Bread News

Dallas bakery is offering this special colorful bread for very limited time

So pretty on the eye, and with a buttery, buttery flavor.

Photo courtesy of Signature

Special breads for certain holidays are a tradition, but this is a new one available to Dallas shoppers for the first, and very limited, time.

The bread is from Signature Baking Company, a Dallas bakery at 9000 Diplomacy Row that has been a supplier of bread, buns, and rolls for restaurants and entertainment venues since it was founded in 1978.

After COVID-19, Signature did what a number of food supply companies who used to be behind-the-scenes did: In March, they began offering to the public home delivery of their breads, such as white, wheat, sourdough, and rye. (They do home delivery on Thursdays, if you order at signaturebaking.com by 2 pm on Wednesday.)

Their selection includes not just breads but also a wide variety of rolls and buns — their jalapeño-cheese buns are a big favorite — plus cinnamon-swirl bread, with or without raisins, and a pumpkin cinnamon swirl bread, too.

But these two new limited-edition breads are something special. They include:

Fruit Cake Bread
Rainbow Bread

The Fruit Cake Bread is a fluffy brioche-style loaf studded discreetly with green and red cherries, dried pineapple, dried orange peel, and raisins — all of the dried fruit you might expect in a fruitcake, but instead suspended in a soft, delicate, slightly sweet bread.

If you love the flavors of fruitcake — and who in their right mind doesn't — but find the texture to be too dense, then this Fruit Cake Bread is right up your alley. It's $7.99.

The Rainbow Bread is a rich, buttery brioche loaf that's been tinted with the colors of the rainbow. The loaf is a good 6-1/2 inches tall, we are talking tall for a slice of bread, with stunning swirl of color. It's $9.99 a loaf but it's a huge loaf.

Both breads are shaped like sandwich loaves and come sliced, so you can use them for unusual sandwiches, toast, French toast, and all the uses you might find for a sandwich-size slice of bread.

Signature was founded by Oscar DeSouza, a third-generation baker; DeSouza's son, OJ, is president of the company and the person responsible for using modern techniques to usher the company into the future.

OJ says that the breads come from recipes that were made exclusively for their family holidays.

"I've enjoyed watching my Dad bake the Fruit Cake Bread every year for 30 years," he says. "The Rainbow Loaf was a new creation was inspired by our 3-year old niece, Bernadette, who loves bright colors. We just wanted to offer something fun."

Ordering
There are only two opportunities to get the bread:

Order by Tuesday, December 22 by 2 pm for delivery on Wednesday, December 23
Order on Tuesday, December 29 by 2 pm for delivery on Wednesday, December 30

That's for the Fruit Cake Bread, which will only be available through December 30.

The Rainbow Sandwich Loaf will be available through the end of January. Delivery is $4.99 per order.

holidays

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings