Home is where the pie is

Dating back to my childhood, my mother made two pies—one cherry and one pumpkin—for every Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthday. It never seemed like enough for our family; we’d get weird about the disappearing slices, eyeing each other suspiciously and making accusations when fridge inspections turned up less pie than expected.

Suffice to say, I like pie.

And so I was naturally drawn to Sweet Cottage’s new downtown storefront, opened in February after six years of selling their pies exclusively at the Saturday morning and Thursday night farmers’ markets from their ornate “gypsy wagon,” as co-owner Robin Rowe calls it. And as with their wagon, hand-built by Robin’s husband, Alvin, the care taken in setting up their brick-and-mortar shop is evident.

Upon entering the new shop, the eye is drawn to the gleaming brass of an antique wood stove, restored by Robin’s father, which serves as the centerpiece of the interior design. Aside from the stove, Alvin built everything—the low couches adjacent to the front window look out on Broadway, the polished wood benches and tables, and the shelves for the shop’s selections of preserves lining one wall.

Sweet Cottage’s transformation of the space is similar to that of a handful of new or recently renovated shops in the downtown area, such as the B Street Oyster Co., the Naked Lounge, The Winchester Goose, Argus and now Sweet Cottage—each place has received a modern upgrade that integrates the historic character of an old building. It’s an approach reminiscent of many of the urban hipster spots in places like San Francisco or Portland, which personally brings to mind negative experiences at specialty sweet shops. (On more than one visit to Portland, I’ve been frustrated by joints trying too hard to put unexpected twists on simple things—like a doughnut tainted by a coating of Tang powder, for example.)

But upon getting two slices of Sweet Cottage pie to go and taking my first chomp of the pumpkin, I forgot about Portland altogether, as well as my immediate responsibilities. This was straightforward, no-nonsense pie—made with organic flour and organic unrefined sugar—with crust midway between flaky and doughy and a hint of nutmeg emerging as an aftertaste. I meant to savor, but was on to my second slice—strawberry rhubarb—which was also promptly obliterated, leaving only a bit of delicious strawberry goo at the bottom of the box.

I dined in for lunch on my second visit and considered the other options on the menu. They have a full selection of quiches, teas and specialty drinks. I went the savory route with a portabella mushroom quiche with spinach and artichoke hearts, washing it down with one of the house-made “exotic” drinks, Purple Haze Blueberry Lemonade. Both wholesome and tasty, the quiche convinced me that the Sweet Cottage is a viable healthy lunch option, while the blueberry lemonade was more in line with their other sugary treats.

I daringly topped it all off with (surprise!) pie, discovering my favorite variety yet: blueberry-peach. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates blueberries, peaches or beautiful things.

When I was finished, I asked Robin about this new Sweet Cottage endeavor. She said that Alvin and the couple’s son and daughter have assumed responsibility of the wagon during farmers’ markets, as Robin’s time is now occupied by baking and training employees at the new shop. She lamented no longer working the wagon, saying that, even with a full-time restaurant to manage, she and Alvin have no plans of retiring their iconic cart.

“All of those people who supported Sweet Cottage at the markets are why we were able to open the storefront,” she said. “So, there’s no way we’d be able to walk away from the farmers’ markets. We will always be there—it’s the heart and center of Sweet Cottage.”