Happy pie

A good pie is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, but it can be hard to find outside your grandma’s kitchen. Most commercially made pies leave me vaguely depressed, which is why I am so glad that the Real Pie Company is now open in Alkali Flat. Kira O’Donnell’s sunny, cheery pie shop offers a stellar lineup of sweet and savory pies, made with all-butter crusts. The grouping changes according to the season—O’Donnell is working with local growers to get the freshest produce to fill her flaky crusts—but on opening day there were blood-orange tarts with chocolate crusts, apple galettes, fantastic vegetable quiche, and a deep purple mixed-berry pie that my daughter smeared delightedly all over her face. She seemed to get pie’s appeal, offering a jammy grin as she showed off some brand-new vocabulary to sum up the Real Pie Company experience: “Pie! Happy!” 1201 F Street, (916) 446-2885.