What was the first fresh baked pie on Thanksgiving?  If you guessed pumpkin, you are probably right.  History.com traces the first pumpkin pie to a 1653 French cookbook, but it might have been not until the 18th century that pumpkin pie became a Thanksgiving tradition and that may have happened in New England.

In fact, pumpkin pies were so important to the Thanksgiving table in the year 1705, a Colchester Connecticut town postponed Thanksgiving for a week, because "there wasn’t enough molasses available to make pumpkin pie."

Would you actually consider postponing a Thanksgiving dinner over not having a pumpkin pie?  Although there were those at my Thanksgiving table that were pretty silent when one Thanksgiving did not have a pumpkin pie.  My Mom learned her lesson.  But life is busier than ever and sometimes you don't have time to bake.  It got me to thinking, who makes the best pumpkin pie around the Binghamton area?

I believe we established the importance of pumpkin pie, but let's face it, not everyone loves this orange gourd, and if you do, you may want to mix it up a bit and have more than one.  My family will usually do a variety of four.  Pie overload, but it's worth it.

So I asked listeners who had the best pie in the Hawk listening area.  I got back a number of restaurants, bakeries and stores that make great pies, sometimes as good or better than, "from scratch."

Madlyn Lopke Not exactly Southern Tier but in Lenox Pa, just below Hartford, Bingham's Diner= best pies ever- we even take our own berries occasionally to them to make pies.. but definitely the besttttt!!!

Bobbi Jo Soule Main Street Grill in Afton, Coconut cream with a nut crust, all her pies are fantastic ......
Kaileigh Elizabeth Dunlap Bonnie's in Greene!
Donna M Blake-Steven Broadway Diner, in Endwell
Jane Conrad Card  Katie's Kafe, Deposit, NY
Sharon Northrop The Spot in Binghamton has the best Lemon Meringue
Nancy Mirra Our Country Hearts in Endicott. They r all good!
Phils Chicken House...Chocolate Cream!

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