Food ‘n Flix‘ April feature film is Spinning Plates. (Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting. You can read her announcement post here.) I decided to do three recipes, one each to highlight the three restaurants featured in the movie. For the humble La Cocina de Gabby, I made a simple guacamole. For Chef Grant’s Alinea, I made Charcuterie Burgers with Sauce Gribiche and Apple.
Today is the day to highlight Breitbach’s Country Dining, a family run restaurant in the heartland. Dessert and pie were needed.
Breitbach’s Country Dining is an institution in small rural Balltown, Iowa. At this restaurant, food is caring. It’s family, taking care of people, community.
“It defines the town.” The town, in turn, takes care of the Breitbach family and the restaurant.
There’s coffee in the mornings, fried chicken on the buffet, and pie. Breitbach’s is known for its Black Raspberry Pie. 
Tri-Berry Pie
Ingredients
- Double crust pie dough, chilled
- 1 c. fresh raspberries
- 1 c. individually frozen blackberries (not packed in syrup), partially thawed
- 1 c. individually frozen blueberries, partially thawed.
- 1 ¼ c. sugar
- 3 T. quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 t. raw sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
- Roll bottom pastry, place into 9 ½” deep-dish pie pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the berries, sugar, and tapioca. Toss gently to combine, then set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Roll the other half of the pastry. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell, smoothing the fruit with a spoon. Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell. Invert the top pastry over the filling, center, and press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge. Crimp edges. Poke several stream vents in the top of the pie with a fork or paring knife.
In the film, the matriarch slashed the pie up with a paring knife.
- Sprinkle the top of the pie lightly with the raw sugar.
- Place the pie on the center oven rack with a large aluminum foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below and bake for 30 minutes. Then, rotate the pie 180 degrees. Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly at the steam vents, about 45 minutes.
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool. Serve just slightly warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
Yield: 6-8
You will definitely want a pan underneath this pie in the oven.
We loved the berry-mix. I had lots of blackberries and blueberries in the freezer and bought a carton of raspberries at the grocery store, hence the tri-berry pie. Breitbach’s recipe uses two cups of raspberries and one cup of blackberries. 
It must be served with ice cream.
This pie smells delicious when baking.
Just watch it bubble.
Could the three restaurants featured in Spinning Plates be any more different?
- One is vying for 3 Michelin stars.
- One is just trying to survive.
- One is the heart of the community.
There are similarities though.
I was struck by the time factor at all three establishments.
- Alinea had five people working 12 hours on one plate.
- People waiting three hours to eat at Breitbach’s.
- The Martinez family all working tirelessly for success.
Thomas Keller asked Chef Grant when he started at The French Laundry: “What’s your legacy going to be?”
That’s what they all want—a legacy, some for family, some for fame and art, some for security.
I loved Chef Grant’s final monologue: “Here’s who I am.” That’s what all three groups had in common. They were not afraid to put everything on the line, exposing who they are and their vision.
Thanks again to Camilla for hosting this wonderful film.
That’s it for the three part series for Spinning Plates. Join Food ‘n Flix in May and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Your pie is boiling
Thanks for the update! 🙂 As we talked at breakfast, you’re really Nephew #3! Ha!
Alrighty then 🙂
You’re all #1 in our hearts! 🙂
That’s a really inviting pie with a mix of berries!
Yes it was. I loved using the tapioca.
I have been to Balltown and eaten at the restaurant. Beautiful drive up in the fall. The food was good but not exceptional in my opinion. They did have good pie. I was more interested in the old barn across the street that had all kinds of herbs drying in the rafters and lots and lots of antiques. Sorry we left before the pie was made!!
As Nephew #2 noticed, it was made well before you all were here. I wish, however, that I had had time to make it while you were here. 🙂
That pie looks fabulous. Wish I had a piece right now.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Great minds Debra…pie seems to be the theme for this month. Not all of us were quite as ambitious as you. Great trifecta!!
Berry pie is so much a part of summer and this pie looks great. Perfect to serve on Memorial Day.
I almost made the Breitbach’s pie recipe, but was drawn to the Martinez’s family story more. Their signature pie is definitely on my try-it list though. LOVED the video of the bubbling pie!
I’ll never turn down pie! And summer is pie season — all the great berries and stone fruit. This looks terrific — thanks.
[…] k.fillText(f(55356,56826,55356,56819),0,0),!(j.toDataURL().length Part Three for FnF: Tri-Berry Pie […]
All I need are the raspberries and this pie is a reality.