Chicago Restaurant, Sweet of the Week: Blueberry Pie at Bang Bang Pie Shop

Real talk: I wait all year for blueberry pie. In terms of desserts, there is no seasonal sweet that can touch it. Gingerbread? Sit down. Cadbury Creme Eggs? Close but no cigar. Apple pie? Don't even. Blueberries are one of my favorite foods to begin with, so luscious and sweet and mildly tangy. Congeal a heaping mass of them inside a pie shell and that's my idea of Nirvana. The best version of blueberry pie I've ever had, and my cousin who periodically visits me from New York City will agree, is that from Bang Bang Pie Shop.

When I order blueberry pie, I want it to be thicker than deep-dish pizza and stuffed with enough blueberries to turn me into Violet Beauregarde. Bang Bang satisfies my needs and then some. It all starts with a buttery, chewy graham cracker crust, and let me take this opportunity to state that I am an unabashed fan of crumb crusts over rolled dough. Yeah I went there. The crust is stuffed till brimming with a sweet jammy blueberry filling, rich and sugary, refreshed with acidic undertones. When you order your pie, they will ask you if you want whipped cream on top and you will say yes. There aren't any bells or whistles to this pie; it's just damn good blueberries and lots of them, piled into a killer crust. And that's all I need to be happy in this world.

(This magical thing at Bang Bang Pie Shop)