Daily Dirt: Let’s go to lunch … and what happened to the hamburger?

Daily Dirt for Oct. 6, 2021

It’s time for another edition in the “Let’s go to (virtual) lunch with Steve” series, featuring with some of our favorite people, both locally and nationally. If you’d ever like to be included in one of our virtual lunch dates, just drop me a line telling me why you would be a good candidate.

Let’s see who is chowin’ down in Vol. 87 of the Daily Dirt’s three thoughts:

1. I think we have a nice variety of guests for today’s break of bread:

Roy Webb, superintendent of Quincy Public Schools: Hopefully, this would be the first stop on Roy’s farewell tour. He recently announced he will be retiring at the end of the school year. I’d like to be the first to stay, “Roy, congratulations — a job well done.” Lunch at: Donna D’s, which arguably has the best selection of breakfast combos all day long. I’m pretty sure Roy enjoys a good, hearty breakfast, even if it is served at noon.

Albert Pujols, future MLB hall of famer: Obviously, the first question will be whether or not he is returning to play in 2022. The next question would be whether or not he thinks he will some day he honored with a statue outside Busch Stadium. Lunch at: Thyme Square, where I will suggest he sample the potato salad. Afterward, Albert can drop by and see the boys at Muddy River News and Sports.  

Kyle Moore: I haven’t had a chance to sit down with the former mayor Quincy since he became executive director of the Great River Economic Development Foundation. I could almost guarantee none of our conversation would actually deal with GREDF or similar topics. We’ll be talking baseball, specifically about his favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lunch at: Kelly’s, where we can both take advantage of that magnificent salad bar.

Mark Harmon: I need to know how Leroy Jethro Gibbs is going to exit “NCIS”. Lunch at: Maid Rite. I still can’t believe I did not have one of those Maid Rite sandwiches for almost a year during the early stages of the pandemic.

Sarah Stephens, executive director of Horizons Social Services: Sarah is one of those people who never has a bad day. I always enjoy hearing about the positivity at Horizons. Lunch at: Native Grill, where I will suggest we split a large order of those scrumptious wings.

Mike Shannon, Cardinals baseball announcer: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Mike before, and what a gentleman. I’d like to personally wish him well as he heads into retirement. Lunch at: The Butcher Block, where the conversation is warm and the home-made sandwiches are filling. What more could you ask for from a lunch?

2. Here are America’s five favorite kinds of sandwiches, according to msn.com:

1. Grilled cheese: The term “grilled cheese” dates to the 1930s.

2. Grilled chicken: The favorite items to add on are bacon and cheese.

3. Turkey: Favorite toppings are mayo, onion, lettuce and tomato.

4. Roast beef: Popular toppings of choice are mayo, horseradish, chili sauce and sliced red onions.

5. Ham: Not just plain ham, however. It should be detailed with cheese, mustard, mayo, tomato onion and … sour cream???

Honorable mention: 6. BLT

7. Club

8. Bacon

9. Peanut butter and jelly

10. Pulled pork.

FYI: The hamburger sandwich did not make the top 20 — and peanut butter and jelly did? I demand some sort of recount. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: There is great debate as to if a hamburger is a sandwich or it simply stands along as…a hamburger. JRG)

3. Here’s a fact you might be able to win a bet with some day: “It may come as a surprise, but the country with the highest percentage of tattooed people actually isn’t the United States. It’s Italy. According to recent data, 48 percent of Italians have at least one tattoo, compared to 46 percent of Americans.” That’s provided by authoritytattoo.com.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He is a glass case of emotion.