Memphis-made rosette ribbons and bragging rights await the winning contestants in the inaugural Golden State Pie Contest this Saturday Oct. 10 at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House at 953 De Haro St.
Anyone from shaky-handed amateurs to homecook heroes and professional bakers are welcome to enter pies of the sweet or savory variety, so long as every element of the pie — crust, filling, and topping — are 100 percent homemade. Due to refrigeration limitations, no cream pies will be accepted, nor will whipped cream fly as a topping.
Event organizer Christine Mineart defines pie simply as “a pastry-encased filling.” So long as it’s presented in a 9-inch round pan, it’s eligible. (Mineart did not answer Gazetteer SF about whether or not quiche may be considered pie.) Not unlike other food contests in the city, such as the great Guac Off, Mineart welcomes subversive interpretations of the form.
On the docket are some tasty-sounding entries, including “Rhubarb-alicious Pie” and “Inverted Miso Apple Pie”; some containing classic ingredients like pumpkin while others seek to push the envelope with Japanese sweet potato.
All contestants must bring two pies of the same recipe, one for judging and one for the public tasting. Pies must arrive from 11:30 a.m. until no later than 12:30 p.m., after which time they will be prepared for the judges. A recipe must accompany each entry, including the pie name and its ingredients. Brief headnotes are also accepted.
Pies will be judged on four criteria: crust, flavor, filling, and appearance. The discerning panel is composed of five judges: Nasir Armar, chef-owner of Parachute Bakery; Frances Jo Bradley, head baker at Josey Baker Bread; Nyami Aghedo Cannon, assistant development manager at 18 Reasons; and District 10 supervisor candidates J.R. Eppler and Theo Ellington.
Judges will be given a matrix to help standardize the intake and judging of roughly 40 different pies; they will be responsible for maintaining their stamina, sugar tolerance, and focus during the rigorous tasting. With just an hour to reach their conclusions, the judges will maintain a pace of roughly 90 seconds per pie.
I asked whether Mineart felt that the politicos were qualified.
“Although you can bring an immense amount of pastry art to it, [pie] is something that people grow up with at holidays and there's often a humble offering of pie at home. I think it's great to have a mixed perspective and not to make it a fully technical judgment,” said Mineart. Which is to say, Eppler and Ellington might be going off nostalgia and vibes.
Tickets are currently sold out, but if you’re hoping for a way in the door, “people can still bring pies,” Mineart said.
Contestants can win either Best in Show, selected by the judges, or People’s Choice, selected by the attendees who will spend the afternoon sampling dozens of pies. There will also be first, second, and third place winners for both home and professional bakers.
Mineart, a lifelong baker who has had her own popup and baked for Big Sur Bakery, is less concerned with the outcome than being in the same room with so many of her fellow pie enthusiasts.
“I just love baking. I love how it lights people up,” she said. “It's so cool to be able to do it in a community way. Instead of going to the bakery to buy something, I think it's really fun to see people flex their creative muscle and bring these creations into being from their home kitchens.”
