Sandwich Eater’s Chronicles: Love the Quack

Posted: August 30th, 2012 | Filed under: Sandwich Eater Chronicle | No Comments »

Those of you who also peruse my sports blog know I am a recently converted fan to Oregon’s Ducks.

It’s all about the unis, baby. The program is surely dirty, currently under NC2A investigation and owned by Nike’s Phil Knight. I accept all that because the Ducks are always stylin’ when they take the field. Plus they play that exciting hurry up game.

I’m also like to consume duck. Fatty. All dark meat. Tasty. Hong Kong Duck. Peking — or is it Beijing? — Duck. Roast Duck. Duck on pizza like I had the other night at Papalino’s. You get the idea.

Anyway, I’ve a new favorite. Duck Fat Fries. You can get ’em at the preternaturally hip Hammerhead’s on Swan Street. I am on record as saying they are the tastiest fried potatoes I’ve ever consumed. And that includes a plethora of downed spuds through the decades. There are times when I think I alone keep the economy of Idaho afloat.

Those taters are simply ridiculous. If you go and try ’em, tell the folks there the Culture Maven sent you.

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A pal of mine used to work with Peter Max, helping the famous psychedelic artist sell his work. My pal advises that Max, an icon during the glory years of the counter culture, used to refer to cocaine as “schnozzle.”

Which I always thought was a fairly cute moniker.

That little intro is, as usual, only tangentially related to my point.

Which is that I now know where to call if you have nozzle problems. (As for schnozzle problems, call a drug rehab facility.)

The sign at the gas station read: “Nozzle Problems 1-800-453-0645.”

So, there ya go. Nozzle not woikin’. You got the help line number.

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When down at the Kentucky Center recently to pick up tickets for Alabama Shakes, I took a moment to check out the Humana Building for the umpteenth time.

I love the iconic building. Love that it’s in my town. Love that David Jones and especially Wendell Cherry cared enough to be brazen in their choice of architects for their office tower. They did Michael Graves when he was on the uptick, before he started designing paper towel racks for Target.

What struck me the other day was how, I dunno, staid the building seemed. Static. Immobile. Of course, it is brick and mortar with a foundation. But the edges seem sharper, less innovative than the last time I took a look.

What I know is it suffers from comparison to the stuff Frank Gehry has been doing. I’ve been to Gehry’s shiny, swooping metal theater in Los Angeles and it is enthralling. Kind of the way Graves Humana Tower used to be.

Maybe I’m picking nits. Maybe its uniqueness has worn off because it’s here and always around.

Just sayin’.

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