Pies The Limit: Savory and Sweet and Everything Nice

I am convinced that pies are magical—they can be sweet or savory; they can be entire meals or light as air. They possess a corner of the culinary industry that is all their own and nothing—and I mean nothing—comes close. It’s safe to assume that Dominique Wilson, owner and operator of Pies the Limit, shares that sentiment.

When asked, “Why pies? What makes them special?” Wilson says, “I love ‘em! Growing up, I was never really into cake, cupcakes and cookies. I mean, I love cookies, don’t get me wrong, but some can just be too damn sweet. Pies were always big in the South and, if there were desserts in my house growing up, it was usually more pie than [anything else].” He also says that pies are special because of the love that is put into them. “I make sure to treat every pie that I make like I want you to have an experience that you never had before.”

“These past two years have been challenging yet so much fun, and I couldn’t [have done] it without all of you,” Wilson says.

Cakes and cookies are a dime a dozen in Utah and, more often than not, indistinguishable from each other. Finding a “damn good pie,” as Wilson puts it, can be quite a challenge, which is why he does what he does. Self-taught but a baker at heart, Wilson has been rolling out crusts since his teenage years but more so with purpose since 2016. Thanks to his friends’ encouragement after the pandemic interfered with his career, he decided to make his passion for baking an official profession in 2020. After being labeled as a “Black-owned business” on Instagram, his work “took off like a rocket,” with his pies being featured on Good Things Utah and sold at Normal Ice Cream. 

I had the privilege of sampling two of the pies from Wilson’s June menu—the Blueberry Sour Cream ($28.00) and the Chicken Pot Pie ($33.00). As an avid pie addict, I was thrilled to receive my pies and feel the substantial weight of them in their boxes. The Blueberry Sour Cream was just the right amount of sweet with a crunchy pecan crumble on top that offset the smooth, lemon-and-sour-cream custard beneath. Dotted with blueberries, each burst in my mouth at their peak level of ripeness. The crust was sturdy enough to hold its shape and support the weight of the filling, but not to the detriment of the texture and taste. It’s no mystery why this is Wilson’s personal favorite and one of his best sellers.

Photo: @slc_bites

“I make sure to treat every pie that I make like I want you to have an experience that you never had before,” says Wilson.

Chicken Pot Pie is my go-to comfort food, and Wilson’s version is easily in my top three favorites ever tasted. The filling is fully cooked but does come as raw dough with instructions on how to cook it. 45 minutes after I put it in my oven, my apartment smelled heavenly and I could not wait to try it. The top crust browned perfectly and was dusted lightly with herbs. It’s little touches like this that make Pies the Limit stand above competitors. My absolute favorite thing about this pie was the consistency and thickness of the filling. When cut, it didn’t flood the pie tin but held its shape. There was no cavernous center where it collapsed mid-bake, either. From the bottom crust to the dome-shaped top, Wilson’s pie was filled to the brim with carrots, potatoes, peas, chunks of moist chicken and a well-seasoned, creamy sauce.

When asked what he would like to share with you, dear readers, it was that he wanted to express his gratitude and appreciation. “These past two years have been challenging yet so much fun, and I couldn’t [have done] it without all of you,” Wilson says. It’s through the support of this community that Wilson is able to provide the sweet and savory pies of our dreams. The menu changes monthly, giving him the opportunity to take advantage of seasonality and holiday themes. He reveals his choices at the beginning of each month on his Instagram @pies_the_limitut. Follow him for updates, announcements and pictures of his beautiful masterpieces.

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Sweet Vinyl Bakeshop’s Booze-Infused Desserts