Mama Said Hand Pies-Press Bay Alley — Restaurant in City of Ithaca

Spent last weekend in Ithaca to take advantage of the nice weather, ending up at the Argos Inn Saturday night. Plan was drinks and then somewhere else for dinner...but we spotted the temporary Mama Said Hand Pies booth in the parking lot and decided some appetizers would be in order. 2+ hours and 8 hand pies later we were happy and comfortably satisfied: what a find! These hand pies are delicious, each variety so varied in flavor and texture that they are literally each an adventure. The dough for each varies, but all are tender and flaky. I loved the Jamaican meat pies with the homemade hot sauce (which should be bottled and sold on-line or in stores it is so good); my wife loved the chickpea and swiss chard pies, and we both devoured a couple of the mushroom and Oaxaca cheese pies w/salsa verde. We wandered back to their stand and discovered smoked ham and cheese pies, so of course we had to try a couple, followed by wild blueberry tarts that finished what ended up being our dinner! If we had a place like this in our hometown we would be there frequently - there's a lot of love and attention in each pie.... hope you know how lucky you...

WOW! I mean. These are so good. If you haven't tried these yet, absolutely do yourself and your loved ones a huge favor and scoot on down to Press Bay Alley to get some! At this point, I've tried quite a few. They are ALL incredibly tasty. I'm a fan of more savory flavors and the potato Cheddar one, the poblano one and the mushrooms one are simply amazing. My mouth is literally watering just thinking about the rich delicious cheesy goodness...the flaky crust..and there's veggies in them so ya know, they're healthy! They have vegan options and gluten free ones too!! All yummy!! For sweet pies, I've had one with apples and a cherry one. Eeee! They are fantastic of course. Everyone I have shared Mama Said with has instantly been converted into a fan. They're the perfect...

These hand pies are absolutely divine and some of the best food in Ithaca! All of the pies have complex and delightful flavors paired with wonderful crispy and flaky crust. You gotta try them. Im not sure how its possible, but I think their crust is even more buttery, flakey and perfect every time I eat there. My favorite are the mushroom and Oaxacan cheese pies, the feta and chard pies and the Uzbek Mutton pies, but you cant go wrong. They have delicious vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options too.

Most all of their ingredients are local, and produced in environmentally friendly/ethical ways. You can really taste the quality.

The people who make the pies are lovely people, so make sure to say hi if there isn't...