I just had a wonderful conversation with Pie Commissioner LeAnn Locher (aka: blogger LeLo in NoPo) about this year’s Pie-Off at Peninsula Park, to be held Sunday, Aug. 16th at 1 pm.
- Pie Off, 2008
The pie baking contest began last year on Twitter when LeLo started an impromptu pie challenge with fellow Portland bloggers Lizzy Caston and Radio Gretchen. Many tweets later, the Pie-Off had snowballed into a full blown grass-roots pie extravaganza, with 49 pies arriving on the big day at Washington Park.
With a new year and a new location, it’s looking like this year’s Pie-Off may be even bigger than the last. But here’s something I know: You can win this contest. With eight possible categories, a few days left to practice, some hungry friends, and all that creativity sloshing around in your noggin, I know you got this one. Bring the meringue!
But for those who love baking without the pressure of competition, Locher assures me that there is very little pressure at the Pie-Off, “What it all comes down to is that there is a really beautiful simplicity in pie,” she told me. “It kind of has that ability to connect us with our mothers and grandmothers.”
My grandmother is super competitive. I remember the 85 year old Swede trash talking me while she kicked my ass in a game of Bocce. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s not necessary to have a competitive bone in your body, or the best pie in the world, to enjoy the Pie-Off. “It runs the gamut,” Locher said. “Last year we had some pies that were burnt.”
I explained that seemed right up my alley, considering my pies always look deformed in some tragic way. “You should give it a good name and a good story!” Locher said, “But I can’t guarantee anyone will actually eat your pie.”
Not eat the Patrick Alan Coleman black bottom gut bomb? For shame.
It’s highly recommended that you register for the Pie-Off here, but you can also register your pie the day of the contest. Rules are available on the Pie-Off website. Good Luck!
It’s just a warm-up for Pietopia the following week, Thursday August 20 at the inner S.E. Portland Farmers’ Market, 20th Ave between Hawthorne and Belmont.
Is this some absurd event where only the “judges” get to taste the pies and the lowly public isn’t allowed to do anything but look on from afar? Or do we get to eat those pies?
Pie for everyone! More pie!
sgp, that would be downright cruel to invite people to a community pie event and not let them eat pie.
So it works like this: bring a pie to submit for the contest ($5 per pie submitted), or just bring a pie for eating (free!). The more pies people bring the more pies for eating. Judges judge the pies (usually eating only a few bites of each pie). Then, once the judging has commenced, everyone is welcome to eat pie. Pie for everyone!
Please do see the Portland Pie-Off website for full details: http://www.portlandpieoff.com
And actually, you don’t even need to bring a pie to attend. However, since the Pie-off is all about sharing, it’s probably good protocol (and manners) to bring a pie so that there is enough pie for everyone.
Hope to see you at the Pie-Off!
Lizzy Caston, Portland Pie-Off Commissioner
Fair warning…I will be coming to this. I’m going to bring my famous “AIDS is not funny pie” .
What?
This sounds suspiciously like a scary North Portland Potluck. Is the economy so bad that for free pie people will risk hepatitis and other scary ailments sure to be lurking in some of those pies? Ucky count me out.
WAIT did someone say Byron Beck is a judge?! I would totally THROW one of those pies!!!