Francisca Parra, bakery manager at Apple Dumplin's, has fun in the kitchen as she makes an apple pie. Parra is the bakery's secret weapon. Not quite ready to whip up a pie?
Lucky for us, the Inland area is home to a town full of apple pie, a few mom-and-pop favorites, big-name pie producers like Marie Callender's and even Mommie Helen's Bakery of Colton, a pie shop serving celebrities including Shaquille O'Neal and actress Angela Bassett. The small mountain community of Oak Glen, between Yucaipa and Beaumont, likely offers the most unique pie stop. The quiet community is covered with apple orchards with a handful of restaurants specializing in apple pies, including Apple Dumplin's on the historic Parrish Ranch.
Francisca Parra, 41, better known as chica by co-workers and friends, has been whipping up the from-scratch pies at Apple Dumplin's for 11 years. The crust is pinched perfect and not overly sweet. My secret is chica, said owner Sheri Ryan, who has owned the apple joint for five years.
People come up here for her pies. She could do it in her sleep. As Parra's fingers dance around the pie to form the fringed crust, it's evident she's no rookie.
They like it because it's sweet and big, she said modestly. During apple season, from the end of August to November, the restaurant pops out more than 150 pies a day with lines of customers waiting for the straight-out-of-the-oven treats. The eatery expects a boost in business for the Fourth of July.
The smell of the cinnamon and apple together gives you that hometown feeling. That homey atmosphere and comforting feeling are why Apple Dumplin's is a must when Janean Hamann, 56, of Moreno Valley, has guests in town. On a recent afternoon she and friend Rachel Crushshon, 56, of Minneapolis, enjoyed a slice together in the cozy restaurant.
I love to go out and chat over pie, Hamann said. It's relaxing and reminds me of home. Francisca Parra, bakery manager at Apple Dumplin's, has fun in the kitchen as she makes an apple pie.
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