Pie - It's Italian!

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The earliest mentions of pie and pie pastry were in the writings from ancient Greece. The plays of Aristophenes in the 5th century BC mentioned small pastries filled with fruit.

However, it was in a 1st century Roman cookbook where using pastry to encase meats was first mentioned. The earliest doughs in Rome were made with flour, oil and water. They were used to cover roasted meat and were intended to prevent the meat from drying out in the oven. The crust was usually discarded after baking. Eventually, the Romans created a richer pastry that encased small birds or eggs. The crust was now edible along with the filling. Pie - it’s Italian!

As the Roman Empire expanded, their vast road system led to pies gaining popularity throughout Europe. During medieval times, most pies contained meat or fish and were not considered a dessert item, primarily due to the high cost of sugar.

The first recorded fruit pie was a cherry pie served in England to Queen Elizabeth I in 1650. Around that time pumpkins were sliced and fried with herbs, then combined with sugar and eggs, creating the pumpkin pie. It traveled with the early colonists to America and became a national dish.

This year, Executive Pastry Chef Brianna Dennis and her Pastry Palace team have created three pies that will be available for pickup on Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving at all locations.

“Pie season is always a fun time for us! It gives us a chance to go outside our comfort zone and into comfort food. Brianna and her team go all out in creating familiar flavors but with better quality ingredients than I was accustomed to while growing up,” said Company Chef Shawn Cronin. 

“Every year they are hand making hundreds of pies and in all of that chaos Brianna is always looking to make it better and better. We used to make a Green Chile Apple Pie and although it was delicious, we still wanted to find new flavors as the years passed by.”

“So this year Brianna runs up to me and says ‘try this pie (Black Bottom Pie) and tell me what you think’. After one bite, I pre-ordered three for Thanksgiving. It has a rich cookie crust, a layer of French dark chocolate, the airy whipped cream and the little crunch of chocolate pearls. It's another reason that Brianna is one of the best in the state. She is never complacent and will never be happy with something short of perfection,” he said.

What makes them special?

“Adding ginger to whipped cream keeps the pumpkin pie even lighter and more refreshing. That’s just an addition we make to the classic - along with pumpkin seed brittle,” said Chef Brianna.

“I chose Black Bottom Pie because it’s different from the very popular chocolate cream pie or silk pie. Black bottom pie actually has 3 layers and while it has evolved over the years, it is still a complex classic.”

Call the restaurant closest to you and pre-order your pie, beginning November 1 (all $19). They must be picked up on Tuesday 11/21 or Wednesday 11/22.

Pumpkin Pie with Ginger-Whipped Cream and Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Old Forester Bourbon Pecan Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Black Bottom Pie - Cookie Crust, Chocolate Custard, Vanilla Rum Mousse, Vanilla Whipped Cream and Dark Chocolate Pearls

Add a pint of House Made Salted Caramel Gelato for only $7

November Pairing Dinner

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Ravioli - Calabrian Chile & Pesto Ricotta Filling - Mushrooms, Guanciale, Red Onions, Arugula, Alfredo Sauce, Focaccia Breadcrumbs $27

14 oz. Ribeye - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $43

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33

Blackberry Shrub Sackett Farms Pork Shank - Sautéed Broccolini, Colonatta Butter, Polenta $29

Weekend Cocktail

The Mike Wazowski - Vara Rum, Fresh Lime Juice, Cream, Avocado Mix, Pineapple Juice, Vanilla Simple Syrup, Gummie Eyeball


M’tucci’s Moderno

6 oz. Picaña - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Italian Salsa Verde $33

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $29

Frutti di Mare -Clams, Baby Scallops, Mussels, Shrimp, Tomatoes, Spicy Marinara, House Made Linguine $25

Weekend Cocktail

Apple Cider Mojito - Bacardi Rum, Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Fresh Lime Juice, Muddled Mint, Sparkling Cider Float

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Pan-Seared Chicken Breast - Lightly Smoked, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Sage Pesto Cream Sauce, House Made Linguine $19

Pan-Seared Swordfish - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Braised Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33

6 oz. Beef Tenderloin - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Creamy Horseradish Remoulade $33

Weekend Cocktail

ParaNorman - Pisco, Coconut Rum, Midori, Pineapple Juice, Fresh Lemon Juice, Glitter Simple Syrup

M’tucci’s Bar Roma

Braised Sackett Farms Pork Belly - Roasted Carrot Puree, Charred Kale & Potato Hash, Caramelized Onions $27

Pan-Seared Ruby Trout - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Capers, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $25

Weekend Cocktail

Peared Eagle - Eagle Rare Bourbon, St. Germain, Spiced Pear Liqueur, Amaro di Angostura, Fresh Lemon Juice, Peychaud Bitters, Soda Water

Live Music for November

M’tucci’s Bar Roma - 6:30pm Wednesday & 1:00 Sunday

Every Sunday: The Dee Brown Situation

11/1 Shane Wallin 

11/8 RJ Perez 

11/15 Martin York

11/22 Johnny Lloyd

11/29 Shane Wallin

M’tucci’s Moderno - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday

11/2 Nathan Fox

11/3 Grace Marks 

11/9 RJ Perez 

11/10 Eryn Bent

11/16 Matt Jones 

11/17 Lani Nash

11/24 Jacob Chavez 

11/30 Lani Nash

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday

11/2 no music

11/3 RJ Perez 

11/9 no music

11/10 Grace Marks

11/16 Eryn Bent

11/17 Shane Wallin

11/24 Matt Jones

11/30 RJ Perez

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!