5 Guys and Pies

Most of y'all have probably heard of 5 Guys Burgers and that's because they're pretty darn good.  It's no frills, but there are several toppings to choose from - all free.  It's refreshing to grab a burger and not have to pay extra for the grilled mushrooms and onions that I believe are vital to a good meat/cheese/bun combo.  5 Guys was the perfect lunch to tote to the beach this weekend for the first warm weekend of the season.  Even more perfect was seeing the bulletin board of thank you notes by local kids.  Photos of my two faves are below:

After laying out (which in my case means getting a slight sunburn on my Casper-like legs) and digesting my massive bacon cheeseburger, I had to make a stop for dessert.  Tucked in the corner of a small shopping center in Norwalk, CT is Michele's Pies.  After seeing the walls plastered with blue ribbons, I had a feeling we were in for something special.  So did Bobby Flay, considering he chose Michele's Pies as his opponent in the November 2009 pumpkin pie throwdown.  Flay may have won the battle, but judging by the awards on the wall, Michele is winning the war.  We couldn't decide which to try, so we got 4:

• Banana Cream
• Tiramisu
• Banana Split
• Pear Apple Cranberry

I am weird and don't actually like whipped cream, so I rallied for the pear apple cranberry, which had a crust topping instead of whipped cream shell like the other 3.  My pie was delish, and if you took off the whipped cream, I thought the banana split was pretty fab.  Dave, on the other hand, loves whipped cream so he had a tough time deciding, but I think his fave was the banana cream.

My brother, Mark, and I are trying to cross all the NYC Throwdown restaurants off our list whenever they come to visit, but I just had to try this one without him.  Sorry, Bub.  At only $8, a 5 inch mini pie is the perfect dessert for two people, so if you happen to be in the CT neighborhood, it's definitely time to give Michele's Pies a try.