Michou's Sweet Little Potato Pie

Eve M. Tai

One potato, two potato, sweet potato pie.

Sweet potato pie. The words alone charm us, much the way a nursery rhyme might have enchanted us as toddlers. Maybe your mom cooed rhymes to you even as she was spooning pureed sweet potato into your little gaping mouth. (Fortunately, the sweet potato has retained its wholesome personality even if those rhymes haven't.)

Outgrowing our flannel sleepers doesn't mean we're too old for this most beloved of root veggies. Now there's a personal-sized sweet potato pie waiting just for you at Michou Deli in Pike Place Market. Area desk jockeys flock to Michou at lunchtime and salivate over the copious array of sandwiches with fancy Italian names and bowls brimming with Technicolor salads.

But the sweet potato pie misses all the glitz. You'll find them displayed on a humble cafeteria tray with nary a fancy whipped topping, pudgy crust, or adorable little sign in sight.

Don't let the deli's razzle-dazzle distract you from the pie. This is one Plain Jane that's low on style but all substance. The texture has a homemade mouthfeel--it's on the coarse side, with small chunks of sweet potato that somehow missed the Cusinart blade. Just as the name implies, the sweetness comes less from sugar than from the potato itself. For those who don't like the squashy stink of pumpkin, this pie is for you. There's nothing overly rich or overly sweet here. It's not overly anything--in fact, it might benefit from a smattering of harvest spices--yet somehow still tastes indulgent.

Michou's sweet potato pie is sized for two, although you certainly can go solo on it too.
As my friend Anne says, "You can eat it as a meal because sweet potato is good for you." The price is unbeatable--only $3. Folks, that's less than your morning latte. And if you work in the Market, the news gets even better--you're eligible for a 10% discount.

This little pie is sweetness any way you look at it.

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