Drive-thru Gourmet

Domino's debuts addictively tasty new Bread Twists

Houston, Dominos Pizza Bread Twists, June 2017, bread twists

Domino's Bread Twists come in three varieties: Parmesan, garlic, and cinnamon.

Courtesy photo

This week I reached out for an order of Bread Twists, new from Domino’s, the No. 2 pizza twirler with 13,000 locations delivering worldwide. Bread Twists are Domino’s Johnny-come-lately answer to such delicacies as garlic knots introduced a long time ago by rivals Pizza Hut and Papa John’s.

Here’s the Domino’s Bread Twists breakdown
Simple samples of pizza dough flavored with garlic or other seasonings, served as an appetizer or dessert when all the pizza is gone. Bread Twists come in three varieties: Parmesan, garlic, and cinnamon.

Total calories: 230 (for two Parmesan Twists). Fat grams: 11. Sodium: 240 milligrams. Carbs: 27 grams. Dietary fiber: 1 gram. Protein: 5 grams. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $5.99.

For comparison shopping, the Domino's Garlic Twists unload 220 calories and 11 fat grams per two pieces, and the brand's Cinnamon Twists inflict 250 calories and 12 fat grams.

The big difference between Domino’s Bread Twists and garlic knots from the Hut and Papa
Garlic knots are braided over and under, like a mini-challah, while Domino’s gives their Bread Twists one crossover loop-de-loop and done. Domino’s offers eight twists per order, while the Hut sells 10 knots for $5.99 and Papa will give you eight knots for $5.

Domino’s Twists are made with its buttery pan pizza dough. The Parmesan Twists are brushed with garlic and Parmesan seasoning, with an extra dusting of Parmesan powder. Garlic Twists are slathered with garlic butter seasoning. Both Parmesan and Garlic Twists come with a side tub of marinara sauce for dipping.

Cinnamon Twists are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and come with a side boat of vanilla icing for dunking.

Like Knots from Pizza Hut and Papa John’s, Domino’s Bread Twists are addictively tasty, and you can put ‘em away till they’re all gone if you’re not careful. If you’ve been to a pizza slice joint in New York, you’ll always find a pile of garlic knots near the cash register. It’s an impulse buy. I tell them to throw a few in a bag for walking around noshing.

Fun fact about Domino’s
It’s the only one of the big four pizza chains that sells Coca-Cola products. Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars all have deals with Pepsi.

Here’s the thing about Bread Twists
Domino’s is making a lot of bread, or dough, choose your pun. I’m not one to deny them making a buck, but consider that Domino’s sells a two-topping medium pizza for $5.99. A medium pizza probably (I’m guessing) involves more pizza dough than eight Bread Twists. And, with a medium pizza, you’re getting sauce and mozzarella cheese, plus two toppings. Make mine a thin crust with Italian sausage and mushrooms.

So a medium pizza is the smart financial play, but these Bread Twists sure taste dandy. You’re good either way.

ken-hoffman

Breakfast News

White Rock Cafe in North Richland Hills is a breakfast & lunch gem

White Rock Cafe

A family-owned cafe is serving Mexican eats and coffee in North Richland Hills: Called White Rock Cafe, it's located at 7640 NE Loop 820 #110, in North Hills Village, in a former event space called Eventfully Yours, where it opened in May.

Not to be confused with White Rock Coffee or White Rock Lake, White Rock Cafe is named after a location in Oaxaca, Mexico — Rosa Blanca — and the ancestral hometown of sisters Jenny and Stephanie Pantoja, who own the restaurant with their cousin Kevin Nazario.

"It's where my father grew up," Jenny says. But she and her sister and her cousin all grew up in NRH.

“We decided to open in North Richland Hills because even though we live on the edge of Fort Worth, we kind of grew up here and are familiar with the people," Jenny says. “That’s why we decided this would be the perfect community to open a breakfast place.”

Their menu ranges from Mexican breakfast to comfort food to burgers and chicken-fried steak. There are all your bacon-and-egg-and-pancake combos with choice of potatoes or grits, but there are also crepes, topped with berries, and a Mexican Benedict, featuring an English muffin topped with grilled red onions, green peppers, seasoned chorizo, poached eggs, avocado, and Hollandaise sauce.

They also have a coffee program including brewed coffee, espresso, white coffee, hot chocolate, and hot teas.

White Rock CafeWhite Rock Cafe

Lunch has a homey home-cooking vibe, including a daily special with dishes like chicken fried steak and pot roast with two sides and Texas toast for only $8. There's a perfect California club with crisp bacon, red tomato slices, and fresh Romaine on toast, neatly trimmed, for $10; and that DFW classic combo of grilled cheese sandwich served with tomato-basil soup.

Prices are low, topping out at $14 for chilaquiles. They're open every day from 7 am-3 pm.

Jenny works in a surgery program most days when she’s not at the restaurant. She got her start working at a breakfast restaurant and grew to appreciate the hours and the culture, inspiring her and her family to open this breakfast cafe of their own.

It's a friendly, tidy place, with black vinyl booths and a lovely mural on the wall that summons the Mexican area for which it is named.

“My father used to work at a Cracker Barrel and other breakfast places, then he had the dream of opening his own place,” Jenny says. “That was the same for me too."

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