pie o pié

My Spanish tutor, who's from mainland Spain (near the Portuguese border, I believe) just gave me a 'fill-in-the-blanks' type of test, where one question related to walking somewhere [blank] 'pie'. The options included 'a' and 'de'. I chose 'a', but she corrected me and said it should be 'de' for 'by foot'.

However, according to the Spanish Dict translator 'by foot' = 'a pie' while 'de pie' = 'standing'.

I don't wish to correct my Spanish tutor, whose Spanish is obviously, er, rather better than mine. However, why is this ? Is it a regional variation ?

Gracias por ayudarme

Adam Suonborai † (July 18, 2003 - February 17, 2019 [aged 15]), better known online as Pie Pivot-O (also known as Pie and Pivotmontier-O), was an American YouTuber who made YouTube Poops. Adam was an inspired YouTube Pooper and mostly created YTPs based on Shrek, SpongeBob, Sesame Street (just for a single video), Goosebumps, The Magic School Bus, as well as many others.

He also had a second channel called Pie PiBOT, which only contained one video uploaded on February 19, 2018, 13 days after the channel's creation.

In 2010, the original Pie Pivotmontier-O YouTube channel was launched. This channel was mainly centered around his animations. Later that year, he made his very first YTP (YouTube Poop), entitled Elmo Needs To Poop. Though not very many people viewed it, he continued making them regularly. This channel was terminated in mid 2011 for copyright infringement. Although he had already abandoned the account by then, he didn't make his return to YouTube until May 24, 2014. From that point until mid 2016, he posted slightly better, but still amateur, animations. These would soon be deleted as his channel gained popularity. From that point in 2016 onward, creating YouTube Poops became his main focus. This shift in content, the steady increase in quality, and consistent humor led to him amassing over 32,000 subscribers as of May 2019.

His videos from 2017 until his death were well received and have been noticed by large-scale creators such as Trudermark, EmpLemon, Dolan Dark, Charmx and Yoshimaniac. However, his inclusion of many unpopular opinions in his YouTube Poops have embroiled some viewers in harsh disagreements.

Adam passed away from suicide on February 17, 2019, at the age of 15. It was revealed that he suffered abuse from both of his parents which drove him over the edge. YouTubers like Charmx and Dolan Dark, among others, came out for their condolences to Adam, as well as many members of the YouTube Poop community.^[1]

On February 16th, 2019, it was reported that Pie committed suicide due to the abusive nature of his parents. A GoFundMe page was started by his older sister, Serena Suonborai. According to Serena, Pie had suffered pulmonary contusions, bruises, fractures, and internal bleeding, indicating that he had jumped off a building. Despite 7 hours of extensive surgery, he died. His death was described as sudden and unexpected. The following was said in the GoFundMe page. "Adam was a silly, funny, and creative brother to me and my family. He loved making videos and even had his own following on the internet (which will not be linked due to respect). I am very proud of Adam and his work. I love Adam so much."

Ralphie Cifaretto did a lot of fucked up shit on The Sopranos. Tony’s capo beat the shit out of one of the girls at the Bada Bing, he fucked over Paulie Walnuts and his volatile temperament pissed off Tony Soprano on a near-daily basis. But the final straw for Tony came after Ralphie torched the stables that housed his horse, Pie-O-My, because Ralphie didn’t want to pay her vet bills and he could collect the insurance money.

Tony loved that horse. Much like the ducks that had previously nested in his swimming pool, Pie-O-My touched that hidden bit of tenderness in the mob boss’ heart. So it’s no wonder that when Tony discovered what Ralphie had done, he strangled him to death in his own kitchen.

But that was just TV. In real life, Pie-O-My was played by a horse named Goldee and she’s still alive almost 20 years after Pie-O-My was killed on The Sopranos. I discovered this fact when the aptly named account @pieomyisalive popped up in my Twitter feed not long ago. 

After scrolling through the backlog of horse photos and Sopranos memes, I noticed where the account said it was located — Hudson Valley, New York, which also happens to be where I live. Of course, being so close to Goldee, I had to pay her a visit. So I made arrangements with her owner, grabbed the closest thing I owned to Napoleon’s hat and drove over to meet her in person. 

When I arrived, I was shocked to learn that Pie-O-My — aka Goldee — was living less than 10 minutes from where I grew up, just down the street from a place my mom used to take me and my brother for ice cream. There, Goldee resides on a beautiful, 10-acre clearing that consists of just a few fences and an old barn that’s currently being restored. She’s been here for less than three months, having moved from rented stables in New Jersey over the summer. In time, she’ll be joined by her owner, Kimberly Martin, who plans to build a farmhouse on the property.

Martin has a degree in equine reproduction from Colorado State University. When she was a child, she’d follow her neighbor to her riding lessons and watch from the sidelines. Eventually, her mother gave her $10 for a riding lesson, and she fell in love. “My mom didn’t have a lot of money, so I cleaned stalls and groomed horses, that’s how I was able to get lessons,” she tells me.

After college, she began caring for horses full-time. “I actually bred Goldee,” she says of the foal who would go on to be Pie-O-My. “I owned her mother and father, and Goldee was the first horse I bred and kept for myself. She never was my favorite horse to ride, though. She can be a stubborn redhead.”

Prior to The Sopranos, Martin had provided horses for the movie Fisher King, and when she heard they were looking for a horse for HBO, she sent in pictures of Goldee. In the show, the footage of the actual horse race was of a different horse, so when they were casting a horse for the stable scenes, they needed a close match. Goldee, in addition to having a great temperament, looked the part, though they did have to make some adjustments. “The horse in the race had only three socks, so we had to paint one of her socks with henna,” Martin explains. 

As for Pie-O-My’s co-stars, she says, “James Gandolfini was really polite, and he wasn’t afraid of her at all. He even played with her on set. I have a bunch of pictures of her with him.”

Just before the pandemic, she got to relive some of her Sopranos memories when she brought Goldee to SopranosCon, where she sold Pie-O-My T-shirts and had people pose for pictures with her. In particular, she says that everyone wanted to recreate the famous painting with Tony and Pie-O-My. I, of course, did this too:

She also sells Pie-O-My T-shirts online and offers fans the opportunity to go “Glamping with Pie-O-My” if you reach out to her on Facebook. “We have glamping here on weekends, so you can stay in a tent and grill and sit around the fire pit,” she explains. These kinds of ventures have become especially important since the pandemic hit and the event company Martin worked for shut down. “Hay is expensive,” she laments, “and we have to pay for a thousand bails of hay during this time of year. So I try to think of ways to raise money to care for my horses. Usually I pay for everything, but it’s been hard under COVID. I’ve used my life savings to take care of these horses.”

In addition to Goldee, Martin has nine other horses, all of which are rescues. Goldee spends most of her time with her best friend Candy, a small, 30-year-old pony. “Goldee really likes to take care of Candy — she protects her,” Martin tells me. However, Goldee does not get along with the male horses on the farm. “She’ll beat up the boys if they bother her,” Martin explains, so she lets the male and female horses go out on the grass separately. 

Carrots and apples are Goldee’s favorite treats and she also loves to eat clovers, but she’s currently on a special diet due to the fact that she has Cushing’s disease, which causes her to have trouble keeping on weight and regulating her body temperature. It’s a common ailment for horses, particularly when they get older, and while some horses can live into their 40s, Martin says that at 23, Goldee is getting up there in equine years. Fortunately, the new farm is Goldee’s forever home now, so it makes Martin feel really optimistic about her future.

Before I bid Goldee goodbye, Martin allowed me to brush her a bit. It crossed my mind to ask about riding her, too, but I abandoned the idea when Martin explained that — thanks to her age and her Cushing’s — Goldee’s riding days are long behind her. So I bit my tongue and let go of the fantasy I had of sitting atop Tony Soprano’s horse. After all, if I ever hurt Goldee in any way, I’m pretty sure that Martin would do me what Tony did to Ralphie. 

Pie-O-Neer Pies: U.S. Pieway 60, Pie Town, NM 87827

At Pieoneer Pies, we serve pie. It’s what we do best. Now it’s all we do.

Step up to the Pie Bar and select your favorite slice. Want it a la mode? We’ve got you covered. We’ve got great coffee and other drink selections too.

If you’re lookin’ for lunch, enjoy some pie. Or, we’ll have suggestions for you and you can take some pie to go.

Got a favorite pie? Call ahead and we’ll save you a slice.

Be sure to check our hours to make sure we’re open before making the drive!

See More Pie Pics!

Here are just a few all-time favorites: Apple, Apple Cranberry Crumb, Cheer-y Cherry, Starry Starry Blueberry Night, Very Berry, Peachy Keen. Our Cream Pies with Meringue are Prize Winners: Chocolate, Coconut and Banana. And of course, our signature Chile Pies: Chocolate Chess with Red Chile, New Mexico Apple with Green Chile and Pine Nuts, and Peach Green Chile!

What do you like? Call ahead and we’ll save you a slice!

We use only fresh or frozen fruit. No preservatives, very little sugar. Sugar-free available upon request.

We do make Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Signature Crust (yes, with lard) at this time.

We do ship pies… only by phone, yes it’s old fashion can’t wait to talk!

Take and Bake Pies. We make ’em, you bake ’em!

$6.50 per slice , $32.50 Whole Pie (tax not included).

$12.00 Small Batch 6″ Pies

We do Cu-Pie-Cakes too… yep cupcake size

Pie-O-My is Ralph Cifaretto's race horse.  Tony grows very fond of the horse, eventually referring to it as "our girl," in direct contrast to Ralph, who brusquely instructs the trainer – speaking of the jockey – to "tell that midget not to be shy with the whip." As Ralph continues to give Tony a "taste" of the prize earnings, Tony's growing expectation of an increasing share of the winnings creates tension between the two.

With vet fees for Pie-O-My piling up, the vet declines to give further treatment until he is paid. Ralph, however, refuses to take action when the horse becomes sick during the night, passing along Tony's number; Tony rushes to the stables and settles the bill. Tony tells the vet he'd better hope the horse "makes it" before going into the stall to sit with the animal, where he comfortingly strokes her neck, telling her that everything will be all right.

Pie-O-My later dies in a stable fire, which was deemed as accidental by the fire department; however, Tony believes Ralph set the fire intentionally to collect on the $200,000 insurance policy he and Ralph had on the horse. After going to the stables the morning the trainer calls and delivers the bad news and seeing Pie-O-My's corpse wrapped up and dragged away by a tractor, Tony goes to Ralph's house. Tony delivers the news to Ralph that Pie-O-My is dead. Ralph expresses his condolences to Tony, but does not seem to be particularly moved by the horse's death. He and Tony go into the kitchen where Ralph is preparing eggs on the stove. Ralph seems to be more focused on informing Tony of Justin's improving condition, but Tony keeps bringing the conversation back to the dead horse. When Tony theorizes Ralph could have set the fire intentionally to collect the insurance, Ralph angrily assures Tony he had nothing to do with it. Tony asks him if he had heard from Corky Ianucci lately - an expert arsonist who was responsible for setting Artie's restaurant on fire. Ralph gets enraged, saying that Tony doesn't care about him having to beat up innocent people just as long as he gets his money, and then makes a snide remark about him caring so much about a horse while he eats meat at his desk. In a furious rage, Tony punches Ralph, knocking him across the kitchen. The two scuffle briefly, with Ralph unsuccessfully defending himself with pots, pans, a knife, and Bug spray. The fight culminates with Tony shouting at Ralph as he strangles him and bashes his head against the kitchen floor until he finally dies. "She was a beautiful, innocent creature!" was yelled by Tony as he was bashing Ralph's head, although the killing of the Bada Bing stripper Tracee may also be a factor in this.

5th episode of the fourth season of The Sopranos

"Pie-O-My" is the 44th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the fifth of the show's fourth season. Written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, and directed by Henry J. Bronchtein, it originally aired on October 13, 2002.

Adriana realizes that her club is not hers: the back rooms are freely used by Tony and his crew for business. Her FBI handlers, including her new contact Robyn Sanseverino, are pressing for information. They tell her that Christopher is associating with dangerous criminals, and she can help him; they cause her to doubt what she believes, that Richie and Pussy disappeared because they entered witness protection. She gives away a little information about Patsy. At home, she relieves stress with an injection of Chris' heroin.

Janice is insinuating herself into Bobby's family life. She freezes out Mikey Palmice's widow JoJo. She serves the family Carmela's delicious lasagna, claiming it as her own. She urges Bobby to get over his grief—he might lose Junior's support. Bobby pulls himself together and completes a neglected task for Junior: meeting with a union shop steward to intimidate him into changing his vote in an upcoming election.

Tony and Carmela are still bitterly divided about money and investment. He refuses to sign the life insurance trust she proposes, having been advised it is too much in her favor. She receives a stock tip; when he comes up with the money, it is too late.

Ralphie's racehorse, "Pie-O-My," wins and he happily shares the winnings with Tony. Next time Tony, who has suggested the race tactics, requires an even bigger share, to Ralphie's chagrin. Tony begins to speak of "our" horse; Ralphie is less fond and resents the expense. Veterinarian's fees pile up, and one night when Pie-O-My is very sick the vet refuses further treatment unless he is paid. Ralphie refuses to act and passes along Tony's number; Tony rushes to the stables and pays. Then he goes into the stall and sits with the animal, gently stroking her neck, telling her that everything will be all right.

Pie: wrap anything in a buttery, flaky crust and it's probably going to taste pretty good. The folks over at O Pie O, a cutely-named bakery/restaurant in East Walnut Hills, hope our collective memories of this tasty treat will keep us coming back for more. We stopped by one evening to check out the neighborhood's newest venture.

For being situated in such a large building, O Pie O is surprisingly cramped with limited seating. It sports a clean, gray, upscale feel that fits well with the high price point. One slice of pie and a side item (which comes in a small ramekin) will set you back between nine and eleven dollars. Water comes in teeny tiny glasses that don't hold a lot but look good. This means you run out of water fairly quickly, praying you can make eye contact with the busy wait staff for a refill before a piece of dry crust gets permanently lodged in your throat.

O Pie O's menu is simple and abbreviated: smaller, in fact, than their wine and beer list. Available entrees include a slice of two available pies: in our visit, this was a choice between chicken pot pie ($11) or Greek quiche ($9). You can also choose a ham, cheddar and roasted bell pepper "pocket pie" with a cup of soup for $9. A pocket pie is about the size of a toaster strudel, only flatter.

Empanadas are also highlighted as a major player on the menu, with a Chilean beef and a corn/cheese offering. Alas, we were told they take 15-20 minutes to prepare. This immediately eliminated them as a viable option, which was very disappointing. O Pie O's got to do better on timing for a premier menu item if they hope to succeed. The rest of their menu is basically pre-made. So what are those multiple cooks doing that takes empanadas so long to prepare? Another problem with the empanadas is the size-to-price ratio. The waitress gestured to us the approximate size of one empanada. For $9, we were expecting something larger than only a few inches, but that wasn't the case.

After learning of the empanada wait, my girlfriend begrudgingly opted for the Greek quiche, along with a side of "Woodburn" chili that an owner told us is an old family recipe. The quiche comes filled with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and pine nuts. I chose the chicken pot pie, spurred by a childhood filled with eating the cheap, frozen variants. The slice comes filled with Amish chicken, Yukon potatoes, leeks, peas and carrots.

Both slices did look quite lovely when presented before us. A small side of pickled vegetables also accompanied each pie, which offered some acidity to cut through the heaviness, though we thought the combo didn't quite pair well with the quiche as much as it did the chicken pot pie. There are good crusts and bad crusts, and thankfully O Pie O's is the kind that compels you to eat slices crust-first: flaky, rich and delicious.

The chili was also quite good, with generous hunks of hamburger and beans, with an almost chocolately, mole-like finish. The flavor was good, but its smokiness became a bit overpowering after more than several bites. That didn't stop me from finishing both mine and my girlfriend's cup.

After a brief respite and tummy rub, we ventured to dessert. Slices of rhubarb, apple and pear were available, but we were more interested in ordering their signature, custardy Honey Vinegar pie, as well as a slice of seasonal Concord Grape.

The honey vinegar pie looked deceptively simple, with only its flecks of sprinkled salt hinting at the complex flavors within. The salt boosted the honey custard flavor and its playful, subtle bite of vinegar.

The Concord grape pie was intensely sweet and fruity, with a thick, sugary and thoroughly delicious crust. I declined the available scoop of Graeter's vanilla ice cream ($2), but a scoop of peanut butter ice cream would have been great, had they offered it --a fun take on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

O Pie O's pies are unquestionably very good, but some work needs to be done on executing their signature items and dealing with the cramped seating. And while the prices did seem steep for what was served, the innate heaviness of pie assures no one leaves hungry. We look forward to our next visit (possibly getting it to-go).

When Kathy Knapp closed the Pie-O-Neer and put it up for sale in March 2020, the Catron County wide spot known as Pie Town was left with a single pie source, The Gatherin’ Place.

She hoped that someone would buy the establishment and continue its storied legacy. Months went by without a serious offer.

And then when the owners of The Gatherin’ Place decided to retire at the end of 2020, it looked like tiny Pie Town would be left pie-less.

The thought of a town named after pie would be bereft of its namesake compelled Sarah Chavez, a pie baker at the Gatherin’ Place, to make a decision.

“When Mike and Jeanine Fowler made the decision to retire that would’ve meant there is no pie in Pie Town,” Chavez said.

To keep the pie in Pie Town, she and her husband, Danny, acquired The Gatherin’ Place in January 2020. “We changed the name to Pie Town Pies earlier this year.”

Fast forward to July, and a chance conversation between Chavez and Knapp developed into an agreement for Chavez to re-open the Pie-O-Neer.

“Kathy and I spoke. I did a little soul searching,” Chavez said. “So, I thought about it. My husband still thinks I’m crazy but, you know, that’s what keeps it all exciting. When we really started talking about it I said well, why don’t we do this.”

She had already started making changes at the Gatherin’ Place, changing the name, for instance to Pie Town Homestead to incorporate the vintage and second-hand business next door, and recruiting friends and neighbors to work part-time.

“I am fortunate to have a small army of local pie bakers who will work at one, or both places,” she said. ” I do not take it for granted. It is going to be a tough transition in the sense of living up to the reputation created for that little spot, the Pie-O-Neer. We will bake pies for both places at the Pie-O-Neer. But the food will stay down at Pie Town Pies, now Pie Town Homestead.”

First and foremost, Chavez said, is that Knapp has gifted her with all of her pie recipes.

“My heart has been from the very first to ensure that all the recipes stay as is,” she said. “The goal is to keep a real cool spin on it. We’re adding a wonderful coffee and barista service to it to expand a little and we’ll have cute little snacky items. But otherwise, we are keeping everything the same at the Pie-O-Neer. Recipes, the style of pie.”

Chavez said she likes to envision people coming in and staying awhile.

“When we moved here from Arizona I wanted something peaceful like you see on The Andy Griffith Show where folks come in and sit around. Like the barbershop in Mayberry,” she said.

“We’re definitely coming together. It’s very exciting to see everyone so passionate about it.”

Pie Town has been known for pies since the 1920s, when World War I veteran Clyde Norman began selling dried apple pies at a little stand at the Continental Divide on U.S. 60, then known to travelers as the Coast to Coast Highway. A small community sprang up and residents started campaigning for a post office in “Pie Town.” However, the U.S. Postal Service felt the name was beneath the dignity of the department, but locals persisted and in 1927 the name Pie Town became official.

Over the last two decades, Pie Town, New Mexico has seen a resurgence of popularity.

The eateries have been featured in travel documentaries and national publications, such as Smithsonian Magazine.

The Smithsonian article profiled some of the history of Pie Town through the 1940 lens of photographer Russell Lee. The story also looked at some of the old-timers in the area, as well as Kathy Knapp’s Pie-O-Neer.

Some 600 Russell Lee photographs of Pie Town are archived at the Library of Congress, and seven of those are included in the article, one featuring the late “Pop” McKee.

The photographs captured the daily life of Pie Town residents in 1940.

It wasn’t long before vacationers – as a direct result of the article – begin planning their trips deliberately so they can drop by Pie Town to see what it’s all about.

One of the more unusual incidents concerned a cross-country drive just for pie.

“A man who lived in Oregon read the article and wanted to come,” said a former pie baker. “But his wife didn’t want to, so he said he just got in his car and drove down. He came in and ordered a meal and piece of pie, and then turned around and drove back to Oregon.”

Chavez said also in the works is expanding the vintage shop in the garage adjacent to Pie Town Homestead.

“It’s an old vintage double door garage building. It’s sort of a passion project to get that up and going and it’s got a really cool look to it,” she said.

Chavez spends her free time going through recycled stuff that people just don’t have a use for.

“I’m a picker. I have no shame. I’m a dumpster diver. The people at the Quemado dump laugh at me when they see me coming

,” she said “We found an old vintage street light, a red-yellow-green street light, that someone had just thrown out. And I’m like, are you kidding me?

“We’ve done a lot of research for folks, too,” she said. “If they have something they’re not sure of, we’ll get out there and research if it does have some value. So, we can get some money in their pockets.”

Over at The Pie-O-Neer, Chavez has plans of turning the small room next to the dining area into e a full-time music room. “A unique nook area where people can have some fun.

“Right now we’re looking to get a piano in there,” she said.

With a target opening date of the first weekend in August, Knapp said customers are assured of the same Pie-O-Neer pies that have made the restaurant famous.

“Sarah brings her love of baking and serving others to the Pie-O-Neer, and I couldn’t be happier to hand over the rolling pin,” she said. “She’ll continue using our recipes and we’ll assist through transition, but she’ll take it from there.”

Knapp said the revitalization of the place takes her back to the late 1990s.

“I see myself – about 20 years ago – in Sarah,” she said. “Same drive and determination to make people happy. Her professional food-service background and ability to visualize the future is exactly what the Pie-O-Neer needs going forward. My partner Stanley King and I are excited about the possibilities she’ll explore.”

She said Chavez is already an experienced pie-baker.

“Her wonderful team of experienced local ladies makes this all the more exciting,” Knapp said.

“Updates will be posted on the Pie-O-Neer Facebook page and website. We hope everyone will show Sarah the same ‘Pie love’ they showed us because it’s what makes the pies so good!”