A Win for The Wild Detectives

If you blink you'll miss it.  Nestled in a side street off of North Bishop Avenue, the main street running through Bishop Arts, is this cozy establishment called The Wild Detectives where the concept of restaurant, coffee shop, and bookstore meld together seamlessly.  At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than another house on the block.  However, on entering the front door you see that it is much more.  An assortment of concepts, from a bookstore to a coffee shop to a pre or post - dinner hangout, it can attract visitors of all types.  I have stopped in several times over the last few months for coffee but last weekend I went out of my way to venture here to work on a blog post and try a snack from their menu.  It was quiet and clean and, I soon learned, had a small but fresh and flavorful selection of food options in addition to delicious coffee.  The Wild Detectives offered me a relaxing afternoon with a great iced coffee and a fresh, flavorful, and healthier mid - morning snack.


Menu Mentions:

The Wild Detectives offers a variety of menu items.  It offers coffee and pastries in the morning (the pastries coming from Rush Patisserie), several sandwiches, snacks (such as a cheese board and a charcuterie board), pies from Emporium Pies, and a selection of local beers and fresh cocktails.

My big question on entering The Wild Detectives was, "would I be able to find a small breakfast - type item that wasn't a pastry?"  Don't get me wrong, I love a good muffin and croissant but today I wanted something healthier.  So, I asked the gentleman behind the counter if he had a non - pastry recommendation.  His instant response was to try the Pan Tumaca, a Mediterranean - style toast that they make.  My instant reaction was - hesitation - but I decided to go with it.  It sounded fresh, it sounded different, and the guy behind the counter seemed to feel pretty strongly about it.  Can't say no to that.  So I ordered this Pan Tumaca and a 2% Iced Latte.

Upon sitting down to start writing, the gentleman brought my iced latte and my toast to my table.  The Pan Tumaca consisted of a slice of toast ( I think sourdough), again from Village Baking Company, drizzled with Arbequina olive oil, topped with fresh grated tomato, topped with crumbled mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of garlic and herbs and Maldon Salt (a flaked sea salt).  So simple but so good.  I ate it slowly to savor it.  The tomatoes had tons of flavor - the ultimate summer tomato, and the olive oil, sprinkle of salt, mixed herbs and garlic, and fresh mozzarella complimented each other perfectly.  This item accompanied with my iced latte, which was smooth and refreshing was the perfect mid-morning snack on a ridiculously hot summer day in Texas.



Nutrition Notes:

• Lycopene... tomatoes...  powerful antioxidant that helps prevent hardening of the arteries and certain cancers. 
• Vitamin E... olive oil & tomatoes...  antioxidant that may help prevent cataracts, macular degeneration and skin damage and helps promote a healthy immune system.
• Monounsaturated fats... olive oil...  a healthy fat that can help improve cholesterol levels by increasing HDL (good cholesterol) and lowering LDL (bad cholesterol)
• Sodium... salt...  used by the body to control blood pressure and for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles.  About 40% of table salt (NaCl) is sodium.
• Calcium... cheese...  aids in maintaining strong and healthy bones and muscle contractions.
• Protein... cheese & milk... aids in the growth, maintenance & repair of cells (including cells damaged due to sickness or injury from surgery or sports / exercise) 
• Garlic... an allium, rich in phytochemicals that has been shown to fight against cancers of the stomach and may decrease the risk of heart disease.

Side Note:  Sifting Through Salt

The Basic Facts...

• Sodium is a component of salt (sodium chloride, or,  NaCl).  It makes up about 40% of salt.
• The daily recommended sodium intake for the average person is 2300 mg / day
• The daily recommendation is 1500 mg / day for those:
• over the age of 51
• who are African American
• who have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease
• One teaspoon of salt contains 2300 mg of sodium!

How Do Salts Differ...

• Salts differ based off of their size, texture and how they are made (sea salt, flour de sel, idolized salt, kosher salt, rock salt, table salt, etc.). 
• By weight, they contain the same amount of sodium.  By volume their sodium content may vary.  This is because some salts, like kosher, have coarser grains that do not fit together as easily allowing for less to fill a teaspoon in comparison to fine table salt.  Therefore there would be more sodium in a teaspoon of table salt than in a teaspoon of kosher salt.
• However, one kind of salt is not necessarily healthier than the other.

Does Anyone Need More Salt?

• Athletes may need extra salt if they are salty sweaters (will see it on their skin & clothes after a practice, game or workout) or if performing in normal or extremely hot environments for over an hour.

Hidden  / less obvious sources of salt include...

• Breads
• Cheeses
• Canned or jarred foods (vegetables, artichokes, beans, etc.)
• Soups
• Processed meats (deli turkey & ham, sausage, salami, etc.)
• Jarred marinara sauces / salsas

How Much Sodium Are You Eating & Drinking Each Day....??

My Conclusions:  (Based on a ranking of 1 to 5... 1 = will not return;  5 = will return tomorrow)

Taste = 5 

Nutrition = 4.7 (they could offer fresh fruit or a fresh vegetable plate as a snack too or as a side.  They could offer whole - wheat toast; However, flavor-wise I think it's perfect as is.)

Service = 5

Overall Ranking = 4.9