Shari's Cafe & Pies is a chain of family dining restaurants based in the western United States and features its award-winning pies.



The Red Bluff, California, building has an odd hexagonal shape, and when you enter, you are greeted with a wide display of pies.



I started with a strawberry lemonade, which was perfectly sweet and tart.



For my entree, I kept it simple with a grilled cheese and tomato soup. This classic just hits the spot. Cheesy and creamy deliciousness.



What I was really looking forward to, though, was a slice of pie. Marionberry - which I had never had before - is one of their best sellers.



"The Oregon official state pie! In keeping with the expectation of this gloried berry, Shari’s Oregon Marionberry pie doesn’t disappoint. A marionberry is a cross between an olallieberry and a Chehalem blackberry and it’s grown exclusively in Oregon."



The berry pie has a nice balance of sweet and tart. It's not unlike a raspberry pie, but a little bit more unique.



Grade: A

1-800-Lucky is Miami's first Asian food hall, spanning 10,000 square feet in Wynwood and featuring a vibrant mix of pan-Asian cuisine from six restaurants, including Taiyaki, which has fish-shaped ice cream cones.



"What is Taiyaki? The most literal translation of taiyaki is fried fish! Tai (sea bream) is a type of fish often considered king among fish in Japan, and yaki can mean fried, baked, or grilled. In our case, we bake our taiyaki

Taiyaki and its origins can be traced back hundreds of years ago to the Edo Period (1600s to 1800s). Before taiyaki took its shape, taiyaki was first imagawayaki, a round-shaped cake similarly served warm and filled with azuki sweet red bean paste.

During this era, under the shogun rule founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, tai was some of the most highly prized seafood and was presented as a gift to the shogun himself. To this very day, tai is still incorporated into Japan's food culture and way of life. It is customary to hang a picture of tai at the entrance to a home or shrine, and tai-shaped pastries are often given as thank-you gifts to guests at wedding parties as a common gesture of celebration and luck.

In addition to good luck, the Japanese word tai is similar and closely associated with the Japanese word medetai, meaning auspicious, prosperous, or happy. Medetai fish is can be referred to as taiyaki.

During the springtime, red-tinted tai, also known as madai (true tai), can be found throughout Japanese waters. Similar to colors of sakura (cherry blossoms), their symbolic meanings are closely knit and hold special significance in Japanese culture and traditions."



I tried a vanilla ice cream with custard taiyaki cone, cotton candy sprinkles, unicorn ears & horn plus rainbow mochi.

This was like an even better ice cream cone because it had a variety of textures. And, it was unique.

Grade: A

Anthony's Desserts was a wonderful dessert shop in Abingdon, Virginia, that served up creative and whimsical sweets.



At the shop, there was a large case inside filled to the brim with pies, cakes, muffins, cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, pastries and more.



I picked up the following:

- strawberry tart - strawberry curd, mascspone mousse, strawberry compote

- lemon - lemon curd, blueberry compote, white cake, white chocolate mousse

- vanilla bean creme brulee

- turtle brownie



Everything was tasty, including the brownie and crème brûlée. But, there is something exciting about the strawberry dessert and lemon dessert. They feel so special and surreal - that adds to the intrigue and enjoyment.



Grade: A

"Sister Pie is a bright corner bakery in Detroit’s West Village on the east side of town. Each day, we serve pies, cookies, breakfast, and lunch. The menu at Sister Pie is nontraditional in flavor combinations, rustic in execution, and constantly changing to honor the local agriculture of Michigan. We strive to test the limits of our creativity while challenging and pleasing palates. We make our pie dough by hand daily and most often communally," reads the website.



The Salted Maple Pie is their signature flsvor and feautred in their Sister Pie Cookbook. It's the only year-round flavor, while others like hot cocoa marshmallow pie and champagne chess pie rotate out.



Made with Grade B maple syrup from Imlay City and topped with flaky Maldon sea salt, this pie is their take on the traditional Southern chess pie. It is simple, but super sweet and technically perfect.



Grade: A

Lulu's Chocolate Bar is a dessert restaurant that also serves specialty drinks.



Cakes, cheesecakes, pies, creme brulee, ice cream and brownies are just some of the options on the dessert side of the menu.



Beer, wine, martinis, cocktails, coffee, tea and soft drinks grace the drink side of the menu.



I settled on a slice of praline pecan pie, which has bourbon-infused praline pecan pie on a buttery shortbread crust. It's rich and buttery and crunchy - what more could I ask for?



Grade: A

Kenzie's Kakes & Coffee offers sweets of all sorts, in addition to coffee drinks and light lunch options. The large cakes are stunning for special events. But I just popped in to see what they had available in the case that day. Several things caught my eye, including the pumpkin roll, cake balls, and a strawberry pudding parfait delight. Everything was pretty tasty, but I was most excited about that parfait item. The presentation was less delicate than the other desserts, but I think that that's what drew me to it. It had a graham cracker crumble, a delicious mousse-like pudding, and then strawberry topping. It was delicious. So were the pumpkin roll and cake balls. I had to try the pepperoni roll, too, ya know, for science. It was a decent one, but more filling to absorb the air pocket would have killed it. I had been to their previous location, and I'm excited to see how they have grown. I can't wait to stop back and try even more items. Have you been? Grade: B

Sugar Life is a giant candy store for adults and kids alike. Two main features are the ice cream bar and self-serve candy station. There are giant containers of candy all over the store with everything from gummies and jawbreakers to chocolates and taffy. I picked up a plastic bag and made my way around the store to see what I wanted to fill it with. Pizza-shaped gummies. Chocolate covered caramels. Hawaiian punch fruity chews. I threw all types of flavors and textures all in the one bag. They also have giant versions of lollipops and gummy bears. Remember the astronaut food from when we were kids? And super sour Warheads to prove how tough you were? Both there. Plus a full-on jelly bean wall with all sorts of flavors - from Snapple mix to s'mores. Of course, there's a bit of risk with a billion hands likely reaching into the containers and touching every single candy. Grade: B

Dangerously Delicious Pies is "dedicated to making only the best handmade pies in the most rock 'n' roll environment."



"Dangerously Delicious Pies was founded over fifteen years ago by Rodney “The Pie Man” Henry. Many know Rodney as front man to Baltimore’s own “Glenmont Popes.” Rodney grew up spending summers with Grandma Henry in Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana where she schooled him in being a mean baker. While on the road with The Glenmont Popes, Rodney slung slices and hocked pies at his merchandise table, in shows parking lots and even traded pie for lodging so the band could tour, and thus, PIE AND ROCK AND ROLL was born."



They have sweet pies: chess pies, cream pies, pancake pies, specialty pies and fruit pies. Plus there are savory pies and quiche.



I had a slice of the Steak Mushroom Onion and Gruyere - tender steak, roasted mushrooms and onions, Gruyere cheese, and cream. Delicious, comforting flavors in the best pot pie I've ever had.



A toffee crunch pie is a caramel custard pie drizzled with caramel and topped with toffee crunch. Oh my goodness. This was so good. It was mega sweet, but a bit of contrast with the crust and the toffee made every bite exciting.



Grade: A