As much as I love California and all that I continue to discover about the Bay Area, I recently began to feel a subtle yet persistent longing for the plain and honest charm of the city I left back East.
Fortunately, thanks to the kind enthusiasm and understanding of a fellow former Cantabrigian, I was able to soothe my pangs of longing with a highly effective dose of Cambridge...in Carmel.
HOMESICKNESS
Definition
The distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home or attachment objects.
Symptoms
Inexplicable feeling of nostalgia for sports teams you never watched (Celtics), coffee you never cared for (Dunkin' Donuts), as well as miscellaneous memories that had - up until this point - only made your blood boil ("Aww...remember those days when I had no parking garage, and I would have to parallel park my car in the snow? And sometimes...I would wake up to the sound of my car being towed? I miss those days.).
Common Causes
Adventure seeking. Moving across the country. A 3 hour time difference from home.
Medication
- Name: Darwin's Hubbard Park Sandwich.
- Description: A favorite food item that is unique and special to your past. The Hubbard Park comes with Hummus, Avocado, Apple (we used pear), Carrots, Tomato, Sprouts & Honey Mustard. Since Nashoba Brook Bakery doesn't extend west of the Charles River, we used Acme Bread Co.'s seeded whole wheat.
- Dosage requirement: One sandwich, at noon, preferably taken with a glass of wine.
Call Mom. And Dad.
We had our Hubbard Park sandwiches on the beach in Carmel, complemented by our favorite parsnip chips and a bottle of Beringer Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2005, served in two plastic wine cups. Not a bad pairing...though I think something with slightly more body would have held up better to the hummus - like an unoaked chardonnay...or maybe a Sam Adams Octoberfest (Yes, people do think about beer and food pairing, at least people who make a living marketing beer.)
SAUV BLANC ON THE BEACH
P.S. Darwin's Ltd. is an amazing place worth visiting - it's got the hippest music, dreamiest sandwiches, and an outstanding selection of beverages (my favorites being Adina's Gin-jah juice, Irie's fair trade yerba mate tea, and Poland Springs' sparkling lime water). All of their sandwiches are named after local streets and points of interest around Harvard Square. I have a particular soft spot in my heart for the A.R.C., which is named after a local architecture firm (Architectural Resources Cambridge), where I know a highly talented designer! But also, roast beef and BBQ make a nice combo.
