Few people dispute the key lime pie's status as the ultimate Southwest Florida dessert. Different versions of the tangy, custardy treat-some light, some heavy; some ornate, some plain-appear on menus all over the Gulfshore, from local seafood dives to posh resorts.

What makes the ultimate key lime pie is a trickier question. South-west Florida foodies who agree to disagree over who has the best fried grouper sandwich or stone crab remoulade can be adamant about what makes the best pie. Does it have a pastry crust or a graham-cracker one? Is it strictly condensed milk, key limes and egg yolks, or can a little egg white or cream cheese fluff it up? How far can the concept of a pie be stretched before it becomes a different dessert altogether? A key lime pastry, perhaps?

We put these and other tough questions-as well as a stellar selection of pastries-to a group of enthusiastic judges. We had some qualifications for our panel: They had to be foodies, and they had to be fun. Most importantly, they had to be willing to eat key lime pie at 10 o'clock in the morning, although as hardships go, that doesn't exactly compare to being stranded in the Florida Keys with no food other than eggs, key limes and a regular shipment of Eagle Brand condensed milk (see "It's a Classic," page 172).

Our panel included Marie Andrews, owner of the elegant Zoë's Restaurant in Naples and a trustee of the Naples Children and Education Foundation, sponsors of the Naples Winter Wine Festival; WINK-TV feature reporter Judd Cribbs, whose adventures, culinary and otherwise, entertain Southwest Florida five days a week; Ad Hudler, who has sprinkled his two warm and funny novels (Househusband and Southern Living) with food references and recipes; Lacey King, president of the Naples chapter of the gourmet group Chaîne des Rôtisseurs; and William C. North, an artist whose citrus paintings are an annual hit at the Citrus Expo.

Without knowing where the pies came from, our judges sampled eight local favorites-each one a winner in its own right-giving them points for appearance, flavor and other factors. The judging took place in a suitably tropical setting, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, and the cheery staff kept the water, coffee and fresh plates coming.

Though our chatty bunch didn't need it, this artful and delicate key lime Napoleon could have been the perfect conversation starter. After much discussion, Cribbs decided he was brave enough to tackle its layers of toile cookies, key lime filling and marinated berries. The proud pastry artist who had created it had instructed the servers to make sure that everyone tried the various sauces on the plate, including a bright and tasty coconut crème fraîche. Andrews and Cribbs, who both showed a preference for the fancier pies, loved this one.

And the winners:

All eight pies far outshone the average key lime creations, our judges agreed, and the scoring was incredibly close. The final "lime-up"? Emerging as the winner was number five, LaPlaya Beach Resort & Golf Club's raspberry and white chocolate pie. "The berries added something special," said Hudler, and although the white chocolate could have made it too sweet, the complexity of the filling averted that danger. Second was Tony's Off Third's key lime pie, number six, a consistent winner in our annual Best of the Gulfshore. Third was pie number one, The Registry Resort's individual, expertly garnished creation. As for our panel of judges, a few lamented the calories that they had consumed, but all said they might entertain the idea of a slice later in the day. "I've had many key lime pies in my lifetime and never given them the serious consideration they deserve," mused North. "I don't think we resolved any key lime pie issues, but this could be the beginning of an interesting debate."