The suit and tie, a chocolate mousse pie. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

The suit and tie, a chocolate mousse pie. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

Armida Ortega, left, and her daughter Debra Cano run Kessler Pie Co. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

Armida Ortega, left, and her daughter Debra Cano run Kessler Pie Co. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

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Our neighborhood is on a sugar high

Armida Ortega began selling pies out of her Kessler Plaza home in November 2015.

Customers pre-ordered before picking up their pies in her driveway. Business went so well that Ortega and her daughter Debra Cano opened a storefront on Tyler near Seventh Street last year.

The pie boutique joined a robust market for sweets. There’s the old-school Norma’s Café with its mile-high meringue pies and a more direct competitor in Emporium Pies. Our neighborhood also has two chocolatiers and a macaron shop, not to mention Cretia’s, Potpourri of Silk and numerous Mexican bakeries, among other places to find a dessert fix. But so far the market is showing there’s room enough for everyone.

Kessler Pie Co.’s specialties include a chocolate mousse pie called the “suit and tie,” the “mellow yellow” lemon custard pie and the “moon over Texas” moonshine-infused pecan pie. They can be ordered as whole pies for $30-$35, or as a pie-in-a-jar, which start around $5.

But Kessler Pie Co. isn’t just about sweets. The shop offers savory pies, including the “Thanksgiving” turkey potpie and occasional specials such as the “wake and bake” breakfast pie with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and cheese.

Did you know: Owner Armida Ortega started baking at age 12 and for years ran a side business making pies and cakes for events such as birthdays, weddings and quinceañeras.

Kessler Pie Co.
Ambiance: Boutique
Hours: Noon-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-6 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday
Price: $5-$35
kesslerpieco.com

Pie in a jar. (Photo by Kathy Tran)

Pie in a jar. (Photo by Kathy Tran)