We were on our way from Porter to Inman Square, when a “Petsi Pies” sign on a small storefront caught my attention. “Jason, it’s a new pie bakery,” I said barely containing my excitement, and envisioning blueberry and apple pies. But Jason put a damper on my enthusiasm. “It’s probably yet another pizza place with a cute name,” he said. I was saddened by the realization that Boston, the cradle of American culture and history, did not have a single good bakery dedicated to pies. I have nothing against pizza, but finding a good pie bakery is so much harder than finding a good pizza shop in Boston. "Jason is probably right," I thought. What are the odds of a new pie bakery starting in town?

I forgot about Petsi Pies until I ran across a rave review of their scones on chowhound.com. I didn’t know any pizza place that made scones, so I was intrigued. The pumpkin-cranberry, pear-ginger, and fig-vanilla all sounded like tempting flavors for scones, and my fellow chowhounds could not stop raving about how moist and delicious they were. I followed the discussion thread about Petsi Pies for a few days, and found out that Petsi makes a "heavenly" spinach ricotta tart, and "unbelievable" cherry, pecan, apple chai, and sweet potato pies.

When chowhounds are in such unanimous agreement about a place, it’s worth a trip. The next day, Jason and I entered the sunny storefront of Petsi Pies. The spinach and sausage tart had my name written all over it. Jason got a slice of the roasted veggies and goat cheese tart. We found a seat at one of the 3 tables in a cozy little dining room, and waited for our tarts to be heated. When I took the first bite, I knew I had found perfect pie dough – buttery, flaky, and tender. The filling was mouthwatering. The tarts reminded me of my favorite bakery in Burgundy. Being able to get tarts like that in Somerville was simply surreal.

We couldn’t resist tasting the sweet pies. The soft, golden waves of the crust, and the colorful fruits and berries were mesmerizing. The cherry pie with a beautiful lattice crust looked the most tempting, so we both got a piece. The sour cherries were bursting with flavor at every bite. The filling was lightly thickened and juicy, not at all gooey like supermarket pies. In spite of all the cherry juices, the bottom crust stayed perfectly crisp. It was definitely the best cherry pie I’d ever had.

I am sure that Petsi will become a Boston culinary destination for pies and tarts, just like Clear Flour, Sel de la Terre, and Iggy’s are for bread and pastry. Ironically, most of us have been exposed to excellent croissants, focaccia, and baguettes, but almost no decent pies. I used to think an American pie was a French tart gone wrong – filling that tasted like glue and a crust that had no character. Petsi made me realize how much artistry went into making a good American pie, and how incredible it could taste.

Petsi Pies
Whole Pies: $10-16 Slice of Pie: $3
285 Beacon St. / Somerville / 617-661-7437