By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
September 4, 1994
Earwax isn’t the most appetizing name for a cafe/record and video store. But it is a pretty darned catchy one.
Located smack dab in the middle of Wicker Park, the three-year-old venue is all things to different people. To Candice Striker, it’s a place to meet friends for cappuccino. Marty Populik stops by every weekend to check out the eclectic magazine selection. And for novices such as Kim Levers, Earwax is an intriguing find after a night listening to live music at the Double Door, which is next door.
The cafe draws quite a crowd, from Wicker Park residents to tourists attracted by the fragrant aromas and vivid colors.
You walk into Earwax and are bombarded with striking images. The walls are covered with circus-style tapestries that depict such scenarios as “King of Blades & Whip” and “Ostrich Boy.” There are wooden booths and small tables sprinkled throughout the small front area that houses the cafe. A bulletin board on the left wall is
crammed with ads for roommates, bands, etc.
The CDs, videos and magazines are in the back room, which is separated from the cafe area by prison-style bars and a sign over the entryway that says, “Ora-Lee, Palmist.” The videos veer towards the arty (Fellini, Jean-Luc Goddard, “Eraserhead”), and the music is definitely hard-core alternative.
“This is the place to get things that are a little more unusual than Madonna or the Cure,” said Steve Bryant. “I don’t always buy, but I definitely like to browse.”
Others come because their stomachs are hankering for a snack.
“I wanted to get some ice cream late at night, and there aren’t too many places (in Wicker Park) that sell ice cream,” Levers said. “Earwax does. And surprise, surprise. It’s really good, too.” It sure is. It’s not Haagen-Dazs, but it tastes just as yummy.
The food in general is tasty and reasonably priced. Vegans will enjoy the wheatburger ($5), which is large enough for two people to share. But the 6-inch pizzas ($5.95, with a large salad) are killers, topped with portobello mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, leeks and provolone cheese.
“Earwax was more of a coffee shop when it first opened,” said manager/chef Carrie Ann Guazzo. “In the year since I’ve been here, the cafe’s menu has expanded quite a bit to include a variety of foods, although most of the stuff is vegetarian.”
During a recent visit, my friend and I sat next to a pretty young couple on a date. She nonchalantly pulled a tiny rubber duck out of her plastic purse, and he took pains to arrange it perfectly in the middle of their table.
“Does it do anything, or is it for show?” I asked them.
“For show,” he said.
Somehow, it didn’t seem at all odd at Earwax.
