Say hello to Ruth Anne Leach!
Pie Bar Superlative: Most likely to adopt the surfer lifestyle, because she’s so chill.
Radical, Dude.
Ruth “ain’t from around these parts,” and in fact, hails from the great state of Illinois! She grew up in a suburb of Chicago, so she knows a thing or two about “pie”. (hehehe ..I know you are all groaning at this joke..but I don’t care.)
After high school, Ruth knew that attending a traditional 4-year college wasn’t the right path for her, so instead, she enrolled at the Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, and headed down south! Two years of brûlée-ing, whipping, and mixing went by quickly, and after graduating in 2012, she married a boy and decided to stay.
She is our resident pie-filling maker and dough handler, so in an effort no to disturb her work, I pulled up a chair and got down to brass tacks. Below is the transcript from our conversation.
LB: Why did you decide to stay in Georgia after culinary school?
RL: I met my husband, Jeff, while I was in school. He was a police officer for the City of Atlanta at the time, so I knew if I wanted to marry him, we would be sticking around Georgia for a while.
LB: Why did you decide to work with food?
RL: I realized pretty early on that I enjoyed baking. I took a Home Economics course in high school, and I loved it! When it came time to graduate high school, I knew I wanted to be involved in the food industry, and recalling on my love of baking, I decided to focus on pastry.
LB: What is your favorite thing to bake at home?
RL: Oreo Cheesecake!
LB: New York Style, I presume?
RL: I would have to go with the more refined style…Chicago Style Cheesecake.
LB: Is that a real thing or are you messing with me?
**LB googles Chicago Style Cheesecake**
**RL gives LB smug look**
LB: Next question.
LB: What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
RL: hum…I am going to go with nachos.
LB: What a refined palette you have.
RL: Well, I use liquid cheese.
LB: Because shredded cheese on nachos is absurd.
RL: Correct.
LB: What food would you choose if you were on death row and it was your final meal?
RL: I would want a Chicago style hot-dog, fries, and chocolate milkshake from Portillos.
LB: Good choice. That way you won't feel the indigestion that will surely come after that meal.
LB: What is your favorite Pie Bar pie to eat?
RL: The Cannoli Pie that Baker Sarah invented!
LB: Yay!! I think it is definitly going to be a popular one!
LB: Why did you choose to work at Pie Bar?
RL: When I graduated from culinary school, I took a job working in the industry. I quickly became burnt out, and transitioned to a job outside of food for a few years. However, after a few years of working away from the food industry, I knew I wanted to get back involved. I saw that Pie Bar was hiring and was excited because Pie Bar is a locally owned, small business.
LB: What is an interesting fact about you?
RL: My family polka dances at Christmas.
LB: And what does that mean?
RL: The only way to describe it is very lively dancing.
LB: What is your favorite shop or restaurant in Downtown Woodstock?
RL: Pure! I love their queso.
LB: AGAIN, WITH THE CHEESE!?!?
RL: It’s a problem.
LB: What is a funny anecdote about yourself that you are willing to share?
RL: I met my soul-mate in Georgia, even though both of us are Georgia transplants from the Midwest.
LB: That’s adorable.
RL: I know.
Many thanks to Ruth L. for allowing me to dive a little deeper into her psyche. We love our staff and we are so proud to call her a Pie Bar Team Member.