PROJECT chicaGO: Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits
A tint of bourbon makes all the difference
The sun greeted the blue line train piercing through the tracks. The train steadily jogged away from the dark and draining underground to the outdoors. Suddenly everything looked promising out the window. Last Monday of February. Spring indeed is coming.
I got off from California station and excitedly walked over to Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits to meet with a good friend of mine who I haven’t had a chance to catch up in a while. Bang Bang Pie is where she suggested we meet. It’s been on my list of go-to places for a long time, but I couldn’t have picked a better day to visit for the first time.
Despite on a Monday morning, the shop was bustling. People had mugful of coffee in their hands, friends were having good conversations, and a mom and her cute darling girl were sharing a piece of pie. It seemed to me, everyone was enjoying being present at the moment, soaking in everything a bright new morning has to offer. From the handwritten menu on the chalkboard, the signature blue and white checkered papers served underneath fresh piece of pie, to friendly workers wearing snapbacks and plaid-shirt — the small shop is charmingly welcoming.
I ordered “Farmers (biscuits)” and my friend got “Ham (biscuits)” with an extra egg. She also ordered a piece of maple bourbon pecan pie to share for my month-belated birthday she insisted we should celebrate a little.
The food was scrumptious — and our conversation, even more. The biscuits were warm, greens and coffee were fresh. And the pecan pie. MMM. It was classic. Not too sweet, but just right. I didn’t know before my friend pointed out that it’s not just a regular pecan pie, but “maple BOURBON pecan pie.” After she told me there’s a tint of bourbon you can taste at the end of a bite, I could immediately tell and taste the bourbon in my mouth, mixing and harmonizing with the buttery pie crust, sweet pie filling, and rich chunks of pecan.
It’s the tint of bourbon that makes all the difference. And that morning, I took time to savor the “tint of bourbon”s in my everyday life that I haven’t had a chance to recognize in a while.
I’ve been giving the gray winter sky, piles of snow, deadlines, and busy work too much credit. They’ve only been excuses I told myself over the last couple of months to keep myself away from taking life slow as needed. When it was time for my friend to leave, I went to fill up more coffee on my mug and came back to the seat to finish the leftover pie and think about the “tint of bourbon”s I’ve been forgetting about this winter season.
I thought about books I’ve been reading, people I had a chance to interview/talk with, their stories, their passion, my work in storytelling, and other precious details of experiences with growing up. It didn’t take much time at all to remember and reminisce. They’ve always been there.
People kept coming in and out the door, getting in line to order pie and biscuits. I was thinking about staying in for a while to work on things but decided I should leave so others can sit down.
But, before I left, I stopped by to see the “Pie Garden,” the backyard of the shop that is open during summer time.
I could easily imagine how popular this place would get on warmer days. I can’t wait to be back wearing t-shirt and shorts with friends (some of us will complain that we forgot to bring our shades but that’s ok because we’ll soon not bother to worry) to enjoy eating some pie, sipping on iced coffee, laughing and having a good time.
Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits
2051 N California Ave
