A GUIDE TO THE UPPER CRUST

It’s been a close call. An American institution almost died. Just as we were about to be inundated by a flood of tartes and tortes and tiramisu, our appetites took a sudden patriotic turn. And so instead of waving goodby to American pie, we are welcoming a new generation of two-crusted American pastries.

Some are sweet, some are savory. Some are old-fashioned, others new-fangled. But if it’s a great piece of pie you’re after, this is where to find it.

SWEET PIES:

“Quality forever” has been the Apple Pan’s motto for 39 years. Taste their pies and you’ll see why. Come early in the day and sip coffee at the counter while you watch the pastry being prepared in the kitchen. Apple, of course, is a specialty, but all are a triumph. Boysenberry, thick with fruit, light on the sugar and topped with a mound of sweetened whipped cream has little competition. The luxurious banana cream is spectacularly rich. On alternating days the Pan also offers coconut cream, chocolate cream and cherry pies. The Apple Pan, 10801 W. Pico Blvd., (213) 475-3585.

The Cobbler Factory’s crust is one of the best in town. Each frangible masterpiece is hand rolled over a deep dish of honey-sweetened fruit. This minuscule Pasadena shop has peach and apple cobbler every day, as well as the occasional blackberry, lemon, sweet potato, cherry or prune. Cobblers come in a range of sizes, from one that will feed two people to one sufficient for 30. Call ahead to be sure the shop has your size and flavor. Cobbler Factory, 33 N. Catalina Ave., Pasadena, (818) 449-2152.

And now for something completely different. The granola-nut crusted fresh apple pie at Govinda’s vegetarian restaurant and bakery is not at all like what Mom used to make, but this homely combination is superb. Govinda’s, 9626 Venice Blvd., Culver City, (213) 202-6371.

Here are two outrageously rich pies you won’t find anywhere else. Tall and rich with all-butter crusts, Patout’s pie are absolutely irresistible. The sweet potato-pecan is packed with butter and thick with nuts on a creamy layer of sweet potato custard. The chocolate-chip pecan has just the right balance of both ingredients. In the summer Patout’s also bakes a sumptuous blackberry pie with a latticed top crust. Patout’s, 2260 Westwood Blvd., (213) 475-7100.

If you love the faddish new ‘50s diners, Pie and Burger will give you a thrill. This is the real thing: Since it opened in ‘64, Pie and Burger has specialized in good old American foods. Their pies come in 15 varieties, including Dutch apple with a crumbly top, mince, peanut butter and butterscotch cream. Pie and Burger’s crusts are hand-rolled, the fillings are homemade and the meringues are whipped from fresh egg whites. In my finicky opinion, the crusts could be rolled thinner and filled with more finesse, but these pies have such a following that some flavors run out early, so local families often order ahead. And if you want pies to go at holiday time you will have to order several weeks in advance. Pie and Burger, 913 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, (818) 795-1123; or 9537 E. Las Tunas Dr., Temple City, (818) 287-5797.

Of all the restaurants that make production-line pies, I like Polly’s Pies best. Each of the restaurants bakes twice daily. I like the fresh fruit summer pies in which the uncooked fruit is layered into a tender crust, lightly glazed and garnished with pure whipped cream. The two-crust pies, never more than a few hours from the oven, are also delicious. Polly’s Pies, 501 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 394-9721; additional locations in Long Beach and Orange County.

Seventh Heaven makes majestic pies loaded with the season’s best fruit. Hand-woven lattice crusts made with butter are filled with off-beat combinations like pear-raspberry, blueberry-apricot or strawberry-blueberry. The tall pies come in three sizes; they are also sold by the slice. 7th Heaven, 710 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (213) 451-0077.

Sweet bean pie was introduced to Los Angeles by the Nation of Islam in the ‘30s. Since then, these pies have gained an enormous following. The texture is custard-like, the whole wheat crust is thinly rolled, and the flavor may remind you of sweet potato pie. Shabazz, 2618 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., (213) 295-5469.

Vickman’s is a Southern California pie institution. For 54 years it’s been located in the heart of Los Angeles’ wholesale produce district. But despite its good press and charming atmosphere, I can’t recommend much except the single-crust pies. The two crust pies have doughy, mechanically made crusts and the fillings are liberally thickened with cornstarch. Vickman’s, 1228 East 8th St., (213) 622-3852.

SAVORY PIES:

The John Bull Pub serves wonderful English pub pies in a variety of hearty, traditional fillings. There is steak and kidney cooked in Harvey’s dry sherry or steak and mushroom simmered in Old Peculier Ale. Cornish pasties are plump with beef, turnip, carrot and potato, and sometimes at lunch there is a large farmhouse pie of stewed beef and onions cut into individual wedges. There is also a shepherd’s pie of lean ground beef topped with mashed potato crust and sprinkled with cheese crumbles. John Bull Pub, 958 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, (818) 441-4353.

The La Palma Chicken Pie Shop is a picturesque place right out of the past. The crusts are good and filled with large quantities of chicken chunks. Despite the gravy, which has serious failings of taste and texture, these pies are good enough to stand on their own. Pies can be eaten in or taken out at the restaurant’s bakery; unbaked pies are also available. La Palma Chicken Pie Shop, 928 N. Euclid Ave., Anaheim, (714) 533-2021.

You can’t miss Henry Moffett’s on Lakewood Boulevard in Bellflower. It has a giant plaster chicken on the roof. Go inside and you’ll find a deli with rows of uncooked pies that you can eat in the dining room or buy to go. The pies are very good. A mechanically produced crust is tender, fresh and not too doughy. It is filled with large chunks of chicken surrounded by just the right amount of gravy. Unfortunately, each pie is then doused with even more gravy, which makes the crust soggy (ask for it to be served on the side). Henry Moffett’s, 16506 Lakewood Blvd., Bellflower, (213) 925-5061.

Pasties (pronounced “paastees”) are the portable pies Cornish coal miners used to take underground for lunch. At the Pasty Kitchen, where the ovens are going all day, you can walk in at almost any hour and find a hot beef or chicken turnover. You can watch while pastry dough is rolled out on the large wooden board and then filled with meaty chunks and fresh vegetables. Pasty Kitchen, 3641 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos, (213) 431-9747.

“Toad in the hole,” another savory pie, has been served at the Tam O’ Shanter Inn since 1971. The pie’s crust is actually a round bowl of rosemary-laced Yorkshire pudding prepared in a small skillet. It’s heaped with strips of sauteed tender beef (order them done to your liking), whole button mushrooms and onion with a glaze of wine-sauce--a light rendition of classical English pub pies. Tam O’Shanter Inn, 2980 Los Feliz Blvd., (213) 664-4024.