The recipe will remain the same. But the name of Milk Bar’s signature dessert is getting a change that some critics say is long overdue. Crack Pie — the trademarked name for the chain’s buttery, sugary pie — will now become Milk Bar Pie.
The name was a reference to crack cocaine — the gag being that the pie was just as addictive as the drug. But an increasing chorus of critics have pointed out that the name makes light of a serious drug epidemic, and one that had an outsize impact on the African American community. The callousness with which people throw around the word “crack” isn’t the same with other drugs. We don’t call any desserts “opioid pie,” even though those drugs, which claim predominantly white lives, are highly addictive, too.
Last month, the Boston Globe’s Devra First called out chef Christina Tosi’s use of the word in an essay titled “There’s nothing cute about crack pie.” “It is a moment to pay attention to the way we talk about food, to stop speaking lightly about addiction and equating it with deliciousness,” she wrote.San Francisco Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho put the word on her list of “Words you’ll never see me use in restaurant reviews,” writing, “No matter how delicious something might be, its effect on me is nothing close to what crack does to people and their families.” Ho also pledged not to use the term “addictive” in her writing.
In a statement on Milk Bar’s website, Tosi didn’t reference the reason for the term’s criticism, which irritated some critics. “Our mission, after all, is to spread joy and inspire celebration. The name Crack Pie falls short of this mission,” Tosi wrote in a note to her team. She wrote that the old name was “getting in the way of letting the gooey, buttery slice bring happiness — my only goal in creating the thing in the first place.”
Other restaurants that use the term “crack” have begun to abandon it, as well. The gastropub chain HopCat renamed its “crack fries” in December. “While the name Crack Fries was intended to be tongue-in-cheek, drug addiction is not a joke,” Mark Gray, CEO of BarFly Ventures, HopCat’s parent company, said in aYouTube video and blog post.“The drug crack has devastated many of the communities that we serve.”
The old name still has a few defenders on Twitter, but many people — including many in the food media — are applauding the change. Tosi’s statement said the new name will roll out in Milk Bar’s 16 bakeries in the United States and Canada in the coming weeks. A search for crack pie already redirects to Milk Bar Pie when you click on the official Milk Bar site.
FAQs
Founder Christina Tosi announced on their website that the dish would be renamed "Milk Bar Pie" in response to criticism that the name "crack pie" made light of drug addiction and the crack epidemic of the 1980s.
Why did Milk Bar change the name of Crack Pie? ›
The change comes after continued controversy, with the name's reported allusion to the addictive nature of crack cocaine, which decimated mostly African-American communities in the 1980s and '90s.
Where did Crack Pie get its name? ›
Crack Pie — the trademarked name for the chain's buttery, sugary pie — will now become Milk Bar Pie. The name was a reference to crack cocaine — the gag being that the pie was just as addictive as the drug.
What is the milk bar controversy? ›
Milk Bar's eight staffers at the Harvard Square shop voted to unionize “after nearly a year of unsavory work conditions, severe pay discrepancies, and a blatant steady decline in investment of its staff and physical space,” the statement on Instagram reads.
Is the Milk Bar Pie the same as Crack Pie? ›
Milk Bar Pie, also known as Crack Pie, is a dessert created by the American chef Christina Tosi in 2008 while working at the New York City restaurant wd~50. It became the signature dish of Tosi's bakery, Milk Bar.
Why is it called the milk bar? ›
With time, milk bars began to offer goods typically associated with grocery stores, while, according to Donnelly, the corner shops began to adopt the milkshake and therefore the title “milk bar;” from both ends, the milk bar essentially became a term to refer to a corner shop, akin to a deli or a bodega.
Why is it called a bar pie? ›
The cracker-thin crust pizza is usually served in bars where it's probably just called pizza, harkening back to an age before regional pizza styles became an object of food-nerd desire. The bar pie's domain is also not limited to solely bars, as restaurants like Via 313 Pizzeria in Austin attest.
How did pie get its name? ›
One source of the word "pie" may be the magpie, a "bird known for collecting odds and ends in its nest"; the connection could be that Medieval pies also contained many different animal meats, including chickens, crows, pigeons and rabbits.
Why did pie crack? ›
Those cracks you see in your pie are the result of overcooked eggs, eggs that have tightened up so much, in an uneven way, that they've created fissures in the filling.
How did meat pie get its name? ›
The etymology of the word is unknown, but may be related to the magpie (also called "pie"), perhaps because both were spotted, or because the bird collects miscellaneous articles, and almost anything can be wrapped in pastry and cooked.
The milk bars evolved and changed over time. Brought to our shores by Greek immigrants in the early thirties, they were not so much about food at first. Flavoured milk and sodas were served from long, hotel style bars to Australians seeking a bit of Hollywood glamour.
What is the name of the vintage milk sold at the milk bar? ›
Chateau Romani is a very expensive vintage Milk produced by the best of Romani Ranch's specially-bred Cows. It is exclusively sold at the Milk Bar at 200 Rupees per Bottle.
Why is milk controversial? ›
Dairy products, a source of beneficial dietary nutrients, have sparked controversy regarding their impact on cancer risk.
Why did Milk Bar rename Crack Pie? ›
In the letter addressed both to consumers and employees, Tosi writes that “the old name was getting in the way” of the bakery's core mission “to spread joy and inspire celebration” — essentially making people feel unwelcome. “While change is never easy, we feel this is the right decision,” she writes.
What is another name for Crack Pie? ›
Momof*cku Milk Bar Pie (also known as Crack Pie) is an utterly delicious recipe perfect for a sweet indulgence.
Can I freeze Milk Bar Pie? ›
If not serving the pies right away, wrap well in plastic wrap. In the fridge, they will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month. Transfer the pie(s) from the freezer to the refrigerator to defrost a minimum of 1 hour before you're ready to get in there.
What is another name for a Boston cream pie? ›
A Boston cream pie is a cake with a cream filling. The dessert acquired its name when cakes and pies were baked in the same pans, and the words were used interchangeably. In the late 19th century, this type of cake was variously called a "cream pie", a "chocolate cream pie", or a "custard cake".
Why is it called a milk bar Poland? ›
A bar mleczny (literally translated as "milk bar" from Polish) is a Polish cafeteria which during the Communist era provided government-subsidized traditional Polish cuisine at low cost. The name comes from cheese cutlets, which were often sold when meat was rare.
What was the milk bar in the 1950s? ›
In the 1950s, milk bars sold 73 per cent of Melbourne's confectionery, ice cream and soft drinks, and 33 per cent of its tobacco. The milk bar was more than just a mixed business; it played an important social role in the community.
