REVIEW: Honey Pies in Little Rock a sweet choice

Sometimes you just want pie.

Sure, there are pre-made boxed and frozen varieties in grocery stores, but the generically sweet, processed concoctions, while tasty and comprising all the key parts, can't quite compare to homemade.

Enter Honey Pies, which bakes up a variety of pies from scratch with that fresh, "made by mom" feeling.

Owner Sharon Woodson, who once had a more nomadic arrangement attending food truck gatherings, now has a more permanent setup in the Colonnade Shopping Center on Bowman Road in what used to be the smaller of Bruno's Little Italy's two dining rooms back in the day.

It looks very different now.

The storefront is small, but light and airy, with mostly white and very pale pastel tones. Much of Honey Pies' business seems to be carryout, but there are also a handful of metal tables and chairs, all with a trendy, slightly distressed paint job. There's also a smaller table for children.

The back wall is lined with built-in shelves, loaded with a variety of rustic-chic knickknacks.

The day's offerings -- whole pies and slices already packaged in clear plastic boxes -- are in three glass cases. If you want to eat it there, the slice will be put on a clear plastic plate.

When it comes to pie, the key is often in the crust. But there are different schools of crust fans. Some see crust as merely a vehicle for the custard or fruit deliciousness inside. It should be thin, but firm enough to accomplish its main role of keeping the innards from falling out. Others see crust as a player on par with the fillings, something to be savored and to act in tandem with the filling as an equal (or near-equal) partner.

The latter should be happy with Honey Pies because calling the crust thick would be an understatement.

It's solid and crumbly more than flaky and holds up very well underneath the fillings. It's with the edge crust that the thickness is really noticeable: a dense, crunchy coil of baked dough that crumbles into flakes and chunks when stabbed. Once most of the slice has been consumed, it's almost easier to just pick the remnant up and eat it like pizza crust, particularly if you're dining in and using one of their plastic forks.

If you buy a single pie slice ($4.50), you can expect an average slice size. They're not tiny, but not overly generous either.

On one midafternoon trip last month, there weren't many pre-cut slices left to choose from and the person before us snagged the last two slices of apple so we chose Chocolate Fudge Brownie Pie and Honey Pecan Pie to eat in.

The slice of Chocolate Fudge Brownie Pie was as rich and chocolate-y as its name suggested. The filling seemed to form its own slightly crunchy crust on top during the baking process but the main part of the filling was firm, but soft and full of chocolate flavor.

My dining companion's Honey Pecan Pie wasn't as sweet and rich as some pecan pies can be -- something I found to be a plus, though my dining companion wasn't quite as impressed. He also said the pecans on top were bigger than he usually likes them to be.

A carry-out trip a couple of weeks later offered more options and, this time, there was apple.

The apple pie was a single-crust version with a dusting of streusel over a gooey filling of apples that were just right: slightly firm so it didn't run all over but not crunchy. There was a cinnamon flavor, but it wasn't overwhelming. Neither was the sweetness. There was a nice balance of sweet and tart and the crust held up well.

Actually, that's a nice thing about all of the pies: They taste like what they're made of. There's no generic sweetness or overwhelming punch of sugar and spices. According to the website, Woodson bakes with natural sugars such as honey, resulting in flavors that are fresh and delicious. You can taste the apples in the apple pie. The chocolate tastes chocolatey. The pecan pie is nutty and sweet without being too syrupy.

Whole pies ($24) are available for order or for carryout. In addition to those above, they also offer Coconut Cream, Peanut Butter Cream and seasonal specialties. The store's Facebook page and Twitter feed usually announce the current flavor options.

It's not all pie. There's also the Chocolate Fudge Brownie ($3, sans crust but with chocolate ganache on top). It's a generous slab of exceptionally dense, fudgy brick chocolate topped with a slathering of dark chocolate ganache that should satisfy any chocoholic. Be aware that when you take it to go, the plastic wrap can stick to the ganache and make things a bit messy.

Honey Pies also carries a full array of Loblolly ice creams that can be enjoyed on their own ($3-$6) or paired with a slice for some very creative flavor combinations ($7).

For a caffeine fix, there are artisan coffees with "house-made syrups."

The menu is still a work in progress and there are new items being tried and added to the display cases: mini-pies, cookies ($1.50) and s'mores bars ($4). The pumpkin muffin ($3) was small and dense but not dry, with some nice pumpkin spice flavor. There are plans to expand the hours into the morning with breakfast options soon.

And with everything, it's a matter of timing. Pies, cookies and brownies are made from scratch and aren't brought out on a schedule. The best way to ensure you get the sweet of your choice is to call ahead.

Weekend on 09/22/2016