadow. Or a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Or seeing a lepricon riding a unicorn. Hmmmm... I just realized that all magical happy things are Irish themed. Add The Pie Maker to that mythic story-book list.
Walking in I was completely enchanted with its old world charm of antiques and oddities decorating the small shop's walls. We were warmly greeted by the employees and provided a menu of the pies offered. I was paralyzed trying to choose. Tears almost welded in my eyes as the realization came upon me that I couldn't possibly buy all the pies on the menu and eat them all in one sitting and thus would have to forgo the enjoyment of some. Alas, I choose the Spinach, Chard and Feta pie with mushy peas and mash potatoes with gravy.
What I received was heaven in a bowl. It didn't look like what I thought heaven would look like because there was no glitter, but it did look like I could cut down a forest with a dull hack saw after eating this. Or ride a bull. Or wrangle a pack of wild hyenas. This was a hearty (wo)man, vegetarian-friendly, bowl of love. ( if you are a vegetarian, you probably don't want to cut down a forest because that's not your thing. Maybe tree harvesting isn't your thing even if you eat meat. That's alright. My point is this place gives you allot of food).
I didn't talk while eating. I only looked suspiciously at Matt as he ate his bowl, trying to guard against him taking even a taste of mine. Isn't there some kind of phenomenon where when you really like something, you enjoy it too fast or too actually appreciate it? That happened here.
In light of this, I tried to eat my desert, the Bannoffee (banana and toffee) and the Apple pie more slowly to savor it. Yeah, ok, I had two deserts. So what. Both were large enough for two people so I wasn't entirely self-centered about ordering them for Matt and I. Even if I did eat most of them.
Also, the food here can cure cancer. Ok; that's a stretch, but, at least it won't give you cancer. The Pie Maker is committed to using locally-sourced, organic, GMO-free items in a microwave free kitchen. You know what the kitchen looks like here: it's like the kitchen Hansel and Gretel saw when they sneaked in the witches' house for candy and got cooked. Nothing about the Pie Maker is insidious like that, but they do have an earthen oven behind the tiny prep ledge to make your pie in. How charming is that?! A meat pie made in a foreign land in a stone oven?! ahhhh! I can't stand how cute this place is. It's so cute it's actually ugly! And then it's back to being cute again!
My one unanswered question during my visit is who exactly is 'The Pie Maker'? Is it the upbeat, hospitable employees I met on my visits? Is it an old Irish women whom as she lay dying, uttered the secret recipes to these beloved pies in her last breath? Or are we 'The Pie Maker'? Maybe it's when we share a table with friends in a meal of fellowship and compassion, we pass along what 'The Pie Maker' intended to share all along.
Today I make this proclamation: The Pie Maker is my very favorite restaurant. IN.THE. WHOLE. WIDE. WORLD. read more