Pie ___ mode

ALA

Think of a French phrase often used in cooking or menus to describe a dish prepared in a particular style.

This clue is a fill-in-the-blank for the French phrase "à la mode," which literally means "in the fashion of" but is commonly used in English to describe pie served with ice cream. The answer "ALA" is the first part of that phrase, dropping the "à" (often omitted in crosswords for brevity). It’s a playful nod to dessert terminology, where "pie à la mode" is a classic menu staple.