Try Tampa Bay's Best Pies On Pi Day: Readers' Choice

FLORIDA ? For Vincent Vega, John Travolta's character in the film "Pulp Fiction," the ideal breakfast was blueberry pie and pancakes.

The character of Dean Winchester in the television series "Supernatural" couldn't get enough of pie, constantly reminding his brother, Sam, to bring back pie whenever he went out.

FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper in the TV show, "Twin Peaks" continually stuffed his face with cherry pie and vanilla ice cream.

And despite having no oven on the deserted island, Mary Ann of "Gilligan's Island" somehow managed to bake picture perfect coconut cream pies for her fellow passengers washed ashore on the U.S.S. Minnow.

International Pi Day on March 14 is intended to celebrate Pi (Greek letter ???), the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant ? the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter ? which is approximately 3.14159.

But pie lovers also use the day as an excuse for consuming America's favorite desserts.

See related story: Where FL Can Score Pi Day Food Steals & Deals 2022

Here are Patch readers' choices for the best pies in Tampa Bay.

It's not the kind of business you'd expect a former University of Kentucky linebacker to pursue, but Mike Martin grew up on his grandmother's and mother's pies, and never got tired of eating them.

He decided to try baking his own pies for family and friends using his family's three generations of award-winning pie recipes. They were so good, friends encouraged him to open his own shop, and Mike's Pies was born in South Tampa in 1992.

Before long, his pies were in demand by restaurants throughout the area, so Martin moved his shop to a state-of-the-art, 53,000-square-foot bakery at 10350 Windhorst Road, Suite 100, Tampa. Now he ships his pies to food distributors around the country.

Using no fillers, preservatives or artificial ingredients, Mike's Pies has laid claim to 15 national championships at the annual Great American Pie Festival.

You can purchase pies directly from Mike's Pies Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Favorites include buttermilk, chocolate mousse, key lime, deep dish key lime, Mississippi mud pie, Reese's peanut butter pie and Southern pecan.

He also offers seasonal selections including pumpkin and sweet potato, as well as cakes and cheesecakes.

Chocolate Pi is an artisan bakery founded by pastry chef Kim Yelvington, and it continues to be a family-run business now that Yelvington's daughter, Jade, has come on board.

Yelvington uses old family recipes to make desserts from scratch using the finest ingredients she can hunt down.

Selections include Southern pecan, chocolate pecan, brown sugar chocolate chip, salted caramel apple, brownie pie, pumpkin, chocolate marshmallow, coconut meringue, lemon meringue and banana cream pudding, to name a few.

Located at 5207 N. Florida Ave., Chocolate Pi is open from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday.

The Pie Factory lives up to its name, offering a wide selection of freshly baked pies.

Marvin Pugh opened the family business in 1990, selling traditional Key West key lime pie made from a recipe handed down in his family for generations.

While key lime pie remains the Pie Factory's signature dessert, the family bakery at 12777 Walsingham Road, Largo,has branched out to include an array of pies, cakes, cookies and other treats.

Especially popular are the sampler pie platters including Toucan's Sampler with key lime, peanut butter fudge swirl and Oreo bash pies; the Apple Berry Sampler with apple, cherry, peach and blueberry pies; and the All-American Apple Pie Sampler with apple, apple razberry, apple caramel nut and cinnamon apple pies.

Other pies include banana cream, peach, sweet potato, French silk, strawberry rhubarb, Boston cream, blackberry, strawberry, chocolate meringue, lemon meringue, Reese's Peanuttier peanut butter and coconut cream meringue, among others.

The Pie Factory also offers a selection of no sugar-added pies.

Call 727-593-1884 for pickup or delivery.

J.J. Gandy?s Pies has been a Palm Harbor favorite since opening in October 1982.

Founded by Gay and Andy Schmidt, the name comes from the first letters of their children's names, Jeff and Jodi, and a combination of Gay and Andy's names.

Originally located in Alderman Plaza from 1982 until 1987, J.J. Gandy's Pies outgrew its space and relocated to 3725 Alternate 19 (Palm Harbor Boulevard).

While key lime pie is their signature pie and bestseller, all their made-from-scratch pies have proven popular including Oreo key lime pie, oranges n' cream pie, key lime pie sprinkled with coconut, vanilla pudding pie with sweetened flaked coconut, chocolate fudge pie, Oreo cookie crust pie filled with peanut butter pie filling and decorated with fudge and whipped cream, pumpkin chiffon pie, mocha pie topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls, chocolate chip cheese pie loaded with mini chocolate chips and baked in a chocolate cookie crust, chocolate brownie cheese pie with chocolate fudge icing and chocolate curls, lemon cream pie, banana cream pie, Dutch apple pie with cinnamon streusel and toasted almonds, pecan pie, blueberry, red raspberry and cherry pies.

J.J. Gandy's Pies is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Desserts by Toffee to Go, 3251 W. Bay to Bay Blvd., Tampa, has been serving up pies, cakes, cookies and pastries for 17 years.

Lisa and Jim Schalk started the bakery and have since been joined by their two daughters.

Their baked-from-scratch pies run the gamut from apple and blueberry to peanut butter and cookies & cream.

Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 1 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 1 to 10 p.m.