Best Coffee and Pie Places in Southern States | Entertainment/Life

Nothing seems to beat the winter blues like a hot cup of coffee and a sweet slice of pie, one to warm the insides and another to brighten the mood.

We’ve compiled a few of our favorite places that serve both, some of which are quite unique.

Arkansas: Home of the ‘Possum Pie’

There are so many places to pause for pie in Arkansas that food historian Kat Robinson dedicated an entire book and documentary to the Natural State’s pies: “Arkansas Pie: A Delicious Slice of The Natural State.” The state’s trademark dessert, one that visitors can find on just about any menu, takes its name from an unlikely place — and nobody can really explain why.

The possum pie doesn’t contain its namesake, or some nonanimal ingredients found in other states, but “rather a cream cheese layer (sometimes substitute with a sour cream or vanilla pudding instead), a chocolate custard layer and a whipped topping layer,” writes Robinson on her blog, “Tie Dye Travels.”

I’ve had a delicious slice of possum pie with a hot cup of coffee at Mather Lodge Restaurant, after hiking down into a canyon to witness the 95-foot Cedar Falls of Petit Jean State Park outside Little Rock. Robinson has favorites as well.

“Best place for possum pie in Arkansas is a toss-up — Stoby’s of Conway or Tusk and Trotter of Bentonville,” Robinson said. 

Texas: Coffee and a show

Years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting a variety of Houston coffee shops with my caffeine-loving friend Sharon Connors, who can sniff out a lavish latte with aplomb.

A favorite of Connors was Siphon Coffee, where the coffee is slowly siphoned from a boiling round pot into a glass container filled with coffee grounds, then dripped back into the glass bulb for consumption. The process — which takes several minutes — is as much fun to watch as enjoy.

Connors has since left Louisiana for Colorado but still dreams of Jane Wild’s scratch-made pastries, including her delectable pies, at Jane and the Lion Bakehouse.

“Her pies were to die for,” Connors said, adding that Wild serves up a mean cup of coffee as well.

Mississippi: Coastal coffee

Visitors to Coastal Mississippi can immerse themselves in caffeine from one end of the state to the Alabama border. There’s the Mockingbird Café in Bay St. Louis, located in a historic home that’s become such a community gathering space it’s been called the “Living Room of the Bay.”

Visitors to Pass Christian Books in Pass Christian can enjoy a cup from partner Cat Island Coffeehouse as they peruse titles or just relax on the porch overlooking the Gulf. In Long Beach, Bankhouse features on-site roasting inside a former bank building, and Bright Eye Brew Co. in Ocean Springs delivers big coffee flavors from a small coffee shop on Government Street.

As for pie, Fleur de Lis Gourmet Bakery in Gulfport serves up a variety of delectable desserts, including lemon blueberry, fruit tarts, Dutch apple and chocolate.

To combine the two, try Lounge Nocherie in the Scarlet Pearl Casino of D’Iberville, where pastries are baked fresh daily that guests can enjoy by a dual-sided fireplace.

“It’s an amazing bakery where you can purchase cakes, pies and other pastries to-go, but it’s also an amazing coffee shop with beautiful decor, so you can purchase small tart-sized pies that you can purchase with your coffee and enjoy in a beautiful space,” said Patricia Meagher, director of communications and engagement for Coastal Mississippi tourism.

Georgia: A pie in the hand

Sometimes a pie doesn’t need a fork. Fold over the pastry with the goodness inside and you have handheld fried pies that are the rage in the north Georgia mountains.

All kinds of fruit are grown above Atlanta — not just peaches — and several orchards serve up fried pies in addition to their mostly harvests of apples. Folks like Reese Orchards in Ellijay and Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge have a hard time keeping their crispy, fruit-filled pies on the shelf; they’re that good.

Closer to Atlanta, in the historic town of Roswell on the Chattahoochee River, Land of a Thousand Hills coffee shop works with local coffee farmers in Rwanda and reinvests in communities, so you’ll feel good about drinking their coffee.

They offer locations throughout the Atlanta area, but in Roswell, guests may enjoy craft lattes and chocolate croissants inside the quaint building that was once a home or on the lawn when the weather’s cooperating.

Florida: Just the place for a kumquat party 

Warm up with organic craft coffees at Amavida’s several locations in the Florida Panhandle, including Seaside, Rosemary Beach and in the St. Andrews neighborhood of Panama City, where the walls are full of board games, artwork and colorful murals. There’s even Amavida Donuts served from a vintage truck on the Central Square in Seaside.

For something truly Florida, not to mention unique, folks in Dade City create a decadent pie that’s native to this part of the world and celebrated every January. Kumquats are harvested this time in Pasco County, just outside of Tampa, and to honor this small but mighty citrus, the residents of Dade City throw a party.

The annual Kumquat Festival in Dade City — this year Sunday, March 8 — not only sells the fruit but serves up all kinds of dishes featuring kumquats, including pie. The popular Kumquat pie, the official pie of Pasco County, is akin to Key Lime, created with condensed milk and lemon juice. The following is a recipe by Rosemary Gude.

Aunt Rosemary’s Kumquat Pie

Courtesy of Florida Sports Coast tourism

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 8-ounce Cool Whip Whipped Topping

1/2 cup lemon juice

2/3 cup pureed kumquats

1 9-inch baked pie crust

1. For the kumquat puree preparation, wash fruit, cut in half and remove seeds. Place in blender or food chopper (a blender makes a finer puree). Do not cook.

2. Use puree in recipes as called for or freeze in zip-lock bags or other freezer containers. Frozen kumquat puree can be stored for six months or more. When you use frozen puree, defrost and drain the excess liquid before using.

3. Beat sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping.

4. Add lemon juice and beat until thickened.

5. Add pureed kumquats. Once combined, pour in pie shell and chill in refrigerator for several hours.