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Monica was born and raised in
Naples. Her parents, John and Katherine Clark were both
teachers at Naples Central School, they bought the Boat Livery
located in a little settlement called Woodville about four miles
north of Naples, on the South end of Canandaigua
Lake, when Monica was 3 years old. From then on summers
were spent at the lake and when she was older, working at the
Boat Livery and cooking with her mother in the small restaurant
they ran there. It was here that Monica continued to learn how
to cook and bake, her mother always made her feel comfortable
and welcome in the kitchen. Katherine's pies were well known
even then: locals, fishermen, and boaters came week after week
for a piece of the wonderful pies. The ground work was laid for
what would come to be Monica's Pies.
Monica started making grape
pies in the fall of 1983 when Concord grapes were not in demand
because of the popularity of white wines. It was a way to use
the family grape crop and for her to stay at home with her young
family. The first couple of years Monica and her mother made
their pies in her mothers kitchen and sold them right outside
the door at a roadside stand on busy State Route 21. Their motto
was “Try before you Buy.” Monica and her mothers' pies were very
popular and they soon outgrew the kitchen and moved on to the
basement A.K.A: "The Pie Kitchen." This seemed to suffice until
Katherine decided it was time to sell her home. Monica did not
want to give up the pie business, so she bought a four story
barn on Route 21, not far from her mothers place and renovated
it into her new pie kitchen, shop and an apartment for her
mother. The move was a good one and not long after they moved
into the “Pie Barn,” Monica got a call from The Food Network's
Food Finds Show wanting to do a feature on her grape pies.
Needless to say, national exposure was good for the pie
business!!
The latest news for Monica and
her mother is a co-endorsement with Pfaltzgraff for their
Perfect Pie Plate!! Keep watching, we will let you know how it
goes!
Monica Schenk of Monica's
Pies
The Finger Lakes region of upstate New
York is considered the grape capital of the world and Monica
Schenk is the local town’s grape pie queen. The grape is the
unofficial trademark of Naples, NY and using the abundance of
locally grown grapes to make pies has been a tradition since the
1960’s. Monica, born and raised in Naples, turned the Finger
Lakes tradition and her love of baking into an incredibly
successful business more than 20 years ago. Today,
Monica’s Pies, bakes over 25 varieties of pies and
sells 10,000-15,000 yearly.
Katherine, Monica’s mother, inspired
Monica’s passion for cooking and especially baking at a young
age. Mother and daughter went into business together baking
grape pie out of their home kitchen and selling it, based on the
honor system, at a road side stand. The response was
overwhelming and today Monica’s Pies
has expanded into a four-story “pie barn” where all baking is
still done by hand on the premises.
Monica’s Pies is a
family owned and operated business – her mom is the “crust
expert,” her husband is in charge of the grapes, her kids attend
to the customers in the shop and fold the pie boxes, and Monica,
along side two other “pie ladies,” makes her signature pie
fillings. In addition to pies, a variety of jellies, jams,
conserves, and gift items are available in the shop, open seven
days a week, and may be ordered by calling (585)374-2139 or
online at
www.monicaspies.com, shipped anywhere within the continental
United States.
In addition to being featured on the Food
Network, Monica’s is currently teaming up with The Pfaltzgraff
Co., the nation's leading brand in high-quality casual
dinnerware and tabletop accessories for the home, as a “Pie
Expert” to help launch the new Perfect Pie Plate,
the ultimate baking tool for perfect results every time. |
Grape Pie's in Season Every Fall at New York Stomping Grounds
 MOST
FOLKS have never had grape pie, which is a pity. But you can
make amends during fall in New York's Finger Lakes area, where
grape pie is king! For sheer flavor, I'll stack grape pies
against cherry, apple or blueberry pie any- time. And one of
the best places to get grape pie is the village of Naples,
nestled near the southern end of Canandaigua Lake. Acres and
acres of vine- yards cover the hills on either side of town In
autumn, the trees blanketing the hills turn spectacular
colors, and grape harvest begins. Some of the crop be- comes
jams, jellies, wines and juices. But literally tons of grapes
are made into pies, tarts or even breads.
Each year, I make the trip to buy goodies from a dozen or so
local bakeries. Some operate only for the 4- to 6- week-long
harvest period. Each baker has a favorite recipe, so there are
differences in flavors and textures. I like Monica's on State
Highway 21, where it's fun to watch owner Monica Schenk at
work. During the fourth full weekend of September (28- 29 in
2002), Naples hosts an annual Grape Festival. There's lots of
food, entertainment and crafts - even a grape stomping
contest. Naples is about 50 miles southeast of Rochester at
the junction of State Highways 21 and 53.
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