Unfortunately pie is something I now have to avoid.

But back in the day, it was a tossup between Sapp Brothers truck stop in Columbus, NE or Belisle's (R.I.P.) on Harbor Bvd in Garden Grove, CA. Each raised cream pies and merangue (sp?) to art form levels!

I'll come! Coconut Cream Pie is my Favorite! I used to get it a Strawn's in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Like I said, I volunteer to confirm your pie is worthy of mention.

Updating the topic of pies due to popular demand :

Locally, there are lots of pies but few are gourmet; they are the local equivalent of a hot dog - warming and great in winter, but fairly rubbish as a food.

However on the restaurant and specialist bakery side, there are plenty of bakers who are trying to make gourmet versions.

If anyone was considering coming and havng a pie in Sydney or Melbourne, I'd recommend that you search for the award winning makers, as well as places which are famous for their history, more than for the product. Still worth trying, too. ^

Firstly, google the smh.com.au / theage.com.au twins' Good Living magaine insert for recent stories of winning pies.

In Sydney, try Harry's Cafe de Wheels, a 1940s pie stand, for its history & location at Woolloomoolloo, just east of the Botanical Gardens in Sydney.

Most pies are machine-made, manufactured products with the lowest-cost filling.

Google 'winner best meat pies bakery' or similar terms and you might get some names of bakeries with award winning pies:
www.greataussiepiecomp.com.au

For manufactured, generally-available ones, Mrs Macs are amongst the nicest ordinary pies and are from WA, IMO.

From a quick search:
Mick's Bakehouse overall winner at the Gourmet Pie Competition
Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition Celebrates 20th Anniversary
AU/NZ Meat Pie [wikipedia]
Beefys
John_Ross winner best meat pie
ACA NineMSN blog on pies

Best to ask this question about specifics in the AU/NZ travel destinations forum.

I still prefer to eat steak and Guinness pies in Ireland. ^

pieminister (worth it for the name alone) do some wonderful pies, often for quite cheap at their Borough Market stall at closing time.

Home-made, though? Has to be a Scottish style steak pie - thick gravy based on 'heavy' beer, bulked out with 'links' (sausages to most of the rest of the world), served with Ayrshire potatoes. Mmm.

Colonial Bakery in Kirribilli still do great pies. Pretty handy if you're walking over the bridge (as tourists are given to doing) come down the steps and you're pretty much there. The rock cakes are also pretty damn tasty!

If anyone is ever in Arizona this place cannot be missed. It's been there since 1925 (and features a full page ad from the mid-1970s by American featuring their town over the counter) and has the best pie I've ever had.

It's about 40 minutes to one hour north of Phoenix.

http://www.rockspringscafe.com/

The best pie is homemade, with home-made pastry. I have a roast chicken pie here ready for lunch.

Want a recipe?

Audrey

^ They are fab.

Depends on what sort of pie you are looking for...

(*all* good pie is based upon flaky but tender crust, filled with fresh and tasty ingredients)

Best Apple Pie: Julian Pie Shop, Santa Ysabel, California

Best Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie: Frank's Diner, Santa Maria, California

Best Olallieberry Pie: Duarte's Tavern, Pescadero, California

Best Wild Blueberry Pie: Hurd Family Fruitstand, North Turner, Maine

Best Lemon Meringue Pie: Was made by my late mother....and no, you can't have the recipe!

Best Meat Pie: Is a venison, sausage, and mushroom pie I did with the second deer I ever shot...

Complete agreement. I think of pie as a very humble thing that is best made at home - preferably by a grandmother with dimples in her cheeks and snow white hair, but I digress.

I can't say that I've ever had a commercial/bakery/restaurant pie that came even close to those that came out of my mother's oven. I have her rolling pin/cover/cloth - none of which have ever been near water - and I can come close, but she had the technique down flat and no one has been fully able to recreate her pies. Sigh.

Bartley's in Kennebunkport, ME for Mrs. B's Blueberry Pie. Apparently W would send Air Force One to fly it to Texas during his vacations. Although I was appalled at the way taxpayer money was spent, I came around to understanding why after having the pie.

Fantastic stuff.

I'd give an OMNI/PR answer to some of your post, but also a ^ to Kennebunkport as a dining and tourism destination.

Aside from the pie, I'd be sniffing around for chowdah!

In my defense, I was only relaying what I had been told by more than one local.

I've only seen one reference in this thread to the world-famous pork pie. Although originally only available in England it's fame has spread and can now be found all around Australia (Patchett's in Sydney). The only decision is how to eat it. Should it be eaten cold (often the only choice) or just out of the baker's (or butcher's) oven - you are very lucky if this is a choice for you. The choice of accompaniment is also important. Perhaps a pickled onion, chutney or even apple sauce. The following for this famous and wonderful pie is demonstrated by the existence of the Pork Pie Appreciation Society;
http://www.porkpieclub.com/

Eat one today!

For dessert pies, U.S. division, NYC: The Little Pie Company.

They're famed for their sour cream apple walnut pie, but all of their pies are superb. I hadn't been there for a couple of years and I'm happy to see that they haven't gotten fancy. Just their scrumptious basics. Alas, they don't ship the banana coconut cream pie (and this from a non-banana-lover)