Two Tampa Bakeries Battle On Good Morning America For Best Pie
Good Morning America is on a mission to find the best pie in the U.S.. Their “United States of Pie” competition kicked off in Tampa Monday morning. The show is travelling all across the country to find the best pie in America. Competitors from 44 different cities will submit their recipe, winners from each round will advance to a final 4 round set in New York. Not only does the winner get bragging rights of owning Good Morning America best pie in America, they also go home with $10,000. Two Tampa bakeries, Mike’s Pies and Psomi both showcased two holiday classic desserts, but only one moves on.
The show’s first stop in the competition set place at Wish Farms in Tampa. Some special guests and attended and even had a Tampa legend judge the competition. WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil was one of the celebrity judges along with Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Both bakeries really brought a lot of flavor to each of their creations. But only one walked away with the golden tin. Mike’s Pies submitted a Florida classic: Key Lime Pie on a gluten-free crust. Psomi took a twist on an American tradition: Spiced Apple Pie with Baklava Streusel. It was a tough competition as the judges were left with a difficult decision. Titus O’Neil broke the tie-breaking decision and crowned Mike’s Pies the winner of the Tampa pie challenge. What could be more fitting than the best pie in Tampa being a key lime pie? Mike’s Pies will now go to New York where they’ll compete against other winning bakeries from across the country for that sweet $10,000.
Meet The Bakeries
Psomi, which is loosely translated to “bread” in Greek, is owned by Christina Theofilos. For her recipe she used three different types of apples, creamy bougatsa filling, and of course baklava streusel on top. See more of Psomi’s homemade menu here, or follow them on Instagram.
Mike’s Pies is located at 10350 Windhorst Road Suite 100 Tampa. Mike started his pie baking journey while he was playing linebacker in college in the 70’s. He missed his grandma’s homemade baking and received a crash course on how to make the pies himself. In 1992 after settling down in Tampa he opened his first location, and made a huge following locally and nationally. On August 1, 2020, Mike’s Pies moved into its brand new, state-of-the-art, 53,000 square foot facility. Currently, Mike’s Pies has laid claim to 15 National Championships at the annual Great American Pie Festival, further proof …we cut no corners at Mike’s Pies…because as Mike likes to say…“there are no corners on Pies!” Their winning pie on Good Morning America featured a gluten-free graham cracker crust, authentic Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime juice. Check out more of Mike’s Pies here.
