Dallas could have been a fried pie town. Simon Hubig, who put his name on the pies that define grab-and-go sweetness in New Orleans, opened his first bakery in Fort Worth during the First World War.
But Hubig's bakery failed, becoming one of the first great DFW fried pie ventures to go belly-up. Most recently, the Original Fried Pie Place in Richardson shut down.
Yet for inexplicable reasons, cupcake shops continue to thrive. In hopes of rectifying the imbalance, City of Ate presents here five reasons why fried pies are better than cupcakes:
1. Fried pies are salty.
A filled and frosted cupcake is just a mound of sweetness stuffed with sweetness, with extra sweetness on top. Surely that must bore even the fiercest sugar fiend. A fried pie has a slightly salty crust, creating a far more complex flavor.
2. Fried pies have texture.
While cupcakes are just plain soft all over, a great fried pie has a flaky, crispy crust. And the best pies have fillings that haven't been pureed into puddings.
3. Fried pies are seasonal.
Sure, it's possible to bake a peach cupcake. But the fried pie's a pocket for real hunks of peaches awash in their own syrup. That's what summer tastes like.
4. Fried pies are portable.
It's nearly impossible to stash a frilly frosted cupcake in your pocket or a glove compartment. Not so a fried pie, which - when wrapped in a napkin - can be stored most anywhere.
5. Fried pies aren't embarrassing.
Fried pies aren't pink or topped with sprinkles or served in wrappers with hearts on them. They're a simple food with a proud Texas history. They're lard, flour, salt, fruit -- and they're outrageously delicious.
