Family, flavor, and flair
No matter how you slice it, the Pie Dive Bar experience coming soon to La Conner will give the town’s historic waterfront a new look.
It’s a look with which visitors to Snohomish and Gold Bar are well familiar, though. Same with restaurant reviewers, who have filed glowing pieces, most recently one that appeared in late June on The Daily Meal food and drink website.
Now Alyssa Kingsbery, the award-winning pie-maker who has been featured on the Food Network, is bringing the Pie Dive Bar concept to the old Lighthouse Inn building on the boardwalk this summer.
“We’re shooting for late July to open here,” Alyssa said.
Alyssa describes the venture’s vibe as “a unique hybrid of dive bar soul and pie shop heart.”
The Pie Dive Bar, known for its savory and sweet pies paired with curated craft cocktails, will be co-managed in La Conner by Kingsbery’s sons, Luke and Owen Solvang, ages 21 and 19, respectively, and their stepdad, country musician Hart Kingsbery.
“The next generation is stepping up,” said Alyssa, who in addition to being a celebrated baker is a clinical mental health counselor.
“I feel so honored that my boys want to ride alongside me and learn how to be restaurateurs,” she added. “I thought they might take the traditional college route or learn a trade. But, instead, they’ve been right beside me in this pie journey since they were toddlers.
“Owen gravitated toward the pie and Luke found his rhythm behind the bar. One day, I thought, ‘Why not launch them in La Conner?’” Alyssa said.
The two brothers have represented the business at Town meetings this year where they successfully obtained permits to revamp part of the landmark downtown venue — once the Bellingham Yacht Club Building and relocated here 60 years ago — into the new La Conner Pie Dive Bar.
During the permit process, Luke and Owen impressed Town leaders with their energy and infectious humor. That bodes well. After all, the Solvang brothers are about to set up in a community whose median age is nearly one-third greater than their combined ages.
No generation gap issues are anticipated. Alyssa, in fact, insists La Conner is an ideal location for Luke and Owen — named for the Wilson brothers of TV and movie fame — to pursue their first business gig.
“This is a great place with so many nuggets of wisdom. It’s perfect for their adult launch,” she said.
As Alyssa stresses, Luke and Owen are doing more than opening a pie-and-cocktail waterfront spot. They’re continuing a family tradition and planting new roots in a community rich with culture, flavor, and connection.
She calls the La Conner outlet the brothers’ “pie baby,” a fresh and youthful take on the family brand.
“We grew up in the dough,” Luke said, “watching mom’s kitchen hustle.”
“I’ve been learning from her culinary skills since I could walk,” Owen notes. “Making pies is just what I’m supposed to do.”
The Pie Dive Bar, which strives to provide exceptional food and warm hospitality in equal measure, evolved from Alyssa’s earlier projects: the Seattle Pie Company, Pie Bar, The Pie Lady, and Pie Wine Bar.
But Alyssa stresses that the Pie Dive Bar story, at least its La Conner chapter, now belongs to her sons.
“They’re carrying forward my work,” she said. “But it’s their work to cultivate. This isn’t just mine anymore. It’s theirs.”
Working ahead of their local opening, Luke and Owen have reached out to Skagit Valley farmers to source berries for their pies and are developing a menu celebrating seasonal ingredients. They are also establishing ties with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Alyssa said.
The plan, once opened, is to serve scrumptious pies, Hart’s signature cocktails fashioned from his time as a Seattle bartender, and non-alcoholic “mocktail” beverages.
“Our goal is to create a cozy, vibrant, inclusive space that becomes a cornerstone of the La Conner waterfront,” Alyssa said.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter who covers Town government, schools, and spot news.
