Four & Twenty Blackbirds

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Chicks dig guys that can double fist pies.

Ain't nobody going to jack pie from this place.

Like gravity, it is a Universal Truth that everyone likes pie. How could you not? Crusts that are either buttery flaky or crunchy sweet with endless fillings ranging from the savory to the sweet, there is a pie out there that has your name on it and you will like it. I go a step further and say that man can survive on pie alone, but I have yet to test this theory and anyone that wants to is more than welcome too. I ventured out to the hipster wasteland to eat pie at Four & Twenty Blackbirds and it was well worth the trip. Once you eat a piece of any of their pies at 4 & 20 Blackbirds there will be no doubt in your mind that everyone likes pie. Pies after the jump





4 & 20 Blackbirds is a coffee café that is located in Brooklyn opened by sisters Melissa and Emily Elsen who are actually from South Dakota and almost makes me want to go to South Dakota to see if there is great pie there (emphasis on the almost). Although they make other bake goods which I am sure taste amazing, I am here for one thing: PIE. The pies give a nod to the traditional at the same time putting a slight variation transforming them from good to where-have-you-been-all-my-life-pies. They have a rotating menu of pies that vary depending on the seasons and availability of ingredients ensuring on a quality pie. 

 I ventured into Gowanus and after a quick walk around the area (thanks Googlemaps, I said 3^rd AVE not street!) I finally found the place located conviently on a corner. From outside appearances, it does not look like a place that sells pies with reinforced rhubarb on the windows; it looked more like a pawnshop. Looks are quite deceiving and inside is a brightly lit cozy café

On this solo quest I let fate decide and went with the first two pies that I saw on the back counter. That ended up being the Salted Caramel Apple and the Grapefruit Custard pie. Although 2 slices of pie would be filling for just a mere mortal, I remembered I was on an epic quest and I got the Salted Honey and the Black Bottomed Oatmeal Pie. (I got ithem to go to eat later. I could have ate them then but I had to do brunch later but they did not survive to the next day, I know I am awesome.)

 Salted Caramel Apple Pie

I knew that the pies at 4 & 20 were different when I took a bite of the Salted Caramel Apple Pie. The first that I thought out and said out loud was just, “Damn”. It was like the first time when I was 12 years old and I saw my first naked girl, my brain farted and could not process anything but knew that this was a good thing. The crust was golden brown and flaky and with the incorpation of salt, it was like eating a pretzel. The filling was smooth, rich, mellow caramel with sliced apples that had just the right amount of bite. The sweet and saltiness of the pie with a nice dollop of whip cream easily made me want seconds after the first bite. It was like I was eating a modern Norman Rockwell painting.

 Grapefruit Custard Pie- it is drooping cuz it don't want to go into my belly

Next up was the Grapefruit pie which although does not look visually pleasing due to the droopy-ness of the slice it was still a great slice. The custard was silky smooth and upon first bite it just screamed, “Grapefruit”. Ray Charles could eat a bite of this pie without knowing what it is and tell you it was grapefruit. It had the full citrus bitterness with the slight sweetness that grapefruit has to offer. Despite looks, the crust was not soggy and was tasty.

The Salted Honey

The Salted Honey was like a see-saw in the mouth. On first bite you get full sticky, gooey honey flavor but then the flaky salt would melt in your mouth completely balancing it out. It was like taking a tequila shot with the lime but instead it was like a shot of honey with a salt chaser. This was obviously better than the tequila shot because this pie would not make you forget what the hell happened last night and your mouth tasting like Pancho Villa.

 The Black Bottomed Oatmeal Pie

Lastly but not least was the Black Bottomed Oatmeal Pie. Before this the only oatmeal pie I ate was Little Debbie and it was those sandwiches cookies and could easily destroy a box. This pie straight up jacked up Little Debbie and took her shoes. The pie had a crunchy oatmeal top, gooey center and a chocolate bottom. This was a comfort kind of pie. The kind of pie that you eat with your hands straight out of the refrigerator and wash it down with milk drank from the carton.

The pies at 4 & 20 Blackbirds actually make me angry just because I thought I made a pretty good pie and these sisters just took my lunch money. I actually do not really care that they took my lunch money, as long as they give me a slice of pie.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds

439 3rd Avenue

Brooklyn NY 11215
Corner of 8th street and 3rd Avenue

http://birdsblack.com/