"What's Not Awesome About Pie?" Asks A la Mode Pies' Chris Porter

Chris Porter has been the pie-guy for internet savvy Seattle for two years now, taking orders via his website and delivering direct to your doorstep. Now he's put down roots on Phinney Ridge and A la Mode Pies serves up espresso, ice cream, and slices alongside whole pies. The shop feels like a mix between a third-wave coffee shop, with sleek wood countertops, and an old-school soda fountain, with its metal and black stools.

As the holidays fast approach, Porter gets ready to deliver his many varieties around town to holiday dinners and Christmas parties, while entertaining weary shoppers in the brick-and-mortar store. We got him to sit down for a few minutes and talk to us about pie, opening a store, and the holiday season.

SW: Christmas tends to be pie season. What pie will be on your holiday table?
Porter: I have so much pie, I find myself craving cupcakes and cake. That said, we're coming out with a spiced apple pie, it's got three kinds of apples and cloves. There's something homey about apple pie that's spiced up appropriately and not too sweet. That's probably what I'll favor around the holidays.

You mentioned cupcakes. There's lots of 'Pie is the new cupcake' going around these days. Why do you think pies are getting their due these days?
There are a couple of things going on. Trying times call for comforting measures, and I think we all grew up going to grandma's house or eating mom-baked pies. There's something very comforting about sitting down and enjoying a pie. I think now especially, when you want to recall those days, there's a move toward pie. It's like a warm blanket. I also think that unlike cupcakes and cakes and such, pie is really all about the filling, so it really leans more towards flavor. It's all about the organic, locally grown fruit that's inside. The big chunks of apples, or fresh blueberries, those kinds of flavor combinations. I think people are realizing that pie is special, pie is different, and in many ways pie is better.

It's a very cool space, the new shop, with old-school chairs, and modern touches.
I built it in a theater kitchen kind of way. I've been in lots of different places where the food is tucked away, hidden, you can't really see it. We're all about artisan pie. Everything is hand made, and so a lot of care and technique goes into everything we do, so I really wanted to showcase that by allowing people to look back and see the pastry chef, wearing the pastry coat, putting their pie together, working it out, just celebrating pie.

All the little pie stands, have you collected those?
No, those are for sale. The idea is that you can walk in here and say you're going to a party; you can buy the pie stand, buy the pie server, upgrade your packaging to more of a crate, you can get a t-shirt. Everything that you need to highlight the pie.

So what made you choose Phinney Ridge as a location?
This was my customer, essentially. The beauty of being online and delivering is that I knew what neighborhoods I was servicing. And I love it up here. The space itself is across from a park; you can see the mountains on a clear day. It was the perfect size. It was Dolly's Dollhouse. It wasn't a new building; it had some heritage to it. It just seemed like it was begging to be a neighborhood and community spot, so that was what really sold me on it. Unlike a lot of people who go into spaces, do studies, and what not, I kind of took an approach like, all right, I'm going to live in this space, I'm going to spend a lot of time in, so what's a space I'm going to want to spend time in. It was important to me that I could see the mountains and feel like I'm part of a community. I wanted all these things because I knew I had to live it. I'm not one of those business people that are in and out; I'm here most days.

You mentioned being here since 3 am this morning. Does that happen often?
More and more, but I mean, it was Thanksgiving, Christmastime, and starting a new business isn't easy. I've pulled a few all nighters. And this morning we had a large order. I'm here most days 12-14 hours. When it's your passion, and what you love doing, you forget about the time; I have such an amazing sense of pride looking around this place that it's not a chore being here. It's fun. It's Pie! What's not awesome about that?

Hungry for pie? Order yours from A la Mode or stay tuned tomorrow when Porter offers up his recipe for French Apple Pie

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