Find Your Perfect Thanksgiving Pie, But Order Now!

Written by Jan Norris
Photography by Carri Lager and Alexis Dominguez

Pies for Thanksgiving are still one of the most popular items to offer to bring. If not eaten or needed, they can be frozen, and used for the weekend afterparties.

Rule No. 1: Order ahead now or within the next week (by mid Novemeber), or face the dread, “Sorry, we’re sold out,” line.

First, the feel-good pie order. Pie It Forward, the annual Meals on Wheels fundraiser.

Chefs around the county bake pies for this event. The $30 pie fee buys a week of meals for a homebound senior in our area. Choose apple, pumpkin, Key lime or pecan, or hazelnut pumpkin praline with roasted marshmallow topping.

Place your Pie It Forward order online, and pick it up the day before Thanksgiving. You can also buy gift pies, which are certificates sent to your recipient, redeemable online. There’s also a “virtual pie.” The donation to Meals on Wheels gets you a thank-you, but only a photo of a pie.

How it works: Go to mowpbpie. org, place your order and pay. Directions for pick-up are there, too.

(Pick up is at four locations: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Duffy’s Sports Grill in Delray Beach, and new this year, in Belle Glade.)

A number of gourmet grocers do pies. Carmine’s (2401 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561-775- 0105), Doris’ Italian Market (11239 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach; (561-517-8488) and Joseph’s Classic Market (4409 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; 561-799- 0322) make holiday pies, as well as other fall favorites.

TooJays (4050 U.S. Hwy. 1, Juno Beach; 561-627-5555) has myriad desserts (their Killer Cake is still one of the best sellers in their history), but do Thanksgiving pies, too. They make decent cheesecakes, too.

Matty’s Gelato (867 Donald Ross Road, Juno Beach; 561-557-3539) makes gelato pie – and their key lime gelato pie is just what you want in Florida for a twist. They have more traditional flavors. Again: Order in advance.

TerMarsch Groves (13900 U.S. Highway 1, Juno Beach; 561-626- 1177), the place to get your fresh juices and Florida citrus, also carries Upper Crust Pies of Lake Worth Beach. It’s one of the oldest pie shops in the state. Flavors go way beyond pumpkin, apple and pecan.

(A black-bottom rum cream pie isn’t something you find on every table.) Definitely order in advance.