Pie Face 1-25-2012

Location: 1691 Broadway

Time: 3pm

People: AP and myself

Feelings: To honor the eve of Australia Day (in fact, they are a day ahead in Australia anyway), we headed to a newly opened Australian meat pie chain, Pie Face. They serve both savory and sweet pies as well as sandwiches, pastries and delicious coffee. When it comes to Aussie pie shops, Tuck Shop and Dub Pies come to mind, but Pie Face is a nice addition only a block away from my work.

As we waited in line, the shop staff told us that espresso is huge in Sydney and that there are coffee shops everywhere. I recall how our Aussie friend, GB was quite particular about her coffee. As suspected, AP's regular coffee was full bodied, rich and delicious, and my decaf Americano was strong with a full of flavor. We'll no doubt be getting our morning coffee here from now on.

There are seven different savory pies ($5.95) to choose from, and they are also available in mini size ($2.95) if you are feeling guilty about consuming the buttery crust. For those who are more adventurous like AP, definitely upgrade your savory pie to a "Stack," ($7.95) which is topped with mash potatoes, gravy and peas. This Stack looks like a savory cupcake and is quite a reasonable meal. "I enjoyed the vegetarian option but found the meat pie flavorful and hearty," said AP.

Each pie has a different face, and the overall packaging is light-hearted and adorable. My "Tandoori Vegetable" was subtly spicy and scrumptious although the dough was not as crusty as I had expected. It is definitely more buttery and doughy compared to other Australian pies I have tried.

One small issue is that when you enter the store, there is a giant glass case. It is filled with cute pie faces, but it is so big that it creates this distance between the customers and the staff on the other side. With a loud traffic from Broadway, I may have to shamelessly shout, "One vegetable pie and coffee please! What? No, not a mini, a large pie!"