Pieday: Chocolate silk, strawberry fried at CBG.

• KAT ROBINSON
• CHOCOLATE BOMB: CBG's Chocolate Silk Tart

• KAT ROBINSON
• SIMPLE: CBG's Strawberry Fried Pie

To each his own, as the motto goes. Some folks love themselves some fresh fruit pies, while others will sacrifice everything for a taste of chocolate. Such a dilemma means I cannot in good conscience choose between these two offerings currently on the menu at Capital Bar and Grill in Little Rock's Capital Hotel.

Not that they'll for certain be there today — part of CBGs charm is that it utilizes whatever comes through the doors from farmers and producers at that time. So while I just rather enjoyed a delicious strawberry pie made from locally harvested strawberries, less than a week ago — there may be something more pressing, pertinent and recently produced going into that pastry this week — perhaps fresh Arkansas peaches, just-picked blackberries or even a green tomato pie, for all I know.

• KAT ROBINSON

Still, I know I can walk in and have a great piece of pie, any day of the week, any time of the year. For instance, one autumn night I walked in and had dessert and coffee after an event. The pie: sweet potato, served up with candied pecans and ice cream. A smooth, rich pie with the slightly spicy sweetened nuts, warm yet cool with the cream, perfect with coffee. Ah.

See, CBG is one of those places I go when Im looking for a good dessert on its own. That's because if I eat dinner there, I don't have room for dessert. Never fails. I think out of all the times Ive had dinner there Ive eaten dessert twice — and it about finished me off. Had a burger there back on New Years Eve that I finished off with the bread pudding. It was incredible. And of course, I did once go in and have my sloppy wet roast beef sandwich with a house-made Moon Pie.

Ah, I digress.

Checked in on the CBG pie offerings the other day whilst in the building on other business. There were two fried pies on the menu — apple and strawberry — and the mention of a chocolate silk tart. Yeah, it was time for dessert.

• GRAV WELDON

• KAT ROBINSON

Coffee and tea already acquired and partaken of, we waited a few minutes for the other. The chocolate tart came out to us a little chilled, a four inch tart shell topped with a thick chocolate whipped cream. Below that, a deep and rich almost bittersweet chocolate cream custard. My companion told me it was like a chocolate bomb going off. I cant dispute that at all.

• GRAV WELDON

He preferred the chocolate; I, on the other hand, absolutely adored the strawberry fried pie. The six inch long crescent came from the oven, freshly warmed. It was a deep golden color, slightly charred at the very edge, fork-sealed and obviously handmade. Inside the almost unsweetened crust: strawberries simply sweetened with sugar and left to their own devices to rest, resulting in that old fashioned strawberry delight. No gelatin, no preservatives (though the strawberries did come to an almost preserve-like consistency in places). Just sweet and tart. The small ramekin of vanilla ice cream was fantastic poured over the pie, the sweet cream almost

• GRAV WELDON

 immediately melting into the crust. Flaky, sweet, tart, and good all the way around.

Pardon me, I need to wipe the saliva off my keyboard.

Heaven knows what the pie will be today. I could call up and ask, sure. But if its strawberry, dont tell me. Id have to come back for more, and I have very packed schedule today.

You'll find Capital Bar and Grill inside the Capital Hotel. Its open every day of the year and there's always some awesome dessert. And a great burger. And well, you should discover some of the secrets of the CBG yourself. (501) 374-7474 or check out the website.