As the leaves turn yellow and orange from their normal green hue and the air that was once so hot cools off into a crisp yet chilly breeze, pumpkin lovers across the nation rejoice as ads about pumpkin spice return to their tv’s and Instagram feeds, causing mass hysteria at local grocery stores and food chains. I understand the excitement as I have just recently purchased eight boxes of pumpkin bread mix from Trader Joes. Most people are looking forward to Halloween and the candy comas that will ensue from trick or treating, (although I think COVID-19 will restrict house-to-house trick or treating), but I feel like there is an even more important holiday in October: Pumpkin Pie Day, which occurs Oct. 12. Hopefully, if you are reading this article, you have seen my other food column on the Travis Scott meal, so you should know that I have high standards when it comes to quality food. That is exactly why I decided to try three high-end Pumpkin Pies from some of the best grocery stores in the Naperville area: Walmart, Jewel Osco and Fresh Thyme.

      I knew I could not eat 3 entire pies by myself (unfortunately), so I decided to drag along Sydney Brinkman (junior), Helena Haralambopoulos (junior) and Kenny Smith (senior). We gave each grocery store three separate scores, a score of one-five on taste, a score of one-five on eye-appeal and a score of one-five on price for the product. 

Walmart ($3.99):

Maya-

• Taste (1/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (2/5)
• Price (5/5)

Sydney-

• Taste (1/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (3/5)
• Price (5/5)

Kenny-

• Taste (1/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (3/5)
• Price (5/5)

Helena-

• Taste (1/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (2/5)
• Price (4/5)

Comments: Overall, we found the pie to be OK, but it lacked any sort of real pumpkin flavor and the consistency was weirdly mushy. Additionally, the crust was not firm whatsoever and it was very blandly decorated.

Jewel Osco ($5.99):

Maya-

• Taste (3/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (4/5)
• Price (5/5)

Sydney-

• Taste (3.5/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (4/5)
• Price (5/5)

Kenny-

• Taste (2/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (3/5)
• Price (4/5)

Helena-

• Taste (2/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (3/5)
• Price (4/5)

Comments: The Jewel Osco pie was surprisingly good as it had a lot of pumpkin flavor, and the crust was very firm. Plus, the pie was very presentable as it had a nicely decorated crust with a smooth texture.

Fresh Thyme ($5.99):

Maya-

• Taste (5/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (5/5)
• Price (5/5)

Sydney-

• Taste (5/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (5/5)
• Price (5/5)

Kenny-

• Taste (3/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (3/5)
• Price (4/5)

Helena-

• Taste (4/5)
• Eye-Appeal  (4/5)
• Price (4/5)

Comments: No surprise, but Fresh Thyme had the most pumpkin flavor, probably because it was the most high-end grocery store. The pie was filled with strong flavors and the crust was beautifully made. Also, this pie was the largest of the three and was the same price as the Jewel Osco pie, which was a bit smaller.

      After careful consideration, we decided that Fresh Thyme had the best pumpkin pie with a score of 17 for taste, 17 for eye-appeal and 18 for price. The Jewel Osco pie was a close second for its flaky crust and good flavors, and Walmart finished last for its weird consistency and weak crust. For all of you out there who want to get in on the festive Pumpkin Pie day, go out and buy a pie for your family, or just yourself, today (because sometimes eating an entire pie by yourself is critically necessary)!