A la Mode Pies opens Ballard location

Ballard has just gained another bakery: A la Mode Pies just opened its third location in the neighborhood.

The new pie shop opened yesterday at 2034 NW 56th St in the former Parfait Ice Cream location. Owner Chris Porter told My Ballard that when he found out that the owner of Parfait wanted to close, he saw a great opportunity to grow his offerings with more ice cream.

“We’ve been wanting to expand our ice cream line and along with the space we acquired Parfait’s pasteurizer, which will allow us to truly make our ice cream base from scratch,” Porter said. “It’s a win, win.”

Porter opened his flagship A la Mode in Phinney Ridge in 2011, adding another location in West Seattle in 2016. He tells My Ballard that the Phinney Ridge location will be forced to close in 2023 because the building is slated to become low-income housing. He said they’ve been invited back to the corner location when the new building is completed, but he didn’t want a lapse in business in North Seattle during construction.

“Opening in Ballard means A la Mode Pies will never go dark during the construction process. We love the Ballard / Phinney Ridge neighborhood – the community has supported us for years and we want to continue to produce the ‘best pies in Seattle’ for many years to come.”

With apasteurizer at the new location, Porter said he’ll be able to refresh their ice cream base, make it completely from scratch using only six ingredients. “We’re also expanding our PiesCream line (think Ben & Jerry’s but pie) with flavors like Bourbon Butterscotch, Spiced Apple, Holiday Pumpkin and Blue Hawaiian,” Porter said.

“I’ve always dreamed of opening a bakery in Ballard. Having grown up in Seattle, Ballard has always been a mecca for the best local brands in Seattle. There’s a strong foodie culture in Ballard – it’s a magical place and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

The cafe is now open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Photos: Chris Porter