
This is the story of a fried pie. Or, more succinctly, how fried pie opened doors for my life.
I have to take you back to 2006 or so, when Vivian and Carl Barnhill came over to Today’s THV and appeared on the morning show there with the famous little half-moon pockets.


It was something about that crust, buttery and light and a little savory, a family secret closely kept but available to sample for just a buck 75, filled with all manners of good creamy and fruity fillings. Those pies haunted my dreams.


You see, just a few days after I wrote that entry, it was featured on the Arkansas Times Eat Arkansas blog. I went from a blog that might draw five readers a day to one that was pulling in hundreds of views daily. It was my moment.
That was the start of a real whirlwind for me, that took me out of state and all over the place in the first six months of 2008 and then all over Arkansas in the years since. I even ended up as a primary contributor for the Eat Arkansas blog. And somehow, I hadn’t been able to get back to Ms. Lena’s on a Saturday morning for those fried pies.


When I turned off of Highway 70 onto Highway 33, I could already smell those pies. The scent of that impossibly flaky yet crisp crust permeated the air a block away. We pulled up and I pulled Hunter out of the car and took her in for her first experience with Ms. Lena’s pies.



And when he came home from work that night, my husband thrilled over those chocolate pies. And Hunter? She was just as thrilled as her daddy, pinching a bit of crust between her fingers and licking the filling.
You know, I’ve been a whole lot of places these past few years. I’ve learned that pie isn’t just popular around here, it’s an art form. It’s everywhere in Arkansas -- big fluffy meringues and creams, tart and juicy apple and cherry and pear and other fruit pies, and all sorts of variety of fried pies. There’s just something different about Ms. Lena’s… that makes it still worth that Saturday morning drive. That’s something that should really be shared with the world.
I just find that now I'm really in a place where I can do so. That's so cool.
I have been in love with Ms. Viv's pies for over four years now.....Everytime I go thru toward MEmphis, I try to stop by and get her amazing coconut pies....They are the best....I am glad someone else out there gives her the kudos she deserves....
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