THE CLAREMONT DINER: DIVINE PIE

I'm not a pie devotee. I make a pie crust that a shoe repair shop would welcome. But, once in a while, a pie offering intrigues me. The Claremont Diner in Berkeley, CA has an in-house pie magician who turns out about four different temptations daily. I succumbed to her Chocolate Rum Raisin Pecan Pie. It was to die for! Flaky crust, plump rummy raisins, a gooey but not overwhelming chocolate filling topped by pecan halves. I like this place, with its railroad trains whizzing around up near the ceiling (check the photo). It's clean, economical, serves generous portions - try the baby hamburger plate, you'll waddle away from the counter - the staff is friendly and if you sit at the counter you can watch the cooks do their stuff. I love sitting at the counter. The Claremont Diner's my go-to place when I'm in Berkeley; I'll even make a special trip for that pie (but only from 9 AM to 9 PM). It's been under the same ownership for decades. Now if I can just talk them into opening earlier!