Sampling eight slices of various pecan pies in quick succession might give the sugar-wary among us pause, but CRUjiente Tacos chef and co-owner Rich Hinojosa is pumped. “I love pecan pie,” says the San Antonio native, who grew up eating his home state’s official dessert way beyond the Thanksgiving table. “It was my dad’s favorite pie… It was a special-occasion [treat], what you would ask for anytime there was pie.” He admits to already having a favorite in town. “I want to see if I recognize it, if you even have it.”
When & Where: Wednesday, May 17, at the PHOENIX office. The tasting began at 3 p.m.
Tasting Rules: Eight versions of pecan pie from locally owned bakeries and restaurants around the Valley (plus a beloved outlier just outside its limits) were sampled in a blind tasting.
No. 1
Buttered Up Bakery
“The crust is OK… they did a good job underneath, where it’s not gooey,” Hinojosa says of the mini pie from this shop, formerly known as Squarz, with locations in Scottsdale, Mesa and Tempe. “It’s a little sugary, the pie as a whole.” butteredupbakery.com
No. 2
Miracle Mile
“The filling isn’t quite as sweet, which is nice,” he says of the slice from the CenPho delicatessen. “I mean, pecan pies are always really sweet, right? But this one has a little bit more of a pecan flavor.” He doesn’t dig the “really blonde” crust. miraclemiledeli.com
No. 3
Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole
Hinojosa is wowed by the personal pie from this Moon Valley shop. “This one’s beautiful… It smells good, and the crust looks much more developed,” he says. “The pecans are really well-toasted. The difference in a raw pecan and a toasted pecan – it’s like two different things.” mammatoledos.com
No. 4
Rock Springs Café
“This one’s much darker,” Hinojosa says of the pride of Black Canyon City. “It’s almost like it’s a little more caramelized, or like maybe they use darker brown sugar… It was a little bit richer.” rockspringscafe.com
No. 5
TEXAZ Grill
Hinojosa loves the “pronounced layer of caramel and toasted pecans at the top” of this Central Phoenix institution’s signature dessert. “It’s very caramelly. It’s very sweet, [but] it’s not out of balance.”
texazgrill.com
No. 6
PIEfection
“This one seems to have less pecans than all the other ones,” he says of the piece from this pie shop, which has locations in Scottsdale, Chandler and Mesa. It’s filling-heavy, and the crust is “a little bit dry.”
piefectionaz.com
No. 7
Pie Snob
“The filling is really tasty. It’s not super sweet,” Hinojosa praises the offering from this pie bakery, which has shops in Arcadia, Uptown Phoenix and Chandler. “That crust was a little bit tough, but it was very flavorful.” piesnob.com
No. 8
Little Miss BBQ
Hinojosa takes one bite and closes his eyes in rapture – and recognition. “This pie’s so f*****g good,” he says of the Phoenix barbecue legend’s smoked mini pie. “I remember the first time I tried this pie. I went back and got in line, and I got two more.” littlemissbbq.com
Quarterfinal Winners
Buttered Up Bakery
Despite Miracle Mile’s pecan punch, Hinojosa finds Buttered Up’s pie-let “a little more satisfying overall” thanks to a “more flavorful crust.”
Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole
“This was a tough draw,” Hinojosa says, before giving Mamma Toledo’s the edge. “The filling is a little bit lighter. It’s not real dense, so it eats really nicely.”
TEXAZ Grill
TEXAZ takes the W for its “darker, richer flavor” and preponderance of caramelized pecans. “I want to taste a lot of pecans in my pecan pie,” Hinojosa says.
Little Miss BBQ
His old favorite triumphs. “The crust is probably the best crust of the day.” He also loves the “extra dimension” of the smoke.
Semifinal Winners
Mamma Toledo’s The Pie Hole
It’s a swift victory for Mamma Toledo’s. “The crust is much more flavorful, and it has better texture.” Ditto Mamma’s pecan oomph. “This is a really good pie.”
Little Miss BBQ
“It’s a good pie,” Hinojosa says of TEXAZ’s slice. “But No. 8’s better.”
Final Champion
Little Miss BBQ
“These were definitely my two favorite pies… I want to try them side-by-side,” he says. “I don’t want to say this [No. 8] is the winner just because I know that I love it.” His assessment: “They both have a really nice, balanced filling without being overly sweet. They both have a really nice pecan texture. They both have really nice crusts.” Ultimately, LMB smokes the competition. “It’s more interesting, and it adds just an extra element of flavor.”
