Earwax Cafe, Chicago

Formerly Earwax Records, this cafe is one of Wicker Park's standard places to meet and greet for the moody hipster with a book to read or music to discuss. The closest you get to eclectic is present here, right down to the lack of air conditioning in the summer, which makes the place so hot the wax will run out your ears. Decent, cheap food, strong coffee and alternative atmosphere (complete with murals of circus freaks) complement the not-so-comically rude service. The coffee shop also features a video rental store with some decent selections.