The pie contingent has ceded the popularity battle to the misguided sugar fiends who crave cupcakes, but they’re not letting up on the quality front. Foremost among local pie producers is Chris Porter, the talented baker behind A La Mode Pies, which last year opened its first retail shop. An A La Mode pie—whether hazelnut-marionberry, sour cherry, or strawberry-rhubarb—isn’t a fusillade of sweetness (ahem, cupcake partisans), and its buttery crust is always perfectly crisped. HANNA RASKIN 5821 Phinney Ave. N., 383-3796, alamodeseattle.com