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Delicious Orchards pies have always been very good, but not exactly convienient to NYC. One of the best pies in NYC is without a doubt the ones from The Little Pie Company of NYC. They've gone up in price quite a bit in the last two years, and their satelite store in Grand Central is no more, but that shouldn't dissuade you from braving mid-town. (Their sour cherry is to die for!)

There are some other excellent pies as well, such as the one's from Two Little Red Hens on the UES in the 80's, and the Lexington Candy Shop nearby also has a very good ones, but their's has to be ordered ahead of time as they come from a bakery in Southampton. Of course one can always go to Payard for a Tarte Tatain...$$$

Agree with one of the above posters that Jumbo on 2nd Ave. (Manhattan) extremely underrated, and that both H&H & Ess-a-Bagel horribly overrated. Tal (a chain) is pretty decent. David on 1st Ave. had a great pumpernickel. And there's actually a good bagel now in North Brooklyn: Baker's Dozen, on Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. But for me, the number-one bagel is "Hot Bagels" on 79th st. & Metropolitan in Middle Village.

We love Marie Callender's pies as well as the ones from Sam's club/Walmart. Surprisingly large and hearty is the pie they have and I'm not sure if it's Sam's or Great Value, since our Walmart only had it for a short time. It was great!

I cooked half of one in a mixed vegetable dish and it added serious heat.
I use habaneros in chili, in hot Mexican cheese dip (which is a big holiday pot luck winner, half the folks at most parties love it the other half won't taste it) and in omelets. I will use the Bhut peppers in those . I got a few from a friend who grew them I am going to dry them out and try to plant the seeds next spring to grow my own.
Hot pepper does stimulate stomach acid so if you have an ulcer it can make it worse but it doesn't actually burn the skin, just stimulates the pain and heat receptors in the nerves to fool the body into thinking it is being burnt. The heat and pain receptors use the same nerve fibers so both are stimulated at the same time. Blistering from hot peppers is a result of the body being fooled so it is not really common. No flesh is actually being harmed by the hot pepper you just think it is. It is very true (from bitter experience) that the peppers do pass through into the stool and eliminating them can be VERY painful.

I love those microwavable chicken pot pies that come in the paper pie pan. I mean...they aren't the most terrific chicken pot pies by a long shot, but in college when my dorm had one kitchen and I had a microwave in my room, it was pretty good for a random snack. Ah nostalgia.

I've heard Marie Callendar's generally tries very hard to get their frozen stuff to be close as possible to the stuff made in their restaurants. So I'm not surprised they beat out the other "classics" but perhaps a little surprised about the other pies (but not so much after your descriptions).

ahhh ok, the paper pie pan threw me off for a second.

but still.. gross.

Personal Favorites:

Brooklyn: Montague Street Bagels
Manhattan: Ess-a-Bagel

Favorite used to be Bagel Zone (Ave A between 3rd St & 4th St), until they changed their name and stopped baking their own. Was the perfect bagel -- crisp on the outside, soft and bready on the inside...I'd pay a ridiculous premium just to taste one again.

I loooooooove pie crust unplugged, especially hot, with a glass of ice cold (whole) milk. I usually make a two crust recipe even if I just need one for a pie so I can have a special treat.

Bear Republic's Rye is great bottled, but we sell it on tap at my work, and it's a deliciously hopped ale, but I can only imagine its depth were it served on cask. Anybody hear of that being done?

I totally ignore the fruit - especially when its way too gooey. I'm a crust eater all the way.

When you told her, your mother was suprised that people like to eat filling and crust together?!? :-| Shouldn't an artifice at least serve a purpose and be a little less obviously contrived?

Oh I have been doing this for years! I used to joke that I performed "stealth surgery" on pies because I could hit the dessert table at family Christmases or Thanksgivings and remove 2 slices worth of crust, leaving behind most of the filling, and no one realized what I was doing:)
If fillings are made with good, fresh fruit and not loaded w/ sugar, I'll eat them. But all too often, I'd take a bite and realize the apple or cherry filling was canned. Not wasting calories on that, thanks!