CaityPies: Making Pies in Nashville
Agent Dale Cooper dished out that advice in the ‘90s cult classic Twin Peaks, referring to his daily present of a damn fine cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie from the town’s Double R Diner. It’s that late night diner vibe that serves as inspiration for CaityPies Nashville, a grandma-approved pie company with edge.
Baker fatale Cait Guszkowski is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chris Gonzales, from Amarillo, Texas. The duo have been rolling out handmade pies for the last year, drawing inspiration from family recipes and fresh, hyper-local ingredients.
“I don’t think that there was any intention of becoming a baker when I was little—I have a sweet tooth, and I just wanted to be there licking the bowl and all that. You got more permission to lick the bowl if you helped and wanted to learn than if you didn’t, so I was all in,” Cait said.
“I came here with the intention of planting my roots for good, and I started baking in my little apartment since I didn’t know anybody. I was the girl with the day job in the cubicle looking at Pinterest all day because I was so bored. I’d find recipes and think, ‘What if I put alcohol in this and merged this recipe with this one?’ I shouted the ideas over the wall to my friends,” she said.
Meanwhile Gonzales, after moving to Nashville for music, was working unloading trucks and managing the dock at a warehouse. Both realized there had to be something sweeter they could sink their teeth into.
CaityPies was born October 5th, 2016. Five months later, Cait quit her job, and earlier this year, Chris quit his as CaityPies became the couple’s full-time dream.
Their main focus is a flaky, buttery crust, and in addition to that full-fat goodness, they put using fresh, local ingredients high on their priority list.
They also want to cultivate the nostalgic feeling of home. Cait uses Wisconsin cheese and channels her “Nana.” Chris draws from his Texas roots to create pies like the Bourbon Cheddar Burger pie and the Tennessee BBQ Mac and Cheese pie. He said they’re just his way of bringing some of Texas to Tennessee.
“We want to source locally when we can, but there are moments when you’re nostalgic and eating something that’s grandmother-approved really speaks to you,” she said. “In October, we were invited to the 12 South market for the last day. This very old Korean War vet kind of guy, he came up and tried some pie and said it tasted just like his mom used to make. Who knows his story or anything about him, but that kind of stuff makes a world of difference to me. I’ll probably never see him again, but I live for those kind of comments—that I’m making the real thing.” And that’s a present for the day.
