Marionberry Pie (Vanilla Ice Cream)
Crust: 7/10; the edges were just a hair burnt, but the top and bottom portions had a respectable flavor and broke well with a fork.
Ice Cream: 5/10; standard Breyer’s vanilla does the job, but it’s the Kia Forte of ice creams – yeah, it’ll get you there, but wouldn’t you rather be in a Tesla, or at the very least a Honda Civic?
Filling: 8/10; much like huckleberries (featured in a number of previous postings in Montana), marionberries have a singular quality of being unique to a particular region, and thus increase interest over a standard, say, blackberry or blueberry confection.
Presentation: 7/10; as noted above, the burnt edges of the crust lost this otherwise well-displayed slice some points, but the deep color of the marionberries seeping out from underneath the top crust, coupled with the kitschy plate border, won it back some esteem.
Taste: 7/10; ignore the scoop of dairy and singed edges and dive straight into the heart of this pie – the marionberries carry the day for an otherwise average overall package.
Overall: 34/50; 3.5 slices – My patience with sub-par ice cream offerings wanes rapidly, but the marionberries compensate much more effectively than a 5’2″ gentleman in a lifted doublecab pickup truck.
