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The night before a pie contest in Phoenix, Holly Heizenrader had one slight problem: she came to the realization she couldn’t fetch all the right ingredients in time for her desired entry recipe. Not deterred, the creative baker came up with a different pecan pie concoction and entered the competition anyway. A day after the contest, one of the judges called Holly along with her sister, Holly, and mother, Monica, and asked if the newly invented pie had a name. The Heizenraders replied that they had been playing around with the name “Naughty Pecan.” The judge assured them it was indeed “naughty,” as they had eaten fifteen slices.
Naughty Pecan Pie has been on the menu at MacAlpine’s Diner ever since, and is still one of the restaurant’s most popular flavors. Winning first prize at that fateful pie fixture, Holly’s baked goods are a prime feature at this historic spot, which can proudly claim to be one of the last soda fountains in the United States.
Founded in 1929 as Birch’s 7th Street Pharmacy, the location would get its current namesake when Fred MacAlpine purchased the storefront in 1938. Over the years, as Phoenix itself grew from the dusty desert into a young metropolis, MacAlpine’s became a favorite hangout for its celebrated citizens. Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater was a regular, and legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright would have an ice cream soda or two when visiting friends. Current owner Monica would purchase the old-school diner in 2001 with her late husband, Cary.
Understanding the establishment’s significance in the community (current regulars have come since the 1950’s), Monica and her daughters have kept the retro interior and feel alive, while infusing some modern ideas with an added vintage store and a menu including over 99 flavors of refreshingly sweet sodas. While classic diner eats such as a sloppy joe or a hot pastrami can easily make a happy customer at the Phoenix institution, one must be warned before taking a bite of any of MacAlpine’s pies—for one slice may quickly be fifteen.
