At A Time We All Need Comfort, Pie Bars Serve It By The Slice
In the past year, sales of pie — and the opening of pie bars — has taken off. One possible reason? Pie brings people together, bakers say, especially in times of tragedy and political discord.
When you push through the pumpkin-orange door into the cozy, diner-shaped Florence Pie Bar, you're likely to find a table of new moms with their babies or another of old friends: Groups delighting in neighborly conversation, old-fashioned community and a slice of comfort.
Follow the string of white lights along the glass countertop in the Northampton, Mass., eatery, and survey the sweet and savory pies du jour, from nectarine-blueberry to coconut cream to eggplant parmesan. Shoot the political breeze with the counter staff, especially if the friendly face of local politics — City Council President Bill Dwight — is wielding the pie spatula. Then say hello to the pie wizard behind the tiny kitchen's industrial-sized mixer, the
