Whether you’re a French apple aficionado or a mincemeat master, the Santa Barbara Pie Contest is the only place to strut your pastry pants while competing for a crusty crown against a bevy of brave bakers. Going down at 3 p.m. sharp on Sunday, December 15, at Potek Winery (406 E. Haley St.), the contest’s judges — myself so happily included — will be evaluating flavor, crust, filling, and creativity in awarding titles for Best Sweet Pie (fruit, custard, nut, etc.) and Best Savory Pie (meat or vegetable). There’s also a People’s Choice for best overall pie and a Junior Division for bakers 13 and younger. Winners will be feted by 4:30 p.m. For those who merely want to eat and drink without the threat of competition, you can enter for a suggested $15 donation, with proceeds going to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Ready to bake? Buy your $25 participation ticket and learn all the rules at sbpiecontest.com.
Enter the Fifth Annual Pie Contest
Start Planning Your Sweet and/or Savory Treat for December 15 Showdown
Wed Dec 04, 2019 | 10:43am
Matt Kettmann
Senior Editor
Matt Kettmann started at The Independent in 1999, working as a proofreader, news reporter, and pop culture editor before becoming senior editor in 2006. In addition to covering Santa Barbara affairs for 15-plus years and overseeing Independent.com, the San Jose native and UCSB grad has tracked down stories in such places as Bolivia, Belize, Costa Rica, Uganda, Thailand, Hong Kong, India, France, Spain, Mexico, and the wartorn, officially unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He is also a contributing editor for Wine Enthusiast, reviewing the wines and covering the culture of the Central Coast, and has written about a variety of topics for the New York Times, TIME Magazine, Smithsonian, Wine Spectator, Sunset, and other publications large and small. For more of his work, you can also see MattKettmann.com.

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