Sweet of the Week: Blueberry Pie at TWO

Blueberry Pie: I believe I've gushed in the past about my summertime adoration for blueberry pie. Few things personify saccharine seasonal addiction quite like this fruit-filled dessert, in pretty much any way, shape, or form. I'll take it. Although I usually prefer creamy, chocolate-y, indulgent desserts over fruit-based ones, blueberry pie is one of my only exceptions. When the berries erupt with sugary juices in my mouth, interspersed with crunchy shards of pie dough and a gooey patina of whipped cream or ice cream, all is right in the world. Even when utterly deconstructed, as with the blueberry "pie" at TWO, the flavors sing harmoniously together and make for a true dessert stunner. 

(Blueberry "pie" at TWO)

Blueberry Pie: TWO has a way with seasonal, locally derived ingredients, showcasing the kitchen's innate ability to highlight an ever-changing array of fresh fare in exciting new ways. Not content to merely cook up local blueberries in a basic, expected format, the restaurant turns the template on its head. Instead, the "pie" contains all the familiar flavors and textures, albeit re-jiggered and arranged anew so as to present something novel. Along the base of the plate is a smattering of white chocolate ganache, which does a nice job of sopping up the natural fruit juices of the mounded berries nestled on top. The whole thing gets a massive dollop of housemade blueberry ice cream and a generous dusting of pie crust crumbles. For ardent blueberry-lovers such as myself, this is the end all-be all of summer desserts in Chicago. 

- Matt Kirouac