I didn’t plan to write about an organic, gluten-free oat pancake served on a paper plate and smeared with peanut-free nut butter. But here I am, stuffing the last sticky bite into my mouth. It’s surprisingly good for something from a kids’ menu.
Small children are screaming, running and jumping around me, which makes sense, considering I’m in their world: a playground in the middle of Sebastopol. Around me is an assortment of millennial parents who look tired but happy to have a place where they can sit in the shade with a proper espresso — or beer — and eat a chef-made tofu soba noodle bowl while their children run wild at Wylde Provisions Co.
All I can think about is how good everything tastes: the yogurt parfait with blueberry coulis, the soba noodles and a giant carnitas sandwich with refried lentils and tomatillo-fish sauce vinaigrette.
At a playground. In Sebastopol. With toddlers everywhere.
Wylde Provisions Co. is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” ideas. It comes from firefighter, paramedic and gym owner Urban Anderson and chef Andrew Truong of Terrapin Creek restaurant. The unlikely partners bonded over a shared idea: healthy, protein-forward food that was affordable and portable.
“Food is medicine. What you put into your body is what you’re going to put back into the world,” Anderson said.
Building one bowl at a time
Their first effort was a refrigerator at Anderson’s gym, The Barn Fitness Collective, stocked with chef-made grain bowls packed with macro-friendly ingredients such as curried chicken breast, pickled vegetables, edamame and arugula.
Because the sauce is everything, Truong developed tzatziki yogurt, miso-sesame, red curry-peanut and avocado-lime-cilantro sauces to wake up the bowls.
But as orders came in at a steady clip, they quickly ran out of prep space at Truong’s restaurant. They needed a commissary kitchen and found one at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in a space that had previously housed a small church cafe.
With walk-up windows and an outdoor play area, it seemed ideal for both a commissary and a much-needed family-friendly gathering place. Anderson’s son, Wylder — the cafe’s namesake — was the first tester, heading straight for the slide while his father inspected the kitchen.
The cafe has since expanded its offerings to include bigger eats such as meatballs and sandwiches, as well as happy-hour specials like deviled eggs. There’s also coffee, snacks, beer, nonalcoholic bubbles and prebiotic sodas.
Win-win.
New bowls drop Mondays and Thursdays, when service is grab-and-go only. This week’s offering was Berberian Rhapsody — they all have clever names — with Ethiopian-inspired, berbere-spiced chicken or tofu, black lentils, farro, pickled peppers, garlicky collard greens, roasted cauliflower and preserved-lemon vinaigrette. It packs 46 grams of protein into 544 calories.
Past creations have included the Tamariana Grande, with tamari-glazed turkey sausage over udon with edamame, charred zucchini, pickled ginger and cashew-tamari vinaigrette, and the Chipotle Off the Old Block, with chipotle chicken or tofu, quinoa, black beans, corn and greens tossed in avocado-cilantro dressing.
Executive chef Nick Cobarruvias makes the kind of food you can eat every day and feel both good and smug about. There’s plenty of protein and a lot of vegetables, but none of the earnestness that can make “healthy” food feel like homework.
The details
Fridays through Sundays, Wylde Provisions Co. offers an expanded menu featuring sandwiches and happy-hour specials from 4:30-5:30 p.m., along with live music.
Anderson and Truong are now expanding the business through new sales channels, including smart vending machines and corporate delivery.
“Our objective is to create a regional health food brand,” Anderson said.
All ages are welcome, though weekend evenings tend to be the most adult-friendly. The kids’ menu includes chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and, of course, the peanut-free nut butter pancake.
Because when it comes to pancakes, we’re all kids at heart.
Wylde Provisions Co. is at 500 Robinson Road, Sebastopol. For more information, visit wyldeprovisions.com/playground-cafe. Weekly bowl drops are announced on Instagram at @wyldeprovisionsco.