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Speaking of apple pies, I made one this Sunday for dessert. It was really good. Of all the frozen pies I've tried, Marie Callender's are the best. I love the apple crumb pie. In a pinch, I served it for dessert one night with some vanilla ice cream and my guests thought I had baked it. I had to confess it was frozen, but they all loved it. Marie's frozen pot pies (chicken with broccoli & mushroom sauce - my personal favorite) and dinners are also very good. I agree with wunami that they attempt to make their frozen products as close to their original recipes as possible.

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...$$$

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).

@downhillguru: Not microwaved. It's actually baked for 45ish minutes in the oven just like the rest of them, but it might as well be zapped in the microwave, since either way it tastes like a dead pie.

@pizzafreak, L.A. Pizza Maven, & egadman:

Count me in! A vehicle needs four wheels.

@L.A. Pizza Maven

I live in Studio City. donbirra@pacbell.net

Oh, Adam, sigh. . .the things we must do to earn a decent living. . .I'm not being sarcastic about the pizza reporting--I'm referring to having to navigate airport terminals, and being force to wait in long lines just to be able to take off your shoes in public.

We take a train trip to Portland from Seattle at least once a year. Even though we're old, we go for the nightlife. And Voodoo Donuts, and to check out the Mother of the Month at Mother's. We've never tried pizza in Portland, and based on your comments, I'm glad we never did. Thanks for the heads-up.

@Adam Kuban: There does seem to be a yellow tinge to the pizza pics. I compared them to the shots I had taken at Ken's, and the difference in color is pretty noticeable, particularly on that bacon pie. It seems like the reds were toned down.

Looks like I have to get up to Portland..those pies look like they used curry powder as a topping...is that pizza vindaloo?