What Works: Best pie in Greater Cleveland?

FAIRVIEW PARK -- Shoppers coming out of Gray House Pies in a non-descript strip shopping center on Lorain Road are likely to tell strangers on the street, "You've got to try the pies here -- best there is."

Owner Joe Schlott, who worked most of his life in the mortgage business,  always enjoyed cooking, specifically baking, specifically baking the best pies he'd ever enjoyed.

Friends told him he should sell them, so more than five years ago, he began by offering a half-dozen pies for sale on a Sunday afternoon from the porch of the "gray house" where he and his wife live. 

Those first pies disappeared almost instantly. Then, Sunday-after-Sunday Joe would have to double and re-double the pie output of his kitchen oven.

The first "difference" in Gray House pies is the ingredients --they're like your mom used to use that is, if your mom used only the finest ingredients, sweet butter, rich real cream and no transfats, no hydrogenated oils and no preservatives. 

"These pies taste homemade," one customer said, "like I made it myself."

From those hand-selected ingredients, Joe and his staff of eleven bake a variety of pies you won't find in your supermarket bakery section.

"Chocolate mountain mud pie is a cookie crumb crust, chocolate cake, fudge brownies and chocolate ganoche," Joe says, "and it's all piled high with brownies and the biggest and freshest strawberries or raspberries we can find."

Their caramel apple pie is made with fresh apples from nearby Lorain County.

"Ohio apples, always," Joe says. "They are much superior to Washington state apples."

Coconut cream pie is a standout. The cream filling is handmade, and the coconut is organic, with no phosporous added, and it is roasted right in the bakery. 

Some other favorites are Four Berry Pie made from blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and the Sunshine pie.

"People love that pie," Joe said.  "It's cherries and peaches together."

Smores Pie is a work-in-progress at Gray House Pies. You see, they're developing their own marshmallows to use in the pie and have not hit on the "perfect marshmallow" blend yet.

Gray House Pies is located at 22560 Lorain Road in Fairview Park. Call (440) 777-4743.