Annals of the Authentic: Emil's Barber Shop, Oak Park

Annals of the Authentic: Emil's Barber Shop, Oak Park

I used to get my hairs cut at Tony Lullo's, one of three warring Oak Park Italian hair stylists (blood relations and all named Tony: the other two are Marc Anthony and Anthony Salerno). The advantage of Lullo's was that I could have my hair washed by an underfed black-clad fashion model manque (with waspy waist no thicker than my thigh) and pay $35 for a hair-cutting "experience" that had a 50/50 chance of coming out "bad."

So I jumped when a friend of The Wife's told me about Emil's Barber Shop, located in the Oak Park Arms, at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Washington.

Emil remembers my name, seems genuinely glad to see me, and he always has the most recent issue of Playboy on his magazine rack (this month, "Girls of the AAC"...looking good). Emil is old-school: he does most of my head with clippers, just zipping through, precise and unerring. He remembers how I like my hair cut, he talks -- and he listens. He actually remembers stuff I told him the first time I visited (I happened to mention that my parents had their wedding reception in the Oak Park Arms shortly after VE day, and he recalled that fact just today; amazing). He charges $13.00 a cut, and I haven't had a bad one yet.

Emil used to work in the Palmer House, one of a hundred white-gloved barbers in what was the "biggest barbershop in the world." He still has pictures of old clients on the wall (like Jack Benny!).

Anyhow, in the Annals of the Authentic, under "Hair, Cutting," there's an old, weathered picture of Emil Messina, standing in a gleaming hall of barber chairs, looking like a young George C. Scott, a real barber and a real guy.

Emil's Barber Shop
414 S. Oak Park Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois 60302
708-848-1570

Open 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Wednesday through Saturday.

Obligatory food note: Walking out of Emil's shop at lunchtime, I poked my head in the Oak Park Arms "restaurant." The menu board mentioned the day's specials, as well as a category for "Starches," which I found strangely clinical but, I guess, appropriate for a retirement home where many of the residents spend much of their days meditating upon their health and its inevitable decline.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:The menu board mentioned the day's specials, as well as a category for 'Starches,' which I found strangely clinical but, I guess, appropriate for a retirement home where many of the residents spend much of their days meditating upon their health and its inevitable decline.

I think that they might be more frequently meditating on their stools, and whether/when they, too, shall pass.

Erik M.

David Hammond wrote:Annals of the Authentic: Emil's Barber Shop, Oak Park

I used to get my hairs cut at Tony Lullo's, one of three warring Oak Park Italian hair stylists (blood relations and all named Tony: the other two are Marc Anthony and Anthony Salerno).

There may be three warring Oak Park Italian "hair stylists", but you didn't include good old-fashioned Sicilian barber Frank, of the Avenue Barber Shop on Oak Park Avenue, a few doors down from Grape Leaves.

I've had my hair cut once by someone other than Frank, and I regretted it. Of course, men are notoriously loyal to their barbers. Even when I lived in Minnesota (for college) I'd wait until I was back home to get my hair cut. Of course, that helped me fit in better at the uber-hippie school I attended there for a year..

A haircut is $15 on weekends, $14 on weekdays, I believe.

Avenue Barber Shop

125 South Oak Park Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302-2901
Phone: (708) 383-6660

Shall we allow Oak Park and nearby takeover all thought?

On the question of area barbers, one should also add into the mix, the shop on North just off of Oak Park Avenue. I find this place notable for two reasons. First, they have these cool, 50's style chairs, with built in ashtrays--can't imagine the last time they were used. Second, the owner of this shop's son is/was in the minor-minor local heavy metal champion band, E'nuff Z'nuff. On one hand, the proud papa has plastered one wall of his shop with band memorabilia. On the other, I wonder how proud a barber can be of his son's heavy metal hair.

Rob

PS
Hat's Emil gives a better haircut IMO, but lately, to the extent I have been having my hair cut, I've been letting the Condiment Queen do it.

Vital Information wrote:I've been letting the Condiment Queen do it.

Hey Rob,

I hope Sheila's not using a flowbee .

Cheers,
Al

Erik M. wrote:

David Hammond wrote:The menu board mentioned the day's specials, as well as a category for 'Starches,' which I found strangely clinical but, I guess, appropriate for a retirement home where many of the residents spend much of their days meditating upon their health and its inevitable decline.

I think that they might be more frequently meditating on their stools, and whether/when they, too, shall pass.

Erik M.

Ric, oh man, you lie in wait, you pounce, and you KILL!

Hammond

Seems Emil is able to tame seriously thick/coarse hair like no one else. My ex and several of his friends with similar hair swore by Emil's talents. Glad to hear that he's still around.

The Oak Park Arms used to house a truly authentic radio station if my memory serves me right.

Triad Radio
WXFM-FM 105.6


http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html

JSM wrote:The Oak Park Arms used to house a truly authentic radio station if my memory serves me right.

Triad Radio
WXFM-FM 105.6


http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html

You are right, but in those days, the call letters were WOPA (circa 1968). Hmmm I wonder what that stood for . They used to have really terrible programming duning the day, but at night, they played "underground" music with DJs with names like Scorpio and Venus. Thanks for jogging a great memory of early Chicago FM radio.

There's still a radio station in the Oak Park Arms. Don't know the current call letters. One day, I'm in the chair getting a hair cut from Emil, and a guy sticks his head in, says:

"You cut Tony Maronie's hair?"

Emil says he does.

"I'm from the radio station. Tony wants you to have this."

The guy hands Emil a CD of Tony Maronie's Italian love songs. Emil smiles broadly and says "Oh great, thanks," and graciously accepts the gift.

As I'm leaving, I notice the CD near the register, Tony's beaming picture on the jewel case, and I say to Emil:

"So, you cut this guy's hair, hunh?"

Emil says,

"Yeah, and I have about six of those CDs. Please, take that one with you."

So I take it home. Later, I listen to it. And it's pretty suck-y.

Hammond

PS. I believe WOPA was, briefly, an Italian language radio station (I thought that was the joke behind the call letters).

I believe the radio station is WPNA--1490 on your AM dial: Chicagoland's International Voice. Home to the Irish Hour (actually two seperate two hour programs) on Saturday morning from 9-1. If you grew up with Irish immigrant parents in Chicago, you probably still listen to these programs religiously. The Irish Hour is one of two constants in my life--the other being the heartbreaking, stomach churning ineptness of the Cubs.

WPNA stands for Polish National Alliance, and most of the programming is in Polish, although I believe there are Italian, Romanian, and Assyrian programs on at odd hours.

And to turn this to food, one of the major Irish Hour advertisers is the Blue Angel Restaurant, at Milwaukee and Central. My favorite part of their ad (which, in old school fashion is merely read by the announcer from a script--no fancy ad agency spot here) is "And remember--the Blue Angel caters to all ethnic groups"--so if you happen to be Polish or Bosnian or Belgian, you don't need to worry about being thumped by an Irish employee if you decide to dine at this establishment.

Vital Information wrote:Second, the owner of this shop's son is/was in the minor-minor local heavy metal champion band, E'nuff Z'nuff. On one hand, the proud papa has plastered one wall of his shop with band memorabilia. On the other, I wonder how proud a barber can be of his son's heavy metal hair.

they weren't that minor--they had a couple MTV hits on their first record, and were actually named "best new band of 91" by rolling stone--and I would characterize them more as glam metal, or pop metal, rather than heavy metal. A lot of people really liked them, including Howard Stern and...

...the all music guide

I was sad to read just now that their guitarist Derek Frigo died earlier this year-- his proud papa is none other than awesome jazz violinist Johnny Frigo.

And they all had pretty awesome hair (or awesomely pretty hair).

I risk our family indie rock cred with this knowledge but I know these things because the drummer's proud papa is one my mom's cousins. And any band that brings back the peace symbol is OK with me.

and to bring it back to food (and oak park), another one of her cousins writes the food column in the oak park wednesday journal.

JSM wrote:The Oak Park Arms used to house a truly authentic radio station if my memory serves me right.

Triad Radio
WXFM-FM 105.6


http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html

it was WGLD not Triad..Triad was 105.9 ELmwood Park and then Michigan avenue

deke rivers wrote:

JSM wrote:The Oak Park Arms used to house a truly authentic radio station if my memory serves me right.

Triad Radio
WXFM-FM 105.6


http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html

it was WGLD not Triad..Triad was 105.9 ELmwood Park and then Michigan avenue

That's right, but when Triad was on WXFM it was always broadcast from the Michigan Ave studio. The station was licensed in Elmwood Park but the studio and transmitter was at 333 N Michigan with antenna on Sears Tower. When Triad first started in 1969 it was on WEBH, from the Edgewater Beach Hotel and for a short time broadcast on both WEBH and WXFM. Now old Triad airchecks and music can be heard on live365 24 hrs a day. The link is below.

saxmania wrote:

deke rivers wrote:

JSM wrote:The Oak Park Arms used to house a truly authentic radio station if my memory serves me right.

Triad Radio
WXFM-FM 105.6


http://pages.ripco.net/~saxmania/triad.html

it was WGLD not Triad..Triad was 105.9 ELmwood Park and then Michigan avenue

That's right, but when Triad was on WXFM it was always broadcast from the Michigan Ave studio. The station was licensed in Elmwood Park but the studio and transmitter was at 333 N Michigan with antenna on Sears Tower. When Triad first started in 1969 it was on WEBH, from the Edgewater Beach Hotel and for a short time broadcast on both WEBH and WXFM. Now old Triad airchecks and music can be heard on live365 24 hrs a day. The link is below.

Is this Saul? yea i still listen to your show on the internet..you know..i always wondered what the whole ELmwood Park/Michigan avenue thing was..i didnt start listening until 71..i didnt realize it was around since 69

deke and sax

Thanks for the update I stand corrected. WGLD did indeed came from the OakPark Arms on 102.7 and Triad Radio on 105.9. I used to listen to both on a regular basis and over the years lumped 'em both together in one fond (and somewhat hazy)memory.One of the DJ's on WGLD, Gwen Johnson lived in the neighborhood at the time and somewhere in my vinyl collection I've got some promo albums with WGLD stickers on them.

JSM

JSM wrote:deke and sax

Thanks for the update I stand corrected. WGLD did indeed came from the OakPark Arms on 102.7 and Triad Radio on 105.9. I used to listen to both on a regular basis and over the years lumped 'em both together in one fond (and somewhat hazy)memory.One of the DJ's on WGLD, Gwen Johnson lived in the neighborhood at the time and somewhere in my vinyl collection I've got some promo albums with WGLD stickers on them.

JSM

Gwen Johnson..wow now that name brings back memories..I belive she was on WGLD into the 70's correct?

Gwen Johnson..wow now that name brings back memories..I belive she was on WGLD into the 70's correct?

At least up until '75 when they went off the air

JSM wrote:

Gwen Johnson..wow now that name brings back memories..I belive she was on WGLD into the 70's correct?

At least up until '75 when they went off the air

and Chicago radio has never been the same..XRT is still kicking but it aint what it used to be

Before I forget and this thread gets lost for another 30 months, THIS is how I found LTHForum. Not a particular restaurant review, an address, commentary on the Check, Please! phenomenon, or a recommendation from a friend, but an idle musing on a great, tradtional, reasonable haircut. I saw the barber pole outside on a drive past, and Googled the name to come up with the phone number, and David's original post is what I found. This led to over a year of lurking before my own posts.

I nominate Emil as our first GNB, and am ever happy for tangents into other types of authentic Chicagoland storefronts.

Santander, do you know *this* Chicago storefront?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2343

Santander wrote:Before I forget and this thread gets lost for another 30 months, THIS is how I found LTHForum.

As the cop once said to me as the ounce of marijuana fell out of his pocket, "You just never know what you are going to find these days, do you?"

I was in to see Emil last week, and I mentioned that I had called the week before and didn't get an answer. "Guess you took a few days off, " I said, "not that it's any of my damn business."

"Yes, I did," he said, "and it IS your business. You're my customer. I want you to know."

Turns out, he had to take care of his grandchildren while his son went to Sicily for a week, but what I liked was the fact that he made me feel like I wasn't being a prying pain in the ass. I liked that.

Emil also helped clear up a problem I've been having. I woke up last week to find my back lawn torn up in places. "Raccoons," Emil told me, "They smell grubs and dig them up. The ground that was chewed up, it was dry, right?" It was -- apparently the grubs come up in dry areas. And so my battle with the local 'coon population begins anew...

Hammond

I can't wait to try Zientek's, Amata! I've been outside numerous times but never realized that "bar" actually meant "bar" in the "I can get an Okocim" sense. I found this thread on a rail hobby site:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... ?3,1354593

Just got back from a snip at Emil's, only to find this somewhat amusing link sent by my daughter:

http://ccgi.bluerabbit.plus.com/virtualbarbershop/

Manning wrote:I was sad to read just now that their guitarist Derek Frigo died earlier this year-- his proud papa is none other than awesome jazz violinist Johnny Frigo.

The use of the present tense ("proud papa is...") made me realize for the first time that I was reading posts that are almost five years old. (Proud papa Johnny of deceased son Derek died himself two years ago.) Doh.

LTH...warping time for half a decade.

So, I'm in Emil's chair yesterday, and he's in high spirits, says, "How's it going with that food blubber?"

"Blubber?" I sputter.

"Yeah," says Emil good naturedly, "you're the food blubber for the Wednesday Journal, right?"

"Blogger, Emil, Food Blogger."

Interesting thread..........if you're interested in old school barbers in/near Oak Park.

Frank was mentioned upthread, he ran the shop to the south of Grape Leaves. He now works at Frank's (different Frank) on Grand in Elmwood Park. Another great old school shop. I may be their only fair-haired customer.

teatpuller wrote:Interesting thread..........if you're interested in old school barbers in/near Oak Park.

Frank was mentioned upthread, he ran the shop to the south of Grape Leaves. He now works at Frank's (different Frank) on Grand in Elmwood Park. Another great old school shop. I may be their only fair-haired customer.

Definitely not the only My dad and I have been getting our dirty blond hair cut by Frank for 30 years.

It's a great location, though. Spitting distance to Caputo's and not too far from Johnnie's.

I usually talk with Emil about food, but for some reason, that didn't make the cut: