Jackson Jambalaya

 Good news for Hubig's affianados.  The legendary New Orleans treat will rise from the ashes after its factory burned down ten years ago.  The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate reported last week: 

When Yvonne Cage learned that the Hubig's Pies factory in Faubourg Marigny had burned down, she knew exactly what she had to do. She dashed to a nearby gas station and bought an apple version of the little hand pies.

It wasn't to eat, but to stash. ''I put it in a bag and put it in the freezer,'' said Cage, who still has that pie in the freezer at her Kenner home. ''I knew after that fire, they weren't going to be back for a while. I just didn't know it would take this long.''

That may echo the sentiment of many out there pining for another taste of Hubig's Pies.

Wednesday marks 10 years since the fire destroyed the local company's pie-making facility on Dauphine Street. These humble, fruit-filled fried pies remain unattainable, causing both cravings and consternation among those who love them.

But today, the family owners of Hubig's Pies reaffirmed their plan to return, and they say they are gaining momentum. After a series of delays nixed earlier predictions of when that could happen, however, owner Drew Ramsey would offer no estimate on the timeline.

''There are still some factors beyond my control,'' he said, declining to elaborate. ''But we're going produce a product that people recognize and remember and enjoy, and we're closer to that than we've ever been.''

Piece by piece toward pies

Ramsey and the first members of his staff, including veterans of the pre-fire Hubig's, are assembling a new production facility just off Jefferson Highway near the Huey P. Long Bridge. The machinery to shape and fry the pies is in place, along with a giant carousel-like cooling rack that can handle about 7,500 of the oblong treats at a time.

Suppliers for fruit, sugar, flour and other pie staples have been lined up, and routes of distribution have been reestablished, Ramsey said. The company has finally completed what proved to be a lengthy Food and Drug Administration approval process for its labels.

''We haven't changed a grain of salt or a scoop of sugar in what we do, but we had been off the market long enough that we had to go through the whole approval process again,'' Ramsey said.

Logistical problems that have roiled many parts of the economy through the pandemic have played havoc with earlier timelines here. Getting the right walk-in freezer delivered and installed was a yearlong process, for instance.

But another reason the return of Hubig's Pies has been slow is the approach that Ramsey is determined to maintain. The task, as he sees it, is not to build a new pie-making facility or relaunch a brand. It is to build Hubig's Pies back up to precisely what its customers remember, from the taste of the fruit fillings to the texture of the crust to the crinkle of the wrapper. This has entailed a meticulous approach to finding the right equipment and materials.

''The next pie that's going to be made will be identical in every way to the last one that left for the market,'' Ramsey said. ''We really had it down pat that we could have a consistent product every time. I'm laser-focused on making sure that happens again and people get the Hubig's they remember.''

Those are memories that go deep around New Orleans.

A ritual gone wanting

In business since 1921, Hubig's Pies became more than just a familiar convenience food in New Orleans.

The grab-and-go treats, which could be found at the grocery, hardware store or gas station, were inexpensive products that became part of New Orleans' daily routine, and thus ingrained in the hearts of a city that loves its rituals.

After the 2012 fire, Hubig's sued the building's fire suppression company. The suit was resolved in the pie maker's favor after several years of litigation. Plans were underway for a new facility in New Orleans, and by 2013 the New Orleans City Council approved a request to build a new plant. Those plans fell through, however. Today, a row of homes stands on the location of the old factory.

A split in the business partnership behind the pre-fire Hubig's led to further years of delay. Eventually, Ramsey's family consolidated control of the company and pledged to move forward.

As the Hubig's drought has lengthened, the yearnings for Hubig's Pies have been sharp, and they often stretch way past snack food cravings. The jones for them has inspired public displays of devotion and personal memorials to the old favorite, from Mardi Gras costumes to private devotional altars.

There have also been challengers to its role. For instance, Haydel's Bakery, best known for its king cakes, drew much attention in 2016 when it introduced a new hand pie that is similar in size, shape and packaging to Hubig's.

Slow progress, long cravings

At the slowly progressing new Hubig's facility, however, Ramsey and his production crew remain focused on continuity. That includes calculations for the hand pies' retail price. Hubig's Pies were selling for $1.19 each in 2012.

Ramsey doesn't have a set price yet for the pies, but he said that it will reflect the gradual increases that would have happened over the past decade.

''The pie is going to be as economical as it was. We very much want to be a pie for the people, and we are keenly aware of the pressures on our customers right now,'' he said.

When production is ready, Hubig's Pies will start with its six ''staple flavors,'' Ramsey said: apple, lemon, peach, pineapple, chocolate and coconut. Limited-run flavors will return in their seasonal progression, with sweet potato, cherry, strawberry, blueberry and banana to come.

Hubig's also plans to launch a new website that will offer online ordering and shipping, ''to get pies in the hands of expatriated New Orleanians,'' Ramsey said.

It will also have a feature to customize the pie labels for weddings, baby showers and other such events, which were a popular request in the past. ''We're trying to anticipate the needs of our customers now,'' Ramsey said.

In Kenner, Cage has never given up hope on Hubig's return, and she's kept that apple pie in the freezer as a reminder. The little pie even made it through roof damage and an extended power failure at her home brought by Hurricane Ida last year. However long it takes, Cage said she is ready to queue up the moment Hubig's Pies hit the market again.

''Oh, I'll be there,'' she said. ''Others might imitate it, but no one can duplicate it. I need it.''