Wow Place #279: Pescadero, CA
Can the attainment of a loaf of bread be a “hero’s quest”? It seems like a bit of a stretch, doesn’t it? But let’s slice that bread a little thinner, shall we?
According to mythologist Joseph Campbell, a hero’s journey looks like this:
• A hero is introduced in the ordinary world
• He receives a call to adventure
• Initially he is reluctant…he refuses the call
• He is encouraged by a wise mentor
• He crosses the threshold and enters the “special world”
• Once there, he encounters tests, attains allies and enemies
• Eventually he returns to the ordinary world, transformed by the experience.
A few weeks ago, my wife Donica and I set out on an epic journey from our home in the wine country, about an hour north of San Francisco, to the little, seaside town of Pescadero, an hour or so south of the City. Our quest: a mythical loaf of herbed artichoke bread from the equally mythic Pescadero Country Bakery.
In a sense, we had received a “call to adventure,” encouraged by a wise friend who had whispered to us, “This bread may not change your life, but then again, it just might.”
Our drive was long and uneventful, with the scenery changing dramatically once we hit the coast. Turbulent waves now crashed against wind-swept cliffs. Wispy tendrils of fog clung to the willowy, ever-present eucalyptus trees. Fields bulged with gigantic, gnarled pumpkins, anticipating the impending Halloween hordes. It was as if we were crossing the threshold of a “special world.”
Eventually we arrived in the tiny, 1-street town of Pescadero. With a population of ~600 people, Pescadero is small community situated near the Pacific Ocean, 17 miles south of Half Moon Bay, and 34 miles north of Santa Cruz. Many of its buildings date from the 19th century. A hiking and biking mecca, Pescadero includes uncrowded benches, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and hostel, and two great parks: Memorial and Butano.
In-the-know diners flock to Pescadero to eat at Duarte’s Tavern, founded in 1894 by Portuguese immigrant Frank Duarte, who originally bought the building for $12 worth of gold. Still owned by the fourth generation of the family, Duarte’s is known for their cioppino (fisherman’s stew), their olallieberry pie, and most especially – their artichoke soup.
Pescadero is most definitely an “artichoke town,” which brings me to the Country Market, the destination of our quest. Known to the locals as Cindy’s, the establishment burned to the ground in the Pescadero fire of 2016. Literally rebuilt from the ashes, the Country Market today is a thriving, all-purpose market stocking everything you need for a great summer picnic – including this incredible herbed artichoke bread.
Biting into one of Cindy’s bread loaves, hot & fresh out of the oven, is truly to enter a “special world.” As the garlic and herbs blend in your mouth with the fluffy sourdough and the tangy artichokes, you can easily imagine mythical enemies banging at the gates, attempting to wrench the bread out of your greedy hands. For good reason! This is a bread that transports you to a different world. And when you’re finished…when you’re dusting the flour off of your chins…eyes glazed with satisfaction…it’s truly like returning, abruptly, to the ordinary world.
How can you not be transformed by such an experience!
And that’s how a loaf of bread can be a hero’s journey. If Joseph Campbell tasted this bread, I’m confident would approve the analogy.
(What’s your hero’s journey? Who was your mentor? When did you find yourself on the threshold of an enhanced, bigger world? What challenges did you overcome? And how were you changed by the experience? Hero’s journeys can be broad and external, like starting a business or traveling to a foreign country. But they can also be subtle and internal, like overcoming a break up or healing from trauma. We all have our own struggles, our own journeys. What’s yours?)
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