Writer: Karla Walsh

Kristen Daily and Andrea Piekarczyk's relationship began at work, bonding over a curry-spiced pastry Piekarczyk brought to the office. That led to cooking, baking and sharing meals together. And in 2019, they married. Today, that baking hobby is a business, Pie Bird Pies, which serves up seasonal pies made by hand at home.

Daily is the full-time baker, while Piekarczyk is the creative force behind their signature intricate crusts, like flower-adorned toppings or signature lattice pride pies. Inspired by the pride flag, “the rainbow pies were born of a desire to give back to organizations that are important to us, while creating something beautiful and delicious,” Piekarczyk says. They first baked up a batch during summer 2020 as a fundraiser for One Iowa's gala and silent auction, and since then their pride pastries have raised more than $7,000 for local LGBTQ nonprofits.

“Pie is love, and pie is meant to be shared. Pride pies take that to a whole new level,” Daily says. “They are a clear way for us to be out and proud as queer business owners. We have met so many parents of LGBTQ kids who get pie to celebrate their kids and their identities. As a queer woman who grew up in a small town that wasn’t accepting of gay folks, I didn’t come out until my mid-20s. It makes me indescribably happy to see LGBTQ kids being celebrated and embraced by their families and community.”

As a result of all their advocacy and fundraising efforts, Piekarczyk and Daily were awarded with the inaugural Community Partnership Award at this month’s 12th annual One Iowa gala.

Since the variety of full-sized pies, slices, galettes, gluten-free mini pies and hand pies they bring to the Beaverdale Farmers Market every week are in such high demand, Pie Bird Pies is not currently accepting online orders. But after the market season wraps up on Sept. 14, they’re planning a few local pop-ups this fall, and you can keep up with all future events and ordering opportunities by following the brand on Instagram at @piebirdpies or on facebook.com/piebirdpies.

This story will appear in the September/October issue of dsm, which will be released tomorrow evening. Check out all the stories at dsmmagazine.com after 6 p.m. tomorrow!

Writer: Karla Walsh

If you're heading up to Ames these next couple of weeks to watch the Cyclones face some in-state foes (Northern Iowa on Saturday; Iowa on Sept. 11), fuel up at these restaurants.

Bar La Tosca (303 Welch Ave., Ames; barlatosca.com)
You might recognize the name from its previous location on Main Street, but now the eatery shares a space with the Campustown coffee shop Stomping Grounds. Come lunch and dinnertime, small plates steal the show and provide a communal dining experience. Order a bottle of wine to share or sample cocktails as you split an antipasto plate, goat cheese and local mushroom toast, and marinara-smothered beef and pork meatballs. If entrees are more your style, give the ricotta gnocchi or grilled pork loin a go.

Cornbred (526 Main St., #106, Ames; cornbredbbq.com)
In early 2021, a Facebook post about their now-famous 1 1/2-pound cinnamon rolls nearly broke the internet. But that’s not the only creation on the menu at this barbecue spot in the old railroad depot downtown. For brunch, dig into the cheddar-chive biscuit and brisket or the “porffle,” a pulled pork and egg-crowned cornbread waffle. At dinner, order the slow-roasted burnt ends or turkey by the half-pound along with sides like cornbread pudding, fries, sweet corn salad or the creamy, cornflake-topped “hallelujah potatoes.”

Find the rest of this story online.

The schedule is shaping up for the upcoming World Food and Music Festival on Sept. 17-19. The Original Wailers will be the headlining act, featuring Al Anderson, an original member of Bob Marley and the Wailers, at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, on the main stage.

Other main stage performances include the Dick Danger Band (8 p.m. Sept. 17), a seven-piece cover band that plays top hits from Bruno Mars to Phil Collins, Jimi Hendrix and Prince. Ace Jones (11:30 a.m. Sept. 18) is a singer-songwriter from Marion who touches on all kinds of genres, like pop rock, pop and even country.

Find the full music lineup here. You can also see the dozens of food vendors here, including a few we highlighted in a story last month.