Bang Bang

For weeks, all I kept hearing from Sista Min was how we had to go try out Bang Bang Pie Shop. Finally, we made our pilgrimage to the beloved pie shop.

located at: 2051 N. California Ave, Logan Square, Chicago, Illinois

Bang Bang Pie Shop focuses on old-fashioned pies and biscuits. The number of options is limited but that allows the quality to really shine. Pies are sold by the slice or whole and they offer seasonal flavors. Biscuits are plain but with an option of gravy on the weekends.

Sista Min, her hubby and I split a piece of s'mores pie (which even had a freshly toasted marshmallow topping) and one biscuit out on their back patio, complete with picnic tables (and pigeons).

The biscuit was super buttery and fluffy and tasty and there were options of free toppers: salted butter, cheddar rosemary butter, toasted honey lavender butter, blackberry jam and bourbon cherry peach jam.

The pie was sweet but tasty. However, Sista Min and I differed on our opinion of it. She thought it wasn't too sweet and I thought it was. Last year we also had conflicting opinions on our doughnut from the Doughnut Vault. I didn't think it was sweet and she did. We're a strange pair.

Later we picked up some cupcakes for later at Sensational Bites, a bakery right in her neighborhood of Lakeview. I purchased a Boston Cream Pie for myself and bought an Oreo cupcake for Sista and her Hubby. Each cupcake is $3.25.

located at: 3751 N. Southport Ave, Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois

I was super excited about my Boston Cream Pie cupcake. Ever since Twin Sista made a real Boston Cream Pie last year, I've been craving the pairing of custard and chocolate, especially if it could be in cupcake form.

The cupcake had a rich, delicious milk chocolate ganache on top of a not-too-sweet vanilla pastry cream inside a subtle yellow cake. The cake was not perfectly moist but the custard and chocolate topping made up for it, tenfold. So. Completely. Delicious. It was the perfect marriage of custard and chocolate and cake. This may be my favorite cupcake this year. Yum. (And check out the bakery's website. It's pretty cute).

I brought the cupcake back to the parents' house and had this interaction with Dad Chung.

Dad: "I don't like chocolate." (Takes a bite of the cupcake) "Oh, this is good." (Walks over to biscuit from Bang Bang Pie Shop and eats some of it). "Oh, this is better, yum."

I guess the cupcake was good enough for a non-chocolate lover.