Nate Legue: Have your pie ... just not all 9 slices

Last month, I, Nate Legue, a hungry reporter, put my mouth where my company's money is and ate a BLT with a pound of bacon at The Breeze in Rockford.

We're ditching the regular dining column format, just for today, in favor of bringing you another eating adventure.

It focuses on the one thing, other than turkey, that you must have at your Thanksgiving dinner: pie. And where better to get it than at Bakers Square in Cherry Valley, a pie-eater's paradise?

Last week, I attempted to eat a piece of each pie that you might find on your Thanksgiving dinner table. I took a bite of eight traditional pies, the ones that grandma might make. And I added a slice of French Silk for good measure.

My take on each:

Apple ($2.49): Best crust, crisp and flaky

French Apple ($2.69): Good, but crumbled crust too dry

Pecan ($3.29): Pecans chewy and perfect

Cherry ($2.49): Tart, but not extreme

French Silk ($3.69): Light and fluffy

Blueberry ($2.49): Muted zing, lots of berries

Mince ($2.99): Sweet, so sweet

Strawberry rhubarb ($2.49): Needed more strawberries

Pumpkin ($2.69): Firm, great nutmeg accent

The pumpkin pie was best, but it may have won out because my taste buds were so overwhelmed by the sugary sweetness of so many fruit pies.

My effort to eat all nine slices fell far short: I gave up after four.

Note: No reporter was hurt in the writing of this food critique, but I'd advise eating just a few pieces of pie at your Thanksgiving dinner.