You might never get to Deary, Idaho
It’s possible that you could arrive in Deary, Idaho (pop 538) by accident, but for those of our readers who live outside of Idaho (or the United States), that seems unlikely. Those of you who live in the area might, for instance, need to go from Nora to Slabtown, so you’d have to pass through Deary. Same thing if you wanted to travel from Avon to Juliaetta. But outside of a few scenarios like those, most folks would probably never unintentionally go to Deary.
But…if you were in this part of the world, you might, like dozens of folks in the region – including us on two recent occasions – go to Deary with a purpose.
That purpose would be to go to The Pie Safe Bakery and Kitchen.
How we heard about it
We might never have heard of The Pie Safe if one of Mary’s friends hadn’t enthusiastically recommended it. We checked out their website and were immediately interested in their “Special Dinners” – a once a month event where they stay open in the evening and serve a multi-course meal. The next one was happening in about 10 days and the menu looked very good.
But before we signed up for the dinner, we decided to take a day trip to visit the restaurant and check out their daytime menu. So, on a recent Saturday morning, we loaded LIly, our three month old Boston Terrier, into her car seat and set off .
Getting to Deary
Deary is about 45 miles northeast of Lewiston. It’s an interesting drive that reminded us, again, of how sparsely populated Idaho is.
Once you get a few miles outside of Lewiston, in any direction, you don’t see many houses or businesses. We always imagine that it looks almost like it did when Lewis and Clark came through the area 220 years ago. It’s rugged, pristine country out here.
We followed the Clearwater River east for about 12 miles and watched the scenery change from the barren hills north of Lewiston to wooded hills. Then we turned north on state highway 3 and began a steady climb up the palouse.
We passed through Juilaetta (pop 650), where a large banner on a fence facing the road proclaims “This is MAGA Country”. Like we needed a reminder. On up the road a few miles is Kendrick (pop 294) where the interesting looking Hardware Brewing Company is located. We’ll stop there on a future road trip.
Past Kendrick, the road continues to climb until you reach the top of Big Bear Ridge and are suddenly out in the open, under a wide sky, with a panoramic view across the valley. It’s a stunning sight.
After a few more miles, you come to a stop sign. Turn left onto Highway 8 toward Moscow, drive a few blocks and you’re into downtown Deary. The Pie Safe is a long, low brick building that sits prominently on the corner of Highway 8 (2nd Avenue) and Main Street, right next to the Deary Fire Department..
A building with some history
Long before it was a restaurant and bakery, this building had been a garage and service station.
But by the 1970’s, it had fallen into disrepair. When John French bought the building in 2015, it was on the verge of falling down. He and members of his family did a major renovation, which his brother Isaac documented in an Instagram video.
This was not the first time the French family had done a major renovation. With 8 boys and 2 girls – now grown – they have plenty of hands for projects. They have also restored
- A 1909 train car, which is now a vacation rental on 145 acres just outside Deary.
- The 100+ year old train depot in Deary, which now houses a vacation rental with a self-service café. and dining room for use by guests.
- A Great Northern Caboose that sits adjacent to the depot, also now a vacation rental.
These renovations were featured in episodes of Restoration Road with Clint Harp, now playing on HBOMax.
In 2016, John and his wife, Grace, opened The Pie Safe Bakery and Kitchen. At the same time, their “sister business”, the Brush Creek Creamery, opened in the same building.
Today the business is very much a family enterprise. John’s sister, Suzannah Wincentsen and her husband Titus, are co-owners with John and Grace. Other siblings, in-laws and nieces also work there.
In 2024, the Pie Safe Bakery & Kitchen building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Our first visit
When you enter the building, you would never know it had once been ready to collapse. The interior is bright and airy, with large windows flooding the rooms with sunlight. Light blue bead board paneling in the front dining room and at the order counter complements the natural wood of the hardwood floor and the frames around the windows and doors.
In the back dining room there are large tapestries on one wall that provide a colorful counterpoint to the exposed brick. The tables have natural wood tops that contrast with the dark wooden chairs. A gift shop off the front room sells local handicrafts.
Interior images courtesy of The Pie Safe Bakery and Kitchen
There is also a window that allows visitors to see into the Creamery and watch the cheese being made.
Since we had Lily with us on our first trip to Deary, we couldn’t eat inside. So we ordered two salads to go and sat on the outdoor patio. Mary had a Cobb salad and I had a wedge. Both were exceptional. The vegetables were fresh and crisp. Mary’s salad had small pieces of beet that gave a unique, sweet flavor. Both salads had chunks of delicious bleu cheese from the Creamery.
We agreed that this was a place we wanted to return to, so we drove back home and sent in a reservation request for the Special Dinner the following Saturday.
The Special Dinner – A Memorable Meal
Special Dinners have been a feature at the Pie Safe since the restaurant opened. Suzannah Wincentsen told us that she plans the menus and does most of the cooking.
We went to the August dinner on Saturday the 23rd. The restaurant was full. Titus told us later that 85 people had attended, and to him that was a few too many. He said they would cap future dinners at around 75 people to ensure that everyone had a good experience.
Almost three years ago to the day, we wrote about “What Makes a Memorable Meal?” In that post, we said
We believe there’s a kind of alchemy involved in the experience of dining out. It involves four main ingredients: the food, the service, the ambience, and the people you’re with. When three or four of these elements are exceptional, the dining out experience becomes a memorable meal.
Our Special Dinner at The Pie Safe was definitely a memorable meal.
The Ambience
We’ve already described the overall ambience of the restaurant. On the evening of the Special Dinner, everything was kicked up a notch. We were shown to our table by a member of the staff. The arrangement of things on the table was at once both casual and elegant. From the casually tossed gingham cloth to the elegant script on the place card, it all said to us that we were in for a special evening.
We were seated in the middle of the back dining room, and everyone around us appeared to be having a good time. We certainly were!
The Service
The service was smooth, attentive, and professional. We could tell that the team was experienced in hosting these events.
When a new course was brought to our table, our server described each item, highlighting those that were made in-house.
The different courses arrived at a comfortable pace. We had plenty of time to savor the food and then to talk about how good it was before the next course arrived.
The Food
Drink
Peaches and Cream Tea. We’ve had peach ice tea before, but never this good. The peach flavor was prominent, but did not overpower the tea. It was slightly sweet. And along with the drink, we were served a small pot of cream. It added another whole dimension to the drink.
Wine
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The Pie Safe does not serve alcohol, but we were told we could bring our own. We had never tried this one from Cantina Zaccagnini, but remembered having similar wines during our travels in Italy. It turned out to be a great choice.
Starter
Brush Creek Creamery Appetizer Board. If we had only had this starter and a glass of wine, we would have left happy. The stars of the starter were the three rounds of mozzarella and the cubes of bleu cheese. Both were delicious on the sourdough bread and then dipped in the small dish of balsamic vinegar. The blackberries and peach slices both tasted like they had just been picked.
Soup
Roasted Pepper and Corn Soup. The soup came topped with a spoonful of corn kernels in the center of the bowl. But in my haste to taste it, I stirred the corn into the soup before I thought to take a photo. The soup had a nice mix of smokiness from the roasted pepper and sweetness from the corn. The sourdough rolls were warm from the oven, just right when spread with a little bit of herbed butter.
Salad
Peach and Burrata Salad. I was halfway through this salad, enjoying the honey-lime dressing on the lettuce, the peaches, and the burrata, when I said to Mary, “I’m not tasting the jalapeño in the pesto”. Then I found it and by the time I was finished, my lips were pleasantly burning.
There were two choices for the Main course. We each ordered a different one, and split them so we could each try both.
Main #1
Stuffed chicken breast with a roasted poblano cream sauce. The chicken breast was nicely cooked and the poblano cream sauce added a subtle bit of heat. The star of the plate, though, were the green chili cheese grits. We wondered how many Idahoans had tasted grits before tonight.
Main #2
Grilled Flank Steak with a fresh smoky salsa and cojita. Flank steak is a tricky cut of meat to prepare. When not done right, it’s tough and chewy. This one was done right, medium rare and complemented by the salsa. And again, the grits made the plate, surrounding everything with rich, cheesy goodness.
Dessert
Late Summer Fruit Galette with house-made vanilla ice cream. (And peaches!) The pastry was warm and flaky. The berry filling was luscious. And the vanilla ice cream added just the right amount of decadence. A cup of decaf coffee along with it was a fine finish to a fine meal.
And the people we were with
We haven’t been out to dinner very often since we moved to Lewiston, so this was a special date night.
It was worth every penny
Dinner for two with tax and tip was just over $200. The wine was about $13 at Costco.
This meal ticked all the boxes to be “memorable”. We’re looking forward to making more memories by going back to The Pie Safe for other Special Dinners and the occasional lunch.
And sometime next year, we’ll be picking up a copy of a cookbook that Suzannah is preparing. She’s the writer, recipe tester, and food photographer.
Until next time / Até a próxima vez
Mary and Mike
The Cook and The Writer
What off the beaten path restaurant do you love? Leave us your recommendations in the comments below or via the Contact Us form.
What a delightful… and apparently delicious… oasis you found in Deary! Your beautiful, mouthwatering photos captured an amazing dinner. I love seeing how people, with loving care, repurpose old buildings. Thank you, as always, for sharing a pleasurable read and brief escape through your descriptive words. Hugs to you and Mary!
Thank you, Melinda!
Beautiful post! Appears to be a labor of love for this family. So happy you heard about it and shared it with all of us.
Hi Leigh,
Thanks for dropping in to the comments. Yes, they are a very interesting family. We’re already looking forward to our next visit to Deary.
Mike
Looks like a ton of fun! I love special gems like this one!
Hi Bonnie,
The Open Table app used to have a category called “Neighborhood Gems” that helped us identify this type of place when traveling. I’m not sure if they still do, but we got good results with it, at least in the bigger cities.
Thanks for commenting.
Mike
What a lovely and inspiring post! Thank you!
Hugs,
Nan
Hugs right back!
But did you all like the Burrata and Peach salad? One of my favorites to make. Great post M/M. Keep them coming.
Hi John,
Yes, we did enjoy the salad. We’ve not tried making one yet, but will one day soon. We can buy the Brush Creek Creamery cheese at the farmers market in Moscow, ID (30 miles north of us), but they had already sold out when we went a week after our dinner. It’s also sold in a couple local stores, so on the happy day we can get the burrata and a fresh peach, we’ll give it a try.
All our best to you and Ginger.
Mike
It is joy to see an act of gracefulness in thin times.
A joy, indeed.
I am not sure how one eats that many courses…just reading your description I was full before the entree!
Hi Nanc,
Yes, suffice to say there was a big takeout box prepared that had enough chicken and flank steak that I ate leftovers for 3 days! We didn’t leave a speck of dessert, though! Priorities, you know.
Have a great week,
Mike
Olá, vizinhos! Wow, looks like a wonderful meal and a great experience! Glad to see you’re enjoying things in your life in the Wild Wild West. Kudos to the family who have invested so much of themselves into this restaurant venture where most folks would never expect it. We still miss you folks and hope you’ll at least come back for a visit sometime! Beijinhos, amigos!
David from Saldanha
Thanks, David. Yes, it’s certainly an out of the way venue, but they’re doing great business. I listened to an interview with John French, the founder and co-owner. He said they have been busy ever since they opened. We’re planning a Europe trip next fall and hope to spend some time in Lisbon. Exact plans are TBD.
Take care,
Mike