|
|
|
 BEST
BLOW JOB
Helen Hunt and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others,
have shown the public that ironed-straight hair is a helmet
to be worn with utmost pride and prettiness. The starkly
flattened look, as neat and well-kempt as Nancy Reagan's
red suits, is most effective at making curly-headed trendwatchers
feel like frizzy beasts. Fear not, tousled top, Kenny
Wujak's blowout at Bella Tocca Salon & Spa (227
NW 21st Ave., 295-4055) will render you a WASP-y princess.
Of course, curls can be far more flattering than reedy hair,
but blowing a thick mane straight gives the wearer instant
refinement, control and length. Think Minnie Driver in Good
Will Hunting. Her usually tightly-wound ringlets were
coaxed into a soft, wavy halo that extended at least a third
longer than her natural 'do. Kenny can do this for you even
if your locks resemble Jenna Elfman's more than those of
Rapunzel. Short hair gets straightened out for $25, below
the chin and longer goes for $30.
BEST
WAY TO SLEEP AROUND
Like most things we've co-opted from other cultures,
the Americanized futon has been altered beyond recognition
from its Japanese format. An authentic shiki-futon
isn't a mattress at all, but a foldable sleeping mat, just
thick enough to create a slightly padded barrier between
body and floor. It can be hefted single-handedly and folds
neatly without baling twine. These spartan futons don't
come wool-wrapped, and you can forget about foam cores,
but they're unbeatable as guest beds or for creating clean,
feng shui space. Made in California, the futons are available
at Anzen Importers (736 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.,
233-5111). Ounce for ounce, they cost more than standard-issue
futons--$195 for a full, $154 for a twin.
BEST
PLACE TO GET SNOWBOARDS
AND ICEPACKS
When Marvin Lee took over Cal's Pharmacy in 1972,
it's unlikely he thought he'd ever be selling skateboards
and snowboards alongside the usual array of medicines. For
the past 13 years, however, that's been a growing part of
Lee's business. His son's interest in the sport sparked
the idea of selling boards, and the sideline has been so
successful that Cal's Pharmacy had to move to a new location
(1644 E Burnside St., 233-1237) in May. Cal's Pharmacy--not
to be confused with Cal Skate in Old Town--carries skateboards
and apparel by the Firm, Girl, Black Label, Element, Red
Dragon, Alphanumeric, DC, Powell and ES. Its employees also
happen to be some of the most knowledgeable and interesting
people in town.
 BEST
REINCARNATION OF FORMICA
Tucked away in an industrial warehouse, Fix
Furniture studio (135 SE Main St., 239-9852) looks like
an art gallery that got lost on the way home from the Pearl
District. Instead of spendy paintings and sculpture, though,
one finds bulging metal desks returned to their Eisenhower-era
splendor and rustic front doors employed as dining tables.
Under the direction of owner Mark Nicholl and creative director
Christopher John Bleiler, the people at Fix scour garage
sales, condemned buildings, thrift stores and virtually
any other place they can think of to scavenge broken lamps,
chairs, chests and old pieces of wood. "It's not about restoration,"
says Nicholl. "It's much more about the creative invention."
Think Bob Vila with a touch of Andy Warhol. Of course, there's
also a dash of 5th Avenue involved--the gorgeously refurbished
pieces run from about $20 for fans and clocks to $1,500
for tables.
BEST
WAY TO SAVE YOUR BACK
So you spoil the little critters, do you? You buy them all
kinds of cutesy toys and sweaters and feed them expensive
designer foods like Science Diet, Iams and even Hund-n-Flocken
(organic and holistic, no less!). But what about
you? Don't you deserve a reward for being so generous? Give
yourself a break by letting someone else tote those nine-million-pound
bags of high-end doggie feed. Wagner's Pet Supplies (4710-B
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 284-1885) offers free home
delivery of pet food, and it stocks all the gourmet
brands Spike just loves. That's F-R-E-E, to most Portland
addresses, Monday through Friday.
BEST
PETALS IN A PINCH
No words strike cold terror into the heart of
a prom-going adolescent like, "You didn't forget the corsage,
did you?" If you did, or you know someone who did, remember
your friends at Tommy Luke Flowers (1701 SW Jefferson
St., 228-3140). While they'd rather have a day's notice
to prettily prepare your gardenia, rose or orchid corsage,
Tommy Lukers have been known to pull 'em together in about
an hour. These sympathetic florists have competitive prices
(most of their corsages cost between $20 and $25) and will
even deliver that final piece of the party puzzle for an
extra $5. It seems the only thing Tommy's gang won't do
is steady your quivering hand as you affix the buds somewhere
just below the delicate neckline of your date's gown. Don't
think you're past that awkward moment just because you've
graduated from high school. God, too, apparently appreciates
these sweet-smelling accessories: Tommy Luke gets regular
orders from churchgoers.
BEST
BIRTH-CONTROL METHOD
Thinking of taking the plunge into parenthood but still
unsure whether you're ready? Then point your car in the
direction of Clackamas and head straight out to Babies
"R" Us (9650 SE 82nd Ave., 777-3006), where you'll find
a wide selection of each of the 3 million gadgets necessary
to raise a child. If trying to decide whether your baby
monitor should have a video attachment or a privacy feature
to block out perverts doesn't sufficiently rattle you, then
waltz over to the breast-feeding section and contemplate
whether you'll need a "Boppy" (a donut-shaped pillow you
wear while you nurse) or a "My Breast Friend" (similar,
but uglier). As you compare the relative merits of deluxe
bouncer chairs and play yards (formerly called "play pens"
until that term was apparently judged too punitive) you
might find yourself rifling desperately through your purse
in search of your daily pill.
 BEST
SHOPPING ATMOSPHERE
Although often used as a balm for the ills of
the world, shopping tends to become a headache-inducing
wallet-stripper when done on other people's terms. Not at
Naked City (3730 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 239-3837). The
young store is a haven for world-weary guys and girls; clothes
come with minimal attitude and expense. Nothing in the store--from
Asian-inspired sandals and slit skirts to messenger bags
and vintage duds--costs more than $60. Pants and skirts
average $30. But it's the aura, not the inventory, of the
place that's so inviting. For starters, the eclectic music
mix--including Louis Prima, the Beastie Boys and Apocalyptica,
a cellist quartet whose repertoire includes Metallica covers--keeps
things breezy. Shop owner Patty Lichter says she was "irritated
by snooty sales staff" and set out to establish Naked City
as a welcoming boutique where conversation naturally ensues
between staff and browsers--a place where shoppers feel
comfortable discussing their love lives or dancing in the
aisles. Soon, they will feel even more comfortable; Lichter
is investing in an air conditioner.
BEST
CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR
CANADIAN CHILDREN
Really, you don't have to be a kid from the LOL
(Land of Loverboy) to enjoy a mini Zamboni. Everybody
loves the Zamboni. Unlike the puck, it is easy to discern--indeed,
impossible to miss--on the rink. Yes, the thing that cleans
the ice at hockey games comes pint-sized, and is sold for
$6.95 at Ice Chalet pro shops in the Lloyd Center (288-6073)
and Clackamas Town Center (786-6000). But call ahead to
make sure they're in stock: Especially around the holidays,
these plastic reproductions fly off the shelves faster than
you can say, "Bryan Adams is a hoser."
BEST
PLACE TO BUTTON UP
The expansion of a mail-order button business
owned by Keith and Marvis Lutz, the Button Emporium
(914 SW 11th Ave., 228-6372) has been in business for two
and a half years. The cozy little store has amassed buttons
from Africa, Japan and Europe, and boasts a very loyal following
among the crafty set. Many tourists also stop by after having
checked out the virtual branch at www.buttonemporium.com.
And though both the Web site and the store are bursting
with buttons, the Emporium is also overflowing with ribbons,
pins, tchotchkes and dolls. The whole eclectic collection
is crammed into the smallest possible mauve-carpeted space;
all it needs is a looking glass to complete the impression
that you have stumbled upon a wonderland of notions.
BEST
MINI-MART SELLING ASIAN
HERBAL REMEDIES
Sure, if you're one egg short of a cake or a
40-ouncer away from your ideal drunken state, you can pop
into the neighborhood mini-mart and pick up what you need.
But what do you do for that bursitis ache that only medicated
plaster will ease? Head on down to the One Eight Market
at 2519 SE Belmont St., where the owners stock a wide variety
of Asian herbal remedies including Yinchiao tablets--the
cure for the common cold. They're a bargain at only $3.49
for 120 tablets. So, next time you are in the neighborhood
and need a pack of cigarettes, don't forget to also pick
up some Cut Wong syrup for that nagging cough.
BEST
WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR GENES
If you love old photographs but don't want to
look at your own kin, create a stand-in family tree with
sepia prints from Really Good Stuff (3203 SE Division St.,
238-1838). Although owner Evan Schlaes stocks his shop mostly
with old musical instruments, kitchenware and furniture,
upstairs there is a milk crate of pictures labeled "Instant
Relatives." It contains a treasure-trove of old photographs
and snapshots: grainy color shots of families at the beach,
black-and-white portraits of World War II soldiers, scenes
from smoky jazz clubs. Schlaes and his staff let most of
them go for pocket change. Why forage the Instant Relatives
box? Think of it this way: Pictures of people you know tell
just one story, but these mysterious photographs are truly
worth a thousand words--and you get to create the story.
BEST
PLACE TO HOP ON A MUSIC TREND
As you have certainly perceived by now, members
of the music media elite are nothing if not trendy, posturing
bastards. But we know our way around the town's music shops,
so when we decided to see what the current DJ rage was all
about, we wisely hit Platinum Records (104 SW 2nd
Ave., 222-9166). Hidden behind unassuming, barred
window displays lies a spacious array of new and used vinyl,
mixing equipment and the occasional clothing item. Even
if you don't know your Goa trance from your Euro-house or
Detroit hardcore, the wise staff is friendlier than the
stereotypical record-shop snob. If, due to some faith-shattering
trick of the fates, they don't have what you need, check
out the hot discs at Starbass (920 W Burnside St.,
827-7173) and hip duds at Three Sixty (214 NW Couch
St., 224-3688).
BEST
CIGAR WELLNESS CENTER
You're a man's man. You like your gin cold, your
steak rare and your bullfights bloody. Your idea of a hard
day's work involves rebar and trucks, and you stay well
away from all three. Dockers? Never heard of 'em! You're
more likely to be found lounging in crisp, cotton jockeys,
day-trading commodity options on your laptop. Naturally,
your cigars come from the city's grandest humidor--15,000
square feet of moist bliss. Custom-finished in Honduran
mahogany ("Ouch," says the rainforest), Matt's Fine Cigars
(1425 NE Broadway, 460-0013) offers 115 types of stogie,
from the $90 Paratagas 150th Anniversary to the classic,
glass-tubed El Producto de Queens, a steal at 95 cents.
Matt's is also home to a sealed box of 1917 Muriel Coronas
and a 1903 Cuban lottery ticket (sadly, a loser). Trail
Blazers Jimmy Jackson and Greg Anthony are known to stop
by for a puff, and if you're not ready to invest in a personal
humidor, Matt's leases private lockers to keep your treasured
purchases fresh.
BEST
PAN-ASIAN PET PRODUCT
Dad likes to quote Sun Tzu's The Art of War
as he kicks some middle-management ass. Mom stops by Freddy's
for some spiced pollock sushi on her way to a tai chi clinic.
Sis totters around town in a slinky faux kimono and oh-so-cute
must-have bamboo flip-flops. Don't even bother little Joey;
he's busy playing Pokemon. But poor Fido's been left out
of the Pan-Asian equation--until now. Hinoki 100% Natural
Pet Shampoo, by Original Hinoki Products (829-2254)
contains the precious oil of the Hinoki cedar. According
to the Molalla outfit, the tree's boards are "the preferred
material for constructing palaces, temples, and shrines"--and
its oil also repels ticks and fleas. A test on a spaniel
gave him the scent of a new futon, and the dog's once-mangy
coat emerged groomed and soft. It even works on humans.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Willamette Week | originally
published July 21, 1999
|
