Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe - Ashley Crawford

A pie is always nice, but a Pie Fridays pie is always better. If you haven't heard of it before, don't even bother Googling it because Pie Fridays, known to many in San Francisco for its delicious pies, sliced its last pie on March 31st leaving many sad and nostalgic.

In the week following its close, I had the disheartening experience of arriving to Pie Friday's familiar spot, on 19th and Linda Street, to only discover it closed. 

As for her decision to discontinue Pie Fridays, Sunde explains : 

Having worked in restaurants and bars since the age of 16, White knew how much goes into a restaurant; there is no such thing as "playing" restaurant, something that many first-timers learn too late.

Her body ached. The time commitment was too much. And after the initial effortlessness of the pie cart, the dream of a cafe became a reality that required a ton of work.

After some soul-searching, she shut down the Kickstarter, voiding all donations. She'll put her little red cart into retirement, thus closing another chapter in the ongoing story of start-up food businesses of San Francisco.

Knowing that fans of Pie Fridays will now have to go elsewhere to find a fix, I found my fix for Pie Fridays Super Duper Lemon Pie through this recipe from Crook's Corner published on NPR:

Recipe: Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie

Makes one pie

For the crust:
1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers
1/3 to 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice or a mix of the two
Fresh whipped cream and coarse sea salt for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust. You can use a food processor or your hands. Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into an 8 inch pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust colors a little.
While the crust is cooling (it doesn't need to be cold), beat the egg yolks into the milk, then beat in the citrus juice. It is important to completely combine these ingredients. Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie needs to be completely cold to be sliced. Serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.

- Ashley Crawford