Astros win the big one for a city whose spirit could not be denied

Houston Strong

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

It took 56 long years, and one magnificent night, to create memories that will last forever in Houston. The Astros are World Series champions!

As the players whooped and hollered and hugged on the field, fans back home heard their message loud and clear. "We did it for our city, our fans," said World Series MVP George Springer.

If anybody stood tall for Houston, it was Springer. He started the series by striking out four times and finished holding the Willie Mays MVP trophy. That's Houston, picking itself up off the mat and shining new again.

Starting pitcher Lance McCullers said, "We wear this patch ["HoustonStrong"] and we wear it proudly."

Jose Altuve, 5-6 and 165 pounds, all heart, became a baseball giant, showing the country who he is — baseball's best hitter, batting champion again, and surely the 2017 American League's Most Valuable Player.

We know the story: Houston went through the wringer this summer with Hurricane Harvey. Much of the city and Astros fans are still reeling from the flood. We rallied around this team of wonderful players and triumphed. If a flood couldn't get Houston down, what chance, really, did the Dodgers have?

Baseball record books will simply record Wednesday night as "Astros 5, Dodgers 1." But this was so much more. Houston baseball fans have waited since this team was born in 1962 as the Colt .45s to raise a World Series banner. The wait is over. We are champions.

Quite simply, this is the greatest sports moment in the history of the city. Nothing comes close. We're talking the World Series — the very words mean the ultimate accomplishment. And they did it with style, taking Game 7.

The two most exciting words in sports — Game 7.

How could you not cheer for Carlos Correa, rubbing the heads of his teammates after a home run, jumping over the dugout rail to celebrate a win, then getting on one knee and proposing marriage after winning the World Series? Yeah, that's a pretty good 24 hours for the shortstop.

Get ready for a party, 2 pm Friday in downtown Houston. And the party won't stop any time soon. These wondrous homegrown players, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Lance McCullers, Marwin Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, and others are all coming back next year. Justin Verlander has two more years in Houston.

"I literally love Justin Verlander." — Jose Altuve

"I literally love you, too, Jose Altuve." — Justin Verlander

"We love the whole darn team — all of you." — Millions of Houstonians

Many teams fill the back pages of newspapers with stories of ego and griping and dissent. They challenge their coaches, question their owner, mutter they want out.

Here's how that plays in Houston. When centerfielder George Springer caught the final out of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees, he gave the ball to manager A.J. Hinch.

Dallas Keuchel said, "I owe everything to [pitching coach] Brent Strom. He means the world to me."

Consider this, over the past few weeks, the Astros beat the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers — three legendary baseball franchises — to claim their first World Series title.

This is pure joy for a team, a city, a spirit that could not be denied. Celebrate it.

Courtesy photo

Domino's debuts addictively tasty new Bread Twists

Drive-thru Gourmet

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.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Concerts in the Garden drones light up this week's 5 hottest Fort Worth headlines

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Fort Worth Symphony launches summer concerts with sparkly extra: drones. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra returned with its annual summer concert series, Concerts in The Garden, featuring 11 concerts taking place at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, starting May 26 and running through June 11. And the coolest part of the 2023 series might be the light show: For the first time, they're replacing old-school fireworks with the use of cutting-edge drones.

2. Openings and closings head up this Fort Worth restaurant news roundup. This roundup of dining news around Fort Worth has an opening, a closing, a gofundme campaign, and loads of new menus for summer. Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news.

3. Decadent desserts in jars from celebrity Top Chef roll in to Fort Worth. Desserts in jars from a celebrity chef are coming to Fort Worth: Jars by Fabio Viviani, a fast-casual dessert brand serving popular desserts in jars, is opening a location in the Trinity Commons/Tom Thumb center, at 3000 S. Hulen St. #150. It'll open in late 2023.

4. 3 Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs rank among Forbes' richest self-made women for 2023. Twelve of the country's 100 most successful female entrepreneurs live in Texas this year, and three of them call Dallas-Fort Worth home. So says Forbes in its 2023 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, released June 1.

5. 5 tips for stunning beach sand sculptures from 2023 Texas SandFest winners. “Playing” in the sand on the beach isn’t just an activity for children, as proven by the 22 professional sand sculptors from around the world who recently competed in the 26th annual Texas SandFest. Here are five of the pros' top tips for producing a beachfront masterpiece.

Cafe with made-to-order mini-doughnuts to open near TCU in south Fort Worth

Doughnut News

Little doughnuts are rolling into south Fort Worth via a new doughnut cafe. Called Batter & Beans, it'll serve doughnuts, coffee, and more, and it's opening at 3548 South Hills Ave., south of TCU in Westcliff Center.

They'll be right around the corner from Cafe Bella [which it should be noted recently won Best Neighborhood Restauant in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards].

Batter & Beans will be a family-owned collaboration between Matthew Whip, a partner at Ernst & Young, and his brother-in-law, who worked for a restaurant group in Michigan and brings the food knowhow.

They'll be doing miniature doughnuts, similar to the Pittsburgh-based Peace, Love, and Little Donuts chain (which has one location in Texas, in Southlake).

They're aiming to be open by early fall.

"We'll be doing fresh, made-to-order mini cake doughnuts plus premium coffee we're sourcing out of Chicago, from Metropolis, a small-batch artisan roaster," Whip says. "We're originally from the Chicago area, and that's always been my favorite roaster, and they also roast coffee for Yolk, which has a location in Sundance Square."

The cafe will also offer fresh lemonade, iced tea, and ice cream, for neighbors who want to stop in for a treat at night.

Whip and his family first relocated from the Chicago area to North Texas in 2018, then moved down the street from the shop last year. It's a small storefront, about 920 square feet, and they're currently in the final stages of design and permitting.

"There's lots of kids in this neighborhood, and I think a place with mini doughnuts would do well," Whip says.

It was only after they signed on to do the shop that they learned from a neighbor that the space they're taking had good doughnut karma, with a longtime history as a doughnut shop, most recently a place called Donut Palace. Sadly, it closed during the pandemic. Now the doughnuts will return.

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