STRASBURG - Nobody knows what heaven looks like or sounds like.

But now, at least, we have a pretty good idea what it tastes like.

Those seeking salvation should head to Strasburg, follow the hand-lettered signs to a new business called "Pigs & Pies" and ask to sample their hickory smoked sausage. Second that with a piece of prepared-from-scratch cherry or apple pie, and your taste buds will see the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Surprisingly, the men responsible for this excursion to gastronomic nirvana don't cook full time. Roger Thomas is a plumber, based in Decatur, and his brother, John, works in the receiving department of Lender's Bagels in Mattoon.

They learned to prepare and smoke pork watching two old Strasburg masters, Don Keller and Delbert Stremming, who've been wafting diners to paradise for years at benefits and Lions Club suppers. John, who specializes now in the meaty side of the production schedule, heard opportunity oinking and suggested to his brother that they share their joy - for profit - with the huddled masses yearning to encounter the alchemistical transformation of meat bathed lovingly in hickory smoke.

"I told Roger, 'Opening a store may be crazy, but let's try it anyway,' " recalls

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John, 53. "At first I thought of calling it 'Pork & Pies' but, well, that just didn't sound right. 'Pigs & Pies' was the second option, and that sounded pretty good."

It's taken them months, with much help from John's wife, Marci, and Roger's wife, Barb, plus assorted family and friends, to transmute a former barn into the gleaming white home of their new business. In the beginning, Marci really thought they had lost their minds in attempting to turn elaborately produced food into a commercial venture, but she's learned to acknowledge the spiritual power of holy smoke.

"That meat is just so good," says Marci, 51. "You can't buy anything like it anywhere."

Except at Pigs & Pies, which is happy to supply dessert, too. And that's Roger's specialty. The 49-year-old plumber started baking soon after he got married, and he's learned how to turn it on in the kitchen. His pies, which use locally grown fruits whenever he can get them, are individually crafted masterpieces. Roger also offers fruit-swirled pastries and a full frontal Texas chocolate sheet cake that lies back in its baking tray radiating come-hither sinfulness.

"His passion is to please people by feeding them," explains Barb, 46. "He loves to bake."

Her husband's bright blue eyes shine with enthusiasm as he recounts how word-of-mouth has quickly fattened Pigs & Pies' customer base. They've grown from a steady stream of walk-in shoppers to providing the main course at a 400-guest wedding.

The money is starting to flow, too, although the brothers say it's probably not a business that will ever see them living high on the hog. But Roger says money is not the main course, and the most satisfying dish is served when diners compliment what your hands have wrought: "We had an open house here two weeks ago, and I had nine pies ready for 'em," he recalls.

"They were gone in the first 15 minutes."

Tony Reid can be reached at treid@herald-review.com or 421-7977.