A surprise awaits if you haven't made
it
up the shore in awhile. Betty's Pies' old,
dinky little restaurant still sits too close to the
highway, but a bit further back, set atop a
small hill, the new and improved Betty's Pies
resides amongst the trees. Along with the
new building is a huge parking lot. Gone are
the frustrating days of trying to get close
enough to sample even a bite of pie--ample
seating and parking are now available.
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Amy Burkette
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The Interior of Betty's
Pies
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Despite the cool weather the first week of
July, the restaurant's lot contained a quite a
lot of cars. As we strolled up to the doors, we read the "Please
seat yourself" sign and immediately started to cruise the
place looking for a good spot. Initially, I was surprised that they
did not have
a host to handle the crowds. We were there on a fairly busy night,
but I bet that on Friday and Saturday the
place gets downright unruly. The wait staff
must have to fight a lot of traffic to work
their tables as the natural inclination of hungry customers is
to hover for a table until they find one- particularly if there is
a
shortage. (... Continued from the History Page...) In fact, as
I was anxiously thinking these thoughts, a couple aced us out of
the
last table in the screened-in porch. However,
my companion pointed out that if someone
had seated us, we would have ended up sitting at a table for two
located between the kitchen and the bathroom instead of at the
counter by the kitchen. While sitting at a
counter can be a hindrance with more than two people, my friend
and I ended up enjoying our locale. As we scanned the menu to find
our
orders, we could check out the other dishes and see what looked
appetizing.
Our waitress swept in shortly after we
landed our spot. When I asked what she
would recommend, she instantly mentioned
hamburgers and fish and chips. Despite her
suggestions, as a Duluthian with already limited options (I can
get a burger almost anywhere), I opted for another typical, but not
as easy to find, northern Minnesota entree: the steak pasty.
The pasty ($6.75) combines
potatoes, onions, carrots (other root vegetables optional), steak
and seasonings inside a pie crust. They also serve chicken or veggie
pasties ($5.75). This entree includes a cup of soup and penny relish.
That day, the featured soup was bean and ham. My companion chose the
hot sandwich plate ($5.95) because the menu mentioned they make
their own meatloaf and serve it on top of their own rye bread with
baby red mashed potatoes and pan gravy.
My soup arrived instantly. It was perfectly seasoned, and I would
definitely order it again. Big chunks of tasty ham complemented
the white beans. I inquired and discovered that the soup was made
in-house. I grew more excited for my pasty.
We experienced a lag
after the arrival of my soup. We had been waiting for about 15
minutes when the couple sitting beside us,
who arrived after we did, received their
entrees. I became very suspicious. It was
about this time that our waitress arrived and
very apologetically told us that she forgot to
put our order in, and that it would be out
shortly. The menu at Betty's is relatively simple- ease of preparation
and turn-over time are serious considerations- so we didn't
raise a fuss. Our entrees arrived within minutes.
My pasty arrived
steaming hot with tender chunks of steak. The penny relish proved
to be a tasty carrot slaw. I know that the
pasty was probably microwaved, as the baking time on a pasty is usually
about 45 minutes, and if they didn't nuke it, it would not
fit well with their quick-to-prepare menu. I
just wish they could do it without making
the crust doughy. I could tell that when that
pasty first came out of the oven, it was awsome. Reheated, it still
tasted good, but lacked that light flakiness in the crust.
My companion's dinner also was very
good. The rye bread was not overpowering
and tasted wonderful with the meatloaf The
light and fluffy mashed potatoes topped with
the pan gravy had great flavor.
Of course we couldn't leave without
sampling the famous pies. While we ate, two pies
sold out, and the options were dwindling- an encouraging sign.
I chose the cherry berry pie ($2.75), while my companion
selected the blueberry peach crunch ($2.75),
saying that anything including the word "crunch" is usually pleasing. Our pies did not disappoint.
Both crusts were flaky and the fillings were sweet and juicy. The "crunch" was
oatmeal and brown sugar topping and it was indeed delicious. Also,
the pies had a nice consistency so the
filling stayed inside the crust instead of oozing out all over
the plate after the first forkful.
Betty's Pies is worth the trip up
the shore. Their new building combines the natural outdoor feeling
with hip, bright blues and grays. The northern Minnesota fare
is well
prepared, tasty and affordable, and the service quick and friendly.
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