WC_031518

winnetkacurrent.com dining out
the winnetka current | March 15, 2018 | 51
Quick Bites
Ringing in Pi Day the right way
Staff Report
March 14 is more than
the eve of the Ides of
March, the anniversary of
Julius Caesar’s untimely
demise. It’s 3/14 ... 3.14 ...
Pi Day.
Whether you think of Pi
as a mathematical constant
or the 1998 film by Darren
Aronofsky, it’s worthy of
celebration. I mean, who
really needs an excuse to
indulge in a slice of pie?
To celebrate, editors
from 22nd Century Media
made like Special Agent
Dale Cooper and got down
with some slices of pie.
We sampled pie from
our respective coverage areas
and reported back with
what we found.
S’more pie — Three
Tarts Bakery and Cafe,
Northfield
Tucked away on the east
end of town, Three Tarts
Bakery and Cafe offers locals
a place to enjoy coffee
and a homemade pastry
and socialize in an momand-pop-style
establishment.
From breakfast danishes
and soup-and-panini lunch
pairings to the dozens of
cookies and cupcakes offered,
for the last two
decades, Three Tarts has
proven a fan favorite for
its homemade favorites
and personal customer service.
“It’s a scratch bakery,
and we just celebrated 20
years, so we’re dependable,
we make it right [and]
we make everything in the
traditional methods,” said
co-owner Kate Rooney.
Among Three Tarts’
many pastries are its pies,
offered in fruit, nut, cream
and custard varieties.
One favorite is the
S’more pie ($23.95) at Three Tarts Bakery and Cafe in Northfield features chocolate
filling atop a graham cracker crust and finished with a top coat of pristinely glazed
fresh marshmallows. JACQUELINE GLOSNIAK/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
s’more pie ($23.95), featuring
a firm chocolate filling
atop a graham cracker crust
and finished with a top coat
of pristinely glazed fresh
marshmallows.
Three Tarts can also
use a regular pie crust or
a chocolate cookie crust.
Additionally, Rooney said
the crusts are made completely
fresh in-house, using
butter and shortening.
Other pie flavors offered
include Key lime, apple
oat crumble and triple
berry.
Rooney suggests people
contact them at least 24
hours in advance if they’d
like a specific pie to take
home.
Three Tarts Bakery and
Cafe, 301 S. Happ Road,
is open 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday and 7
a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The
bakery is closed Sunday.
For information, visit
threetartsbakery.com.
Story by Jacqueline Glosniak,
Editor
Key lime pie — Valley
Lodge Tavern, Wilmette
“An American tradition.”
Those three words are
how Wilmette’s Valley
Lodge Tavern simply describes
its Key lime pie in
the restaurant’s menu.
“It’s a very popular item
and people love to order
it after a good meal,” said
Cris Pazmino, general
manager of Valley Lodge.
“It’s an overall good slice
of pie.”
Though Key lime pie is
ordered more frequently
during the warmer months,
Pazmino said the popularity
of the dish justifies its
placement on the menu
year-round, not just in
Wilmette, but also at Valley
Lodge’s Glenview location.
The Key lime pie is
topped with meringue,
which juxtaposes the tart
center, by adding sweet
flavor. A lime wedge is
placed on top. Most bites
will also include the taste
of macadamia nuts, which
are mixed into the meringue.
While lime gets most
of the headlines when
it comes to this particular
dessert, and rightly
so, don’t sell the graham
cracker crust of Key lime
pie short. For a finishing
touch, Valley Lodge decorates
the pie with a raspberry
sauce.
Though not a pie, another
popular item in the same
vein as Key lime pie on
the dessert menu is warm
apple crisp ($7.99). Baked
with a light crust, the crisp
is topped with vanilla ice
cream and sprinkled with
cinnamon.
Valley Lodge Tavern
is located at 1141 Central
Ave. and is open 11
a.m.–11 p.m. Monday-
Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight
Friday-Saturday and
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. It
will be rolling out a special
menu, including green
beer and corned beef cabbage,
for St. Patrick’s Day
The Key lime pie ($6.99) is one of the most popular
items on the menu at Valley Lodge Tavern, 1141 Central
Ave., Wilmette. ERIC DEGRECHIE/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
Marcello’s very berry dessert pizza ($6.95) is a sweet,
fresh tasting pie that has been on the menu for more
than 20 years. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Saturday, March 17. A live
bagpiper will perform.
For more information,
call (847) 920-5675 or visit
valleylodgetavern.com.
Story by Eric DeGrechie,
Managing Editor
Hot toffee-apple and very
berry dessert pizza —
Marcello’s, Northbrook
Few things can put the
finishing touch on a meal
quite like the satisfying
taste of dessert.
Although the options
are vast, pie — a long-disputed
king of the dessert
world — remains atop the
list for most diners. And
with countless years of
experience under its belt,
few restaurants serve up
pie quite like Northbrook’s
Marcello’s.
The Northbrook staple
boasts classic, fan-favorite
dishes throughout its
menu, but when it comes
to dessert, Marcello’s hot
toffee-apple and very berry
dessert pizza are both
blue ribbon worthy.
“Between both, I think
the apple one might be
slightly more popular,
but guests love our berry
one because of its great
colors,” said Larry Goodman,
general manager at
Marcello’s. “It comes out
of the oven hot and people
just crave it.”
According to Goodman,
both dishes have been on
the menu for more than 20
years and are popular selections
regardless of the
occasion.
“Whether it’s for a party,
or dining in at the restaurant,
people love ordering
them,” Goodman said.
“They’re unique and really
something different.”
After trying both, it’s
clear why both these dishes
are beloved by guests.
Please see dining out, 52