Give Thanks, Eat Pie
Photos by Donna Campbell
Due north of Lynchburg, on the Virginia byway known as State Route 130, is tiny, unincorporated Elon, Virginia. Here the road dips and rises, passing a prominent knoll where four tall chimneys and a cupola rise atop a 13,000 square foot stone mansion, built in 1942 for the founder of Dillard Paper Company. This is rural Amherst County, long known for its apple orchards and nearby Sweet Briar College. Today, much of the rolling landscape is being given over to grapes and hops, as new vineyards and a string of breweries extend up US 29 toward Charlottesville.
But one historic establishment, Woodruff’s Café and Pie Shop, still holds a precious and rare history of family enterprise that goes back to the 1950s, Here James and Mary Fannie Woodruff launched a country grocery and gas station at the corner of East Perch Road. The Woodruff family—five children and their parents—lived above the grocery, which was heated by a woodstove and drew locals for long visits and essential supplies. The operation thrived for 30 years and closed in 1983. James Woodruff died in 1998.
It was then that Angela Woodruff Scott, the youngest of the siblings, came up with the idea of a pie shop. Her mother Mary Fannie, then 82, agreed, and jumped right in. Older sister Darnelle and her twin sister Darnette also joined the operation. They still spar, tell family stories, and compete for laughs from customers in the Pie Shop.
“See that picture?” Darnelle says, pointing to one of many family photos on the dining room walls. “That’s us with our Daddy. My sister is the one with her nose in the air!”
The story goes that when their maternal grandmother Hattie learned that her daughter was expecting twins, she wanted the first born—if it was a girl—to be named for her. The babies were delivered at home by a country doctor. When the first baby emerged, she was still, eyes closed, and making no sounds. The doctor, named Leon, rushed the baby out to the porch and dipped her in a bucket of ice water to revive her. She finally cried out. By contrast, the second child, arrived kicking and screaming. Their feisty grandmother said, “Name that second one after me!”
Hattie Darnelle was thus christened for her grandmother while Leona Darnette was named for the doctor who revived her. “If we had been born in a hospital back then in 1951, they might not have tried to save Darnette,” Darnelle said. From the beginning, Darnelle insisted that both girls have a feminine “e” added at the end of their names to avoid any confusion about their gender.
Today, both storytelling and pie-making have evolved as high art in the Woodruff family. The available selections of dessert change by the day of the week and by the season. Because of the abundance of local apples, the Woodruff sisters offer several kinds—plain Apple, French Apple, Peach/Apple, and Caramel Apple.
Then there’s Buttermilk, Coconut, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chess, Key Lime, Lemon Chess, and something called Almond Delight with chocolate drizzled on top. To buy a whole pie, you must order at least 24 hours in advance or take what’s available. Woodruff’s also ships. The five-dollar slices in the shop are always set out on a tempting rack beside the ordering station. The abundance of choices is staggering. So many pies—especially fruit—are seasonal, so Woodruff’s requires more than one visit.
“You know it’s mostly about the pie,” Angela says with a luminous smile, “but we had to offer a few sandwiches and some soup so folks can have a little lunch before they get to the dessert.”
The most popular lunch, she explains, is a cup of soup and a half sandwich made with their homemade chicken salad, lettuce, and tomato. The chicken is finely shredded, smooth and moist, flavored with pickle and a hint of pecan. The homemade pimiento cheese is also very satisfying—perky with red pepper and served with lettuce and tomato. Smoked turkey with provolone is the third sandwich on the menu. All come on a ciabatta bun or in a whole grain wrap. An Angus burger and a Nathan’s hot dog round out the offerings.
The soup of the day varies, but Brunswick stew, made with a smoky grilled chicken, is always on the menu. It features a light tomato broth, rich with vegetables and not too heavy. Most folks apparently go for the half sandwich and soup to leave room for the main event. Take out business is also brisk. I only counted 20 seats—all filled—in the small dining room with a couple of open tables outside.
Our lunch group unanimously declared the pecan pie as the best we’ve ever eaten, and that’s saying something from three pecan pie fanatics who are seasoned veterans. The emphatic taste of toasted pecans won the day, and the chef’s light hand with the sugar cinched the prize. No Karo syrup sticky sweetness here. Indeed, none of the pies we tried were overly sweet. We noted that all of Woodruff’s fruit pies can be ordered with double crust or a crumble crust. There are also several icebox pies with meringue on the menu.
It would be the next day before we sampled the sweet potato fried pie we took with us. It was bigger than a large man’s hand and wrapped in a paper sleeve showing slight grease stains. I’m pretty sure the pastry was a hot water dough made with Crisco. The creamy sweet potato filling was expertly dosed with a tiny bit of spice so subtle I can only say with certainty that it was not cinnamon. These ladies cook with a delicious restraint! Although restraint is hardly a word to be used in the realm of pie eating, I suppose.
Sated and delighted, we sat for a while watching the happy comings and goings at Woodruff’s. Beside our table on the wall was a handsome portrait of the matriarch, Mary Fannie Burton Woodruff. It was she who first fostered the joy and hospitality that still spills out the door at Woodruff’s. Mary Fannie, originally from nearby Salt Creek, not only worked in the pie shop but continued her role as pianist at the nearby Chestnut Grove Baptist Church for a total of 60 years. She was a happy greeter, storyteller, and hymn singer. When she died in 2021 at the age of 104, her passing was noted by Al Roker on the TODAY Show.
It is so rare to find such a long-running rural treasure along the road these days. You won’t be sorry if you make the pilgrimage:
How did you find this place? I’ve been making Mississippi Pecan Pie forever (from the NYT). We all love it. Pecan pie needs a dollop of liquor to cut the sweetness!
Reading this makes me want to take a trip to Va just so I can stop by this place !! You had me at pecan pie!!! All the pies sound delicious! Thanks for sharing!