On the search for the best key lime pie

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On the search for the best key lime pie

KEY WEST, Fla. — You can’t visit the Florida Keys without trying key lime pie. I thought it would be a fun scrapbook memory to have a slice of key lime pie at each spot my husband Mike and I stopped and rate it with a photo.

Our 14-year-old daughter, Emma, didn’t seem to think this was the greatest idea, but she played along.

Everyone from Miami moving south on the A1A coastal byway claims to have the best key lime pie, but only a few received a 10 from us.

Key lime pie has two versions of crust: pastry or graham cracker. It has a variety of toppings or sides as well: meringue or no meringue, fresh fruit, fruit puree and/or whipped cream. Some of the fillings are cooked, some uncooked.

But the most authentic key lime pie contains no green food coloring and is actually a light yellow. Some say that a true key lime pie must have meringue. The idea back in the 1930s was to use the key limes, sweetened condensed milk (they had no fresh milk) and an entire egg — yolks for the custard and the whites of the eggs for the meringue.

Our quest for finding the best slice of key lime pie actually started in Miami in South Beach. But truly the best of the best remain in Key West. Every restaurant serves the pie, and there is a version for every palate.

We tried a slice at every spot. We had it with graham cracker crust and without, with meringue and without, with fruit and with whipped cream, frozen on a stick, chocolate graham cracker crust, graham cracker crust with browned butter and coconut, and even deep-fried.

Because we found three terrific key lime pies that all received a “10” rating, we have separated them into three different categories. Two of them happen to be from a couple of our favorite spots to eat, and another comes from a great spot for a quick cool-down from the Florida heat.

Here are our ratings:

Best pie with no meringue — The Rooftop CafŽ, 308 Front Street. By far, our favorite slice of pie. This one seems to have browned butter and coconut in the graham cracker crust.

Best pie with meringue — Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas Street, in Bahama Village. The custard is tangy, tart and just right. The meringue stands about a mile high and is perfectly browned on top. There is no weeping with this meringue, and the crust is amazing.

Best pie in different format — Kermit’s Frozen Key Lime pie, 802 Duvall Street. This pie is frozen on a stick and dipped in chocolate. It probably rates the highest on a hot Key West afternoon.

So that’s our journey through the land of key lime pie. Emma and I decided there were no losers, as they all were great in their own way.

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