(From left to right: Nalatie Galatzer, Krystin Rubin, Tamara Palmer, Rachel Cole)
At first thought, the life of a Pie or Die judge might seem fortunate, envy-worthy, perhaps an overall walk-in-the-park dream. Don’t be so hasty to judge these judges! Carefully tasting, analyzing, and choosing among 20 of the Bay Area’s top-notch, freshest, seasonally-driven, and most creative pies is no easy task. While our pie-savvy attendees cast their votes for the People’s Choice prizes, we’ll leave it to our panel of pie experts to determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!
Natalie “Muscles” Galatzer rides her bike around town and delivers pies for her business, Bike Basket Pies. Last year Daily Candy readers voted her San Francisco’s Sweetest Thing in Food. She battles evil unicorns with her flaky, buttery, delicious pie crust and saves good unicorns.
Krystin Rubin is a proud New Jersey native and co-owner of Mission Pie. A baker by trade, two-time bakery owner and one-time farm worker, Krystin also enjoys reading, walking around and having a nice dinner. Since Mission Pie rolls out many thousands of pies a year, Krystin is always glad to try someone else’s pie.
Tamara Palmer is our indispensable veteran judge who has braved the challenge of every SF Food Wars battle to date…and pie is definitely no exception. You’ve read Tamara’s clever food-inspired words all up over and around SF Weekly’s SFoodie section. She’s a bona fide expert in San Francisco’s street food scene, as well as a published book author and bad ass DJ.
Rachel Cole is the Community Engagement Director for Hodo Soy Beanery in Oakland, CA and was previously the Program Director of local non-profit 18 Reasons. The common ingredient in all of her experiences is her quest to find ways to deepen our connection to food. In pursuit of that goal, she’s dug potatoes as an apprentice on an organic farm; learned how to make quinoa sexy with cookbook author and blogger Heidi Swanson; planned exciting educational programs for CUESA; and created Edible San Francisco Magazine’s Edible Pursuit trivia night series. She may not have met her prince charming yet, but she is certain that one day there will be pie, not cake, at her wedding.