Sweet bliss, by the slice

While it is often billed as a holiday-specific delicacy, pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream isn't just for the fall. If there are orange gourds to be gutted, there are desserts to be made. And there is perhaps no better place to seek out these treats than Amish restaurants. Beyond the home-style comfort food dishes on their menus, these locales are renowned for their bakeries and, more specifically, their pies. So go to the pros.

Yoder's

3434 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota, 955-7771, yodersrestaurant.com.

Chances are, you've been to Yoder's for a plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and buttery green beans, or something to that effect. By that time, you were probably so close to doubling over in joyful fullness that you ordered a slice of decadence to go. There are 25 varieties on the menu, from peanut butter cream (one of the signatures) to banana cream, chocolate cream, egg cream, Southern pecan, strawberry rhubarb, Dutch apple and, oh yes, pumpkin. Come in for the latter and you may be thrown off course by the cornucopia of alternatives.

Sugar & Spice

4000 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, 342-1649, sugarandspicesrq .googlepages.com.

Have you seen the pie case here? It's difficult to miss, as it's strategically placed at the checkout counter, as to sweetly whisper, "You're not done yet." From the seasonal strawberry or peach specialty pies (which run $1.25 more than the standard staples) to the 10-inch whole varieties, there are cream pies, baked pies and even cakes. And what's that? A sugar-free apple pie. Who knew that a little tinge of healthiness could find its way into such a sinful display? The blueberry crumb, egg custard and molasses pies are just about as noteworthy as the pumpkin.

Troyer's Dutch Heritage

3713 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota, 955-8007, troyercorp.com.

First off, if you don't get lost in this massive restaurant, with its gift shop and attached miniature golf course, you've accomplished your first goal. By the time you sit, you have another hurdle to overcome: making a decision without spontaneously ordering the entire dessert side of the menu. Who can pick between chocolate peanut butter cream, chocolate cream, peanut butter cream and coconut cream? Or Key lime, blueberry, cherry, peach or pecan? It may just make life simpler to have an idea in mind prior to your arrival.

Miller's Dutch Kitchen

3401 14th St. W., Bradenton, 746-8253, millersdutchkitchen.com.

In Bradenton, the pie wonderland is Miller's Dutch Kitchen. It is said that a glorious baker named Grandma Miller starts every morning off, at 5 a.m., prepping the ovens for her masterpieces. These come in the form of butterscotch, lemon, banana, rhubarb, cherry and Dutch apple, and she serves them with a non-dairy whipped topping. There's even a dish called "Erma's Shoofly Pie" that tastes like molasses. Still want pumpkin? It's your call.