In Defense of RR’s “Twin Peaks Cherry Pie”
Just because it isn’t an artisanal masterpiece doesn’t mean it belongs in the Black Lodge.
Located in North Bend is the RR (née Mar-T, currently also known as Twede’s), a diner that functioned as Special Agent Dale Cooper’s hub for pie and coffee in Twin Peaks.
Despite – or perhaps because of – its premature cancellation, Twin Peaks became a cult phenomenon. Thirty-five years later, its filming locations are Meccas for the show’s fans, with the RR being a top attraction. A seminal landmark with iconic foods is what dreams are made of.
Except. While Cooper found the pie transcended, the real thing has garnered a less-than-stellar reputation – unfairly so.
It goes far in showing how well Kyle MacLachlan portrayed Cooper when you consider the mile-high expectations people have for the pie. If you take a step back, the RR was never supposed to be anything but an average diner in Twin Peaks’ original run1, and nobody but Cooper seemed particularly excited about the food and coffee. Fans’ expectations are fully rooted in MacLachlan’s enthusiastic performance.
I’m saying all this because it bugs me how down fans are on RR’s pie when they finally try it. Go in with proper expectations, and chances are you’ll find the “Twin Peaks Cherry Pie” perfectly acceptable. The cherry filling may be syrupy sweet, but some dark coffee takes the edge off it; the biscuit-like crust is better than average. It may not be a flawless pie, but it’s in line with the diners Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch was fond of.
The rest of the menu follows suit, with the choice of twenty-five types of burgers being the only real differentiator. (I had the bacon-avocado, which wasn’t bad at all.)
I get that all this may come off as backhanded compliments, and it’s not like the RR needs any impassioned defenses anyway. What it comes down to for me is less about the pie and more about toxic fans’ ridiculously binary opinions. I’d be perfectly happy never seeing an empty expression like “soulless” again – a “cutting” insult surly keyboard warriors like to throw out.
Don’t get discouraged if you make a Twin Peaks pilgrimage. The RR is worth the stop for coffee and pie, even if you won’t share Agent Cooper’s divine experience. At the very least, it’s cheaper than a stay at the Great Northern.
Find the RR (aka Twede’s) on 137 W North Bend Way or on the web.
Pørni (aka Pernille), a five-season Norwegian comedy/drama, can now be enjoyed in its entirety on Netflix. The show follows the titular character juggling her kids and elderly dad (portrayed with suitable gravitas by Nils Ole Oftebro), while trying to uphold a semblance of a love life. I don’t know if the sanitized Netflix trailer gives the full impression of Pørni’s tone, but you’ll at least get an idea of what to expect.
It’s a funny show, and it feels more realistic than most family dramedies out there. Go give it a watch to fully embrace your inner Norwegianess.
It was retconned to something much grander in the 2017 revival, so maybe the RR improved during that twenty-five-year timespan.