Sunday
Mar152009
Twin Peaks: Cake Walk With Me: Cherry Pie and More in North Bend, WA
Sunday, March 15, 2009 
When it comes to pie's place in pop culture, one reference seems to stand out above any other: Agent Dale Cooper's love of good cherry pie and a "damn fine cup of coffee" in the strange little hamlet called Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks, of course, is a fictional town. But many of the show's exterior locations--including the diner in which said pie and coffee were consumed--were filmed in the very real towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend, about a half-hour outside of Seattle. And so it seemed appropriate for a posse of Cake Gumshoes to venture out and sample some of the immortal pie on March 14 (aka "the other pie day").
Twede's Cafe is very aware of its status as cult destination: the tee shirts and exterior proudly proclaim it as the home of the "Twin Peaks Pie". As a dining destination it's not especially memorable (though their Tweetie-bird heavy decor might give you David Lynch-esque nightmares) but their typical diner fare (burgers, sandwiches, fries) is satisfyingly salty and greasy. Of course, anything savory you might order is really just foreplay.
The main event really occurs when they bring out the pie.
The double crusted cherry pie is served warm in a dish, topped with whipped cream (or, if you'd like, a la mode). We ordered ours with coffee (naturally).
The pie itself is...fine. It's not a bad pie, but it's not really an above average pie either. The filling is syrup-sweet, the crust a little too chewy. But somehow, this is not the point. After all, while Agent Dale Cooper rhapsodized about the pie and coffee, it somehow seems clear that the quality is also beside the point: it's more about the ritual, the act of giving oneself a treat--a moment of sweet respite, if you will. And on that point, the pie delivered. After all, taking an adventure with friends and seeking out this sweet treasure on a rainy Saturday--the real reward was the journey itself.
Of course, if all of this rambling about the journey strikes you as a little bit new agey-- we hear you. So if you're seeking a damn good pastry, why not head two doors down, to George's Bakery & Deli. Though we hear mixed reviews about their deli fare, the bakery is a gem: we picked up a most delicious frosted cookie, spied some mazurkas, and discovered a cake we'd never seen--the Fyrstekake. And yes--they even had cherry pie.
Also mentioned: George's Bakery & Deli, 127 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, WA, (425) 888-0632; online at UrbanSpoon.
Reader Comments (21)
I loved Twin Peaks almost more than I love cherry pie. Which is a LOT!
that crust! oh that crust!
great pies :)
Agent Cooper is my favorite gumshoe! Not to mention the coffee/pie combo.
mmmm.
i want to make pie.
I meant to go out to Twede's so many times, but when I lived in Seattle I just figured I'd get around to it some other time. Now that I'm gone, especially after looking at your pictures, I wish I'd made the drive!
I like the look of that icing covered pie, oh wait, its a frosted cookie...oops! But how cool would it be to have a icing covered pie!?! mmmm
WOW those pies look awesome!! I just wish we could buy pie like these in the U.K.
I looooooooved that show!! Even had the soundtrack. There was probably a subconscious association with food too that I wasn't even aware of. I really wish I had some pie about now...
That frosted cookie looks soooo yummy! I was about to go to bed and NOW I need to find something sweet first :)
That cherry pie looks good!
What Noisy Penguin said -- but from the Portland direction. I always meant to go when I lived in Oregon. Wish I would have. Now I'll have to add it to a list of things I want to do when I visit the NW again. Nice post!
holy CRAP. in art school (heh heh) one of my good friends did her grad project on twin peaks "fan" art/obsession. i went down to north bend with her 3 times to do research, eat pie, take photos, film... !!! she is now in grad school in portland, and she is now filming and producing a new "twin peaks" episode, written by twin peaks fans!! what twin peaks fans foresaw happening for the next episode... my husband and i are doing the music!!!
www.twintwinpeaks.com
you're the best!!! xo
I loved Twin Peaks so much, I visited Snoqualmie from the East Coast a few years back. Thank you so much for featuring this on your blog!!!!! It made my day.
p.s. Tweede's makes a really good grilled cheese.
Also, it used to be called the double T, but there was a fire when someone robbed it one night, hence all the semi-charred twin peaks memorbilia in the back and why it's now filled with Tweety Birds. The interior used to look just like the one on the show :(
I was similarly disappointed by the pie, but it would have been an atrocity to drive out there and NOT have the pie. The boy tried to drink the coffee black and had to resort to cream and sugar. :)
i love their hot chocolate and since i hardly ever eat pie this one still seems damn good to me! i always go after a hike so i can even things out a bit.
i just wore my cherry-red twin peaks shirt last weekend... it proclaims "this must be where pies go when they die" with a big ol' slab of pie beneath it!
"Cake walk with me." That is just genius. Clever girl. Frankly, the pie looked good, but the cookie? You had me at frosted.
Oh my gosh that is amazing! Love the post. Yum. Going there is one of my main goals. What a beautiful blog. I actually co-run an all Twin Peaks Etsy store. :)
http://thegreatnorthern.etsy.com
So fun to read your blog about pie in our town! Thanks! :)
http://theoldhen.wordpress.com/