Life of Pie

Thyme-Infused Mixed Berry. Peaches and Crème Fraîche. Avocado Cream. No, it’s not the latest in designer paint colors, it’s the real deal: luscious sweet and savory pie creations from the two sisters who took Madison’s pie scene by storm when they opened humble (yes, with a lowercase “h”), a tiny pie shop on the city’s west side, in 2013. Shelly Cross and Jill Long, originally from Arkansas, create an irresistible, ever-changing assortment of pies that feature seasonal and local ingredients. But, as I learned when I interviewed them recently, they’re not just great pie bakers; they’re pie philosophers, too.

Why did you choose Madison as the place to open a pie shop?

Shelly: Because it inspired us with its commitment to supporting local farms and businesses. Madison is creative and energetic and it’s surrounded by nature. In the winter it's like you live in a snow globe. In the spring, it turns green practically overnight. Sandhill cranes are fascinating. Jill saw a badger once and says it looked just like Bucky.

Why do you use local ingredients for your pies?

Jill: For the same reason people buy from us—to help support our local economy and community (and because it tastes fantastic). We are a tiny part of a bigger picture. That is thrilling.

How do you feel when you’re baking pie?

Shelly: I feel a little like a detective. In my mind, there is a perfect combination of ingredients and it’s my job to figure out what that is. Most of the time, I’m thinking about how the pie might make someone really happy, too.

Jill: I also feel tired at the end of the day! We make our crust by hand. We don't have a commercial-sized mixer that we dump the ingredients in to. We stir. We mix. We roll. We stir. We mix. We roll.

What does pie symbolize to you?

Jill: Sheer happiness. Shelly and I laugh all day long at the bakery. We are genuinely having fun.

Shelly: Pies seem to be becoming a lost art form, in a way. People are intimidated by pie, but good pie reminds them of their childhood and of family. It has a lot emotional connections. That’s so true: people really respond to pie.

Do you have any customer stories that illustrate this?

Jill: I once took a phone order for pies—lemon meringue and chocolate buttermilk—to be delivered to someone's home following a funeral. Two years later, a woman walked into our bakery and began telling how those pies affected her. The funeral, it turns out, was for her mother. She said those pies had brought her peace, that they had changed a dreadful day and brought her real, honest-to-goodness comfort.

Shelly: My favorite story is about a gentleman that we see pretty regularly. He came in once and was very serious, explaining that he wouldn't be buying any pies for a while. He had gained weight over the holidays and wanted us to know he would be back as soon as he lost a few pounds. I love that. We've also had numerous proposals of marriage, but so far nothing has really panned out.