99 bake from scratch
MRS. ROWE’S FAMILY RESTAURANT
AND BAKERY
74 Rowe Rd., Staunton, Virginia
mrsrowesrestaurantandbakery.comLocals called the late Mrs. Mildred Rowe “the Pie Lady,” and rightly
so. Mrs. Rowe’s has been drawing travelers off I-81 for decades, all for
a taste of the bakery’s famous pies. Located just a few minutes off the
interstate, Mildred kept her diner stocked with pies handmade daily
from recipes she developed. She’d weave through the dining room
smiling at customers, reminding them to always “order dessert fi rst!”
This wasn’t just a catchphrase. Changing seasonally from fresh peach
to pecan fudge pie, the pies at Mrs. Rowe’s are so delicious that they
sell out fast. Now that Mildred is gone, the next generation carries the
torch and continues to keep the diner stocked with more than 100 of
Mildred’s best-selling recipes. Recommended by one of our founding
editors, Mrs. Rowe’s is well worth planning into your next road trip.CROWD FAVORITE: the Coconut Cream Pie, with a velvety
custard fi lling and a sky-high meringue topping.KRUTA BAKERY
300 St. Louis Rd., Collinsville, Illinois
krutabakery.comRenowned for its traditional Russian sweets, Kruta
Bakery was by far one of the most highly recommended
bakeries by readers—and for good reason. Family-owned
and -operated since 1919, the bakery was founded by
Frank Kruta Sr. when he emigrated from Russia to East
St. Louis, Illinois, and has been passed down through
four generations of Krutas. The family ensures that the
bakery stays true to its roots by keeping the pastry cases
packed full of jammy kolaches and boozy stollen. Even
though Kruta Bakery is renowned for authentic Russian
fare, the crowds also go wild for the Peanut Coff ee Cake
and Gooey Butter Cake.CROWD FAVORITE: Cream Horns, a Russian
specialty made of a log of puff pastry fi lled with pastry
cream and dusted with confectioners’ sugar.