Pizza has been growing in popularity the past few months, emerging as a favorite comfort food during this stressful pandemic era. Even restaurants who didn’t offer pizza before are adding them to the menu. But Phil Romano’s new Trinity Groves’ pizza parlor, Holy Crust, is the real thing.
Holy Crust opened August 6 as restaurateur Romano’s latest concept, which pays homage to the kind of pizza his mother made. Instead of the standard method of baking crust, sauce, cheese, and any other toppings in the oven together, Holy Crust chefs use a different recipe. The toppings are sautéed separately before placing them onto the crust. This allows the heat from the toppings to melt the cheese, using Mama Romano’s special touch that adds more flavor and texture to the pizza.
Romano said, “I’ve been eagerly waiting to unveil this concept, which is very special to me as it honors my own mother. My mom’s pizza is still my favorite way to eat the dish, and I hope to convert Dallas diners to this unique and delicious version we’ll be serving at the restaurant.”
Holy Crust Online Menu
The online menu features such savory sounding pizzas as Chicken and Bacon Alfredo and Veal Marsala. It was easy to talk my pizza-loving husband into lunching at Holy Crust right after they opened. We had a great experience there, and were impressed by the ambiance and the friendliness of the staff, as well as the food. The restaurant’s interior is bright white, with Italian music playing softly in the background. A large, covered patio area is available for those who prefer to dine outdoors, but we opted to stay inside. It’s hard to beat an air-conditioned dining room in Dallas in August. Especially one that’s socially distanced.
The Holy Crust menu makes it difficult to choose just one dish to order. Not only are there 16 unique pizzas, they offer three entree salads served in pizza dough bowls. General manager Lindsey said the strawberry goat cheese with arugula, strawberries, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette ($13) is delicious, but my husband opted for the Cobb salad ($14). Sandwiches include fish ($16), sausage and peppers ($15), Chicken Parmesan ($15), Italian submarine ($14), and Dripping Pig ($17).
A jug of wine for each table is a special touch that makes you feel like you’re in Little Italy. Just pour your own glass of red, white, or rose for $6 a glass, strictly on the honor system. Their motto says “You trust us to make your food, we trust you to tell the truth.” Draft beer and other beverages are also available. Desserts include Spumoni $5) and Granita ($4).
16 Pizza Varieties
But 16 different pizzas are the star attraction here. Managers said the chicken and bacon Alfredo ($16) has been their most popular pizza so far. My husband’s favorite of the three we sampled was Shrimp Caccio e Pepe ($17). The pizza is loaded with shrimp, spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Alfredo sauce.
My favorite is the Antipasto ($17), with pepperoni, genoa salami, hot coppa, arugula, artichokes, bell peppers, olives, balsamic glaze, mozzarella, and Parmesan melding into a tantalizing burst of flavor. I also liked the Chicken Cacciatore ($16), with chicken, bell peppers, mozzarella, Parmesan, and tomato sauce making a spicy taste combination.
Dining at Holy Crust is a rewarding experience, and one I highly recommend. It’s fun to see so many people enjoying “La Dolce Vita” at Holy Crust as well as the other Trinity Groves restaurants. They all have spacious indoor dining and covered patio areas that offer plenty of room for socially distanced, carefree dining. It’s a great stress reliever for those of us who’ve been cooped up at home far too long. For those who prefer delivery, they are on all major delivery platforms.
Holy Crust is open Monday-Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Holy Crust is located in Trinity Groves. For more information, visit holycrustdallas.com.
