Julian, California,
the little town that time forgot that
the decades cannot improve, is know
for its apple pie. The best of these
apple pies is unquestionably found at
Mom's Pie House on main street.
Mom is Anita
Nichols who founded Mom's
Pie House in 1984. Through
a series of shrewd decisions,
Mom has built apple pie
merchandising into a substantial
business
with dozens of employees
during peak season. Although
privately held, Mom's is
listed in the Reference USA
business directory as having
an estimated annual
revenue of between one-half
and one million dollars per
year.
Mom ensures
that the quality of the pies
is paramount, with all pies
baked on the premises each
day. Pies can be purchased
whole or by the slice. Particularly
fine are the crumb top versions.
Indoor tables are available.
Check the hours locally.
Mom opens when she's good
and ready and closes when
she's sold enough. When Mom's
is usually open might
be available at Mom's
web site.
Julian was founded
as a gold rush mining town in the late
Nineteenth century. The town has survived
with many of the original buildings
intact. There is still at least one
operating gold mine.
Julian is
in an Alpine location, at
approximately 4000 feet
above sea level. The adjacent
land has historically contained
many apple orchards. Hence,
the orchards built the association
between Julian and apple
pies. However, because of
Mom's fanatical devotion
to quality, most of the
apples used in Mom's Pie
House originate in Washington
state. The source of the
apples is palpable from
a rudimentary inspection
of delivery crates. Occasionally
during the fall harvest
season, local Julian apples
are used. Mom herself notes
that "Julian fruit is available
to
us, depending on the weather
and the crop yield,
from
July to October. When we
get apples from other
places,
it could be Washington, Utah,
Idaho, Colorado or
other
parts of California."
Mom's Pie House has won the coveted
silver cup award for food establishments
of high culinary quality and road food
concept.
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