This Friday, Sept. 23, is National Great American Pot Pie Day.

It’s a whole day to celebrate the hot, savory pies that have become a New England favorite, especially once the crisp air of autumn rolls in.

The history of meat-filled pies goes back to the Neolithic Age around 9500 B.C., when the Greeks discovered the tastiness of cooking meats and other fillings in open pastry shells.

The concept soon spread along the Mediterranean to the Romans, who then shared it throughout their empire and beyond. When the first settlers came across the Atlantic, they had their pot pie recipes with them. They were probably dining on pot pie in Newport as far back as 1639. 

There's a difference between meat pies and pot pies. Pot pies are filled with chunky stews of poultry, meat, or seafood and are covered with pastry or a biscuit-like topping. They usually require flatware to eat (unless you want to burn your mouth and hands).

Meat pies, on the other hand, are fully enclosed with a top and bottom crust or a folded-over pastry, and the filling is thick, not soupy. You can go to Meg’s Aussie Milk Bar on Bellevue and get a really tasty meat pie, but that’s not what we are celebrating Friday.

This holiday is about digging into pot pies.  

National Great American Pot Pie Day is a holiday originally created by famed pot pie mass-producer Marie Callender’s. When you become a leader in frozen food production, you can declare these kinds of things.

Marie Callender’s actually makes a great pot pie and it started with the Marie Callender selling pies out of her car in the 1930s. Mrs. Callender put a lot of hard work into making her pot pie the icon it is today, so we can tip our toque to her.

Cooking a frozen pie at home is always a comfort because it fills the air with that delicious aroma. If you want a little local flair in your pot pie, pick up a Centerville Pie Company pie at Stop & Shop. This little pie shop based out of Cape Cod garnered the coveted "Oprah favorite" badge of honor and since then, the operation has exploded.

A little closer to home, you can pick up a Willow Tree pot pie. If you’ve had their chicken salad, you know this Attleboro, Massachusetts-based company knows a thing or two about preparing chicken.

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Clements' Marketplace also features its own fresh-baked pot pies which are usually available hot and ready to eat in their cafe section. In addition to chicken, they also have a pulled pork pot pie, too. A purist might thumb their nose at a pork pot pie, but it's worth a taste.

Hartley’s in Fall River, Massachusetts, has been making their famous pork pot pies for over 120 years. You can argue a pork pie is not technically a pot pie, but Hartley’s generous use of gravy means it qualifies. And regardless, they’re delicious.

You can also head to Foodlove Market and pick up a double-crust chicken pot pie in their grab-and-go cooler. Just take it home and heat (or eat it cold in your car — there’s no judgment).

The folks at Sweet Berry Farm have a great Chicken Pot Pie, too. Made with chunks of chicken in a flavorful sauce with peas, carrots & potatoes and topped with a buttery pastry crust, you’ll have a dinner that can’t be beat (and their sweet pies make the perfect complement for dessert).

If you really want to celebrate National Great American Pot Pie Day, head out to one of our local restaurants and indulge. Start with The Black Pearl. Their chicken pot pie has been a longtime favorite. Made with white and dark meat chicken, cremini mushrooms, peas, pearl onions, celery, carrots and puffed pastry, you’ll be happy with your decision.

There’s something entrancing about a good-looking pot pie. Other tables will look on with envy as the server places your dish in front of you, a murmur of, “I want that” heard behind open menus.

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Over at Fieldstones in Portsmouth, you can opt for a traditional Chicken Pot Pie, made with all white meat chicken, carrots, celery, peas and corn served piping hot under a crispy crust. Or, for the seafood lovers, try their Lobster and Scallop Pie, made with seared lobster and scallops and served in a creamy sherry Newburg sauce. That’s about as New England as it gets.

The Blue Plate Diner in Middletown always features its own Chicken Pot Pie, which is made with chicken, carrots, celery, peas and potatoes and served in a chicken gravy. Something seems right about indulging in such a classic meal when eating in a diner. It fits the motif.

Over in Bristol, while you might expect to see Shepherd’s Pie at Aidan’s Pub (which while delicious is technically not a pot pie), you can also find their take on the chicken pot pie — the Dublin Pot Pie. It’s everything you expect in a good pot pie: chicken, peas, carrots, onions, celery and a golden crust.

They say it’s an Irish favorite, but there is universal appeal for this menu favorite (especially when served with a pint of Guinness).

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As the days get colder in the coming weeks ahead and the nights darken even earlier, we’re likely to see more savory pies on menus around the Island. The thought of warming up on a cold autumn night by breaking through a flaky, buttery crust and digging into a steaming mixture of juicy chicken swimming in a warm gravy sounds delightful.

Friday may be National Great American Pot Pie Day, but for us New Englanders, it’s the start of savory pie season, and our forks are ready. 

Dan Lederer is a Middletown resident with 30 years experience in the food service industry throughout New England. He continues to work locally behind the scenes within the industry and remains a devoted fan of all things restaurant and hospitality related. His column appears on newportri.com and Thursdays in The Daily News. Cheers!