As soon as I saw this new product on the bakery shelf, I said "Ohhh nooo" outloud. I'm a soft pretzel fanatic. I like them from the freezer case, microwaved. I like them from a vendor. I like them from a boardwalk. I love soft pretzels. Matter of fact I like them hard, too (especially thick Bavarian). I knew I'd sunk to a new low though, buying and eating Der Weinerschnitzel hot dogs just because they came on a soft pretzel bun. So good.

So, here I am standing in front of TJ's bakery table and there are the rolls.

Two per bag, they are small torpedos, but loaded with calories (240 per bun), but most importantly, SOFT. Most breads at TJ's are just too hard to bother with. They never feel fresh from the oven to me, doughy with starchy goodness. Not so, these rolls. They felt fresh baked, soft to the touch, and looked moist through the plastic. So dark on the outside, though, that they looked like cinnamon rolls.

One taste at home confirmed it, however. Big soft roll on the inside, the unmistakeable flavor of pretzel on the outside. Perfect for slicing with a heap of heated pastrami.

Baked, they'd make an excellent pretzel substitute.

Yum. So glad I bought 3 bags!