How do you eat your pie

August 9, 2012 9:06 PM

I've noticed that if I order pie at a restaurant, most times, they serve it crust side facing me instead of pointy side facing me. Do most people eat their pie crust first?
posted by willnot to food & drink (18 answers total)

I'd guess it's the mechanics of cutting the pie and plating it.

Guesswork:
The server holds the plate in her left hand, and uses the cutter to remove the slice and plate it, point facing to the left hand. When she puts on the table using her left hand, the crust faces you.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:16 PM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Absolutely not, that would just be silly. The crust is the best part! You save it for last! You may meet some folks who disagree, and even some still who will say they do not like crust at all. Those people are either lying or have not had decent crust. (It's ok, it's not your fault--I grew up HATING pie crust, but when I got older I just realized that my mom makes lame pie crust. Please do not tell her I said that.)

I would guess the reason for your backwards pie servage is that the crust-loving waiter is so passionate about his pie crust eating that he gets distracted and places it at your table in the direction that would pose the most optimal pie eating for him.
posted by phunniemee at 9:19 PM on August 9, 2012 [4 favorites]

Only wrong people do this.
posted by HotToddy at 9:23 PM on August 9, 2012 [9 favorites]

It's rude to point?
Bad feng shui?

No, my guess is it's a function of the server's hand going to a side of the plate that gives your food the widest berth by putting the bulk of your pie on the outside of their reach.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 9:28 PM on August 9, 2012

Most people do not eat pie crust-first. I know this because i have never ever seen anyone do this any context ever, including in fictional portrayals of pie eating. I also know that the crust is what gives a slice of pie structural integrity, and if you ate crust-side first the entire thing would become messy mush on your plate (assuming a two-crust fruit pie).

You perceive that are always getting your pie crust first due to either a fluke or confirmation bias or some element of the process of cutting pie, plating it and serving it.

#beanplate.
posted by Kololo at 9:28 PM on August 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

I have never served pie like this. I think the server is at fault. I was also trained to serve bottled beer with the label facing the patron, and I know not many people pay attention to that. But pie? Served to be eaten, maybe with the fork next to it, tines pointed away from the diner, ready to go. Maybe whoever's delivering it just doesn't want to let go because they want some. Which is a compliment to the pie. Seems weird to me though.
posted by hypersloth at 9:29 PM on August 9, 2012 [2 favorites]

I've never seen anyone eat the crust first. You're supposed to start with the pointy end!
posted by SisterHavana at 10:00 PM on August 9, 2012

Grrr.. (waitress for 20 years) I had a co-worker in a pretty fancy place who used to do this. It's simple, thoughtless, epic fail. (Epic, I tell you.) She was my boss, so I couldn't correct her....but oooh, some co-worker of poor pie delivery person is pissed in your world too? I feel less alone, if it's any consolation. Just so we are all clear, Pointy bit faces eater. 4EVAR.
posted by metasav at 11:04 PM on August 9, 2012 [3 favorites]

I once read (years and years ago, in a kids' book of superstitions) that it is bad luck to eat the point of the pie first! So maybe that is why!
posted by liketitanic at 11:52 PM on August 9, 2012

Makes the piece look bigger?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:54 PM on August 9, 2012

This is not a thing. Your server just isn't paying that close of attention to how the pie looks to you when they set the plate down. That's all. I waitressed all through university at a place where pie was its "thing" and staff was often busy, harried, rushed, and just wanted to get your pie to you as fast as possible. It never even occurred to me that people would be bothered about their pie facing in any particular direction (though I used to place a fork on the plate in such a direction that it meant the plate would have to be placed with the pie slice point-facing-customer.)
posted by Polychrome at 1:47 AM on August 10, 2012

The server, like many of us, is self-obsessed and thus has the pie pointing to himself. It's the server's point of view, not yours, that is the point.
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:34 AM on August 10, 2012

Refer to superstition #469. Eating the point of a piece of pie before you eat the rest means you'll never get married.

Never stopped me though. I mean, why the heck would you start anywhere else? My husband agrees.
posted by aimedwander at 5:49 AM on August 10, 2012

I worked in my university's catering service all through college. We worked fancy college events featuring fancy people, like the college president and senators and whatnot. Pie is served with the point facing the diner, always. Our catering supervisor would watch, and if we did it wrong, she would replace the plate herself, offering her apologies to the person eating, and then berate the server back in the kitchen. Pie (and proper serving etiquette) was her thing.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:06 AM on August 10, 2012

I eat the crust first.
posted by snorkmaiden at 7:59 AM on August 10, 2012

In many restaurants, pies are sliced and plated in advance, and most people are naturally inclined to arrange a pie piece with the point facing themselves, so that's how they're often stored/carried. My best guess is it's this instinct combined with not really thinking about the customer's physical perspective.

I served many pie slices in my restaurant days and totally never thought about which way the point was facing. I'm pretty sure I never presented a customer with a crust-first piece, but I probably served a lot of people sideways.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:38 AM on August 10, 2012

I eat my pie thusly.
posted by Algebra at 8:39 AM on August 10, 2012

It looks bigger that way, with the thickest part of the slice facing you. Also, the logical next question is: do you eat pie with your fork or spoon?
posted by anya32 at 10:05 AM on August 10, 2012