The Big Apple

Bakery: The Big Apple Pie Store
Address: 262 Orchard Rd, Cramahe ON
Website: http://www.thebigapple.ca/
Style: North American 
Price: $$

[Several individuals are seated in the room of a community centre as part of a group therapy meeting]

MIMI: Hi, my name is Mimi. 
EVERYONE: Hi, Mimi. 
MIMI: And I... (pauses) I... 
MEETING OVERSEER: Now, Mimi, there's nothing to be ashamed of. No one is here to judge you. This is a non-judgmental environment and we support you no matter what. 
MIMI: I... went to the Big Apple! (starts sobbing)
WOMAN WITH SUNGLASSES: (holds her hand up to her gaping mouth, stunned)
MAN IN BASEBALL CAP: (shakes head in disbelief) How could you!?! 

** 

There cannot exist a more gimmicky "bakery" than the Big Apple. And I thought this before it turned into a miniature amusement park complete with rides, mini-golf, petting zoo, and who knows what else. I also swear that the last time I drove past the Big Apple it didn't have a face. I've asked others: did the Big Apple have a face? In return I'm met with a rather confused expression and an uncertain 'no'. I'm convinced it's all part of the elaborate marketing strategy concocted by this pie factory/tourist trap. I was quite honestly embarrassed at the thought of driving into the Big Apple with no one in the car under the age of 10, but I was amazed that the parking lot was so full we had to park in the overflow zone, right in the mud puddle.

The Big Apple is the personification of kitsch; it's gaudy, it's tacky -- it's a living, breathing souvenir shop. It's an operation worthy of a big box corporation. Surprisingly, for such a commercial factory, the baked goods are not only baked in-store (you can even see the handful of ladies scurrying back and forth in the kitchen), but contain good ingredients with no need for the long list of chemicals and preservatives you encounter in major supermarkets. Who knew? Of course, if you want a large pie, expect to pay close to $20, but this is more or less the default price for good pies. Pies are available in different fruit flavours, toppings (crumble, pie shell), and sizes. In addition to this, you have every other baked good imaginable: muffins, doughnuts, cookies, churros, etc. Everything is labelled and priced.

Not wanting to invest in a pie this time around, I picked out instead the advertised special: 2 apple dumplings for $5. It's not the most photogenic of baked goods and looking at it, you'd assume it would be soggy, as they're sitting in a sort of caramel mix of sugar, cinnamon, and apple juices. I popped it into the oven to heat it up a bit and was pleasantly surprised: delicious pie dough, neither mushy or soggy, surrounding a perfectly baked apple. Apple dumplings usually fail because you cut into the apple and it's hard and uncooked. This was amazing! You just slid into this baby with a fork, add to that the tasty, still flaky dough and you've got an amazing dumpling.

Other baked goods... not so much. I also grabbed an apple caramel muffin ($1.69) since it looked different. That difference was only on top with a drizzle of caramel over crumble atop a spice cake muffin. Without the top, it was rather boring. And where were the apples? O.O For a giant apple, there was hardly any fruit and the dough wasn't moist enough to have apples in the dough; honestly, I can't say I'd necessarily be able to call it an "apple" caramel muffin at all. After all, the big apple is a hollow one (stairs to the lookout are more appealing).

Overall, the Big Apple makes some pretty good pie-related items, but it may not be worth sifting through every gimmick in the book to get to them. There are, in fact, plenty of other good bakeries who don't have (need for) a petting zoo. ;D

Rating: ***