Edible Bakes: Sweet and Savory Pies

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Photos by Michael Piazza

Editor’s note: When we set out to find just the right pie story for our holiday issue, Renee McLeod was our first and only ask. Her acclaimed pie shop, Petsi Pies, has been nestled at the end of a residential block of Beacon Street in Somerville since 2003. Her baking has been lauded by neighborhood folks and visitors alike—the home-style comforting pies, both sweet and savory, are seasonal and make the most of local fruits and vegetables. She uses all-natural ingredients and her grandmother’s and Auntie’s recipes, delighting her customers daily. And the not-so-humbly-named Genius Sweet Potato Pecan Pie? It’s life changing, we assure you. Try your hand at making it yourself, or head to Somerville to visit Renee and buy one straight from the source. But place your order early—unsurprisingly, the holidays are a pie shop’s busiest time of year. 


Renee McLeod is a baker from Providence, Rhode Island who has lived in Cambridge for the past 30 years. She had a passion for baking at an early age and the experience of helping her grandmother's bake in both Rhode Island and Alabama are some of her most treasured memories of childhood. She opened Petsi Pies in 2003 with the idea that she could bring people together through a love of pie. She has long believed that sharing recipes and slices is one of the best ways to foster folks’ communal spirit. 

BAKING / DESSERTS, FALL, RECIPES, BAKERIES AND CAFES, FOOD WRITING + MEMOIR, EDITORS PICKSRenee McLeodPetsi Pies, pies, fall 2020, fall, Fall 2020, Fall, holiday baking, holiday, Thanksgiving, desserts, pie, coconut, pecan, sweet potatoes, leftovers, custardComment