As part of our comedy issue, and in a tribute to the classic comedic gag, we took a look at some of the GTA’s top coconut cream pies. Herewith, chef Grant van Gameren declares a winner in our city-wide pie competition.
WINNER
Scaramouche, 1 Benvenuto Place, $13 (slice)
This pie gets a rave review. It’s really rich and sweet without being too sweet, van Gameren says. “It’s got a lot of coconut, a lot of the pastry cream,” he adds. And the white chocolate clinches this as the winner.
Rich and luxurious
Harbour Sixty Steakhouse, 60 Harbour St., $13 (slice)
This pie has a good ratio of whipped cream to filling, van Gameren finds. He describes it as rich and luxurious. “I really like the flaky shell on this one,” he adds. “It actually makes a nice sound when you’re eating it.” This was a front-runner for van Gameren.
Points for presentation
Ginger’s Cupcakes & Desserts,10220 Yonge St., $25 (pie)
This pie is one of the best-looking of the bunch, van Gameren says. He is, however, disappointed that there seems to be more whipped cream than anything else, and that there isn’t more coconut.
An unconventional take
Madeleines, Cherry Pie and Ice Cream, 1087 Bathurst St., $16.95 (pie)
Before his first bite, van Gameren says this pie looks delicious. “This one is more of a coconut pie,” he says, pointing out that it lacks cream. It does, however, have a good, strong coconut flavour.
The shell sells
The Canadian Pie Co., 798 Queen St. E., $20 (pie)
Van Gameren appreciates the homemade pie shell of this selection. He tends to prefer a richer filling, but the browned pie shell is cooked to perfection.
Light and fluffy
Flaky Tart, 711 Mt. Pleasant Rd., $18 (pie)
Van Gameren says this light and fluffy selection has a pleasantly strong coconut flavour. The toasted coconut on top is a fine touch, he notes. “It’s nice because you get those stringy strands of coconut stuck in your teeth.” This pie is a close runner-up.
A coconut shave
Wanda's Pie in the Sky, 287 Augusta Ave., $21.95 (pie)
“The really large shavings of coconut are great, the pastry’s nice.…” he says. But the consistency of the filling is heavy for van Gameren’s taste.
Flavour to savour
Windfield’s Restaurant, 801 York Mills Rd., $5.25 (slice)
Van Gameren immediately comments on the flavour of this pie. “It’s nice because it’s not too sweet,” he says. “It’s got a nice, savoury pie shell.” He does, however, wish it had a little less of what he suspects is gelatin.
